Coming to The Masters School is not just about looking for a school. To Carter Mack, an incoming freshman, being a Panther is far more than just sitting at a Harkness table. It is about joining a deep community where there’s a place for everyone. It’s about finding new passions. It’s about becoming a new, better person.

At her old middle school in Bronxville, there were fewer opportunities to try new things. She would stay quiet in class, not put herself out there, and was hesitant about joining clubs and activities. At Masters, though, Mack said, “everyone is open to trying new things and will always cheer you on when doing so.” She hopes to take advantage of that and explore herself. This year, she is excited about new writing opportunities, including the Creative Writing Club, the student performing group Outspoken and her own personal literary endeavors. Wearing her purple and white, Mack is also a center midfielder on the girls’ varsity soccer team.

Outspoken is not something she would have initially tried out for, but being openly invited at the club fair to audition inspired Mack to share her original poems. On the field, Mack has taken a risk by joining the varsity soccer team. Despite the high standards and demands of being a varsity athlete as a freshman, Mack has risen to the challenge and grown, both as a teammate forming connections and as a player competing on the field. She is also pursuing her first year of high school club soccer, and is looking forward to an upcoming tournament. 

“There is really a place for everyone [at Masters],” Mack said. Despite only being here for a month, she has formed connections everywhere – from the classroom, to the soccer field, to new clubs, and beyond. It takes time to find yourself and find a place, but Mack is a freshman who is not scared to go for it. She is going into her next four years at Masters with an eagerness to grow with a personality. And if that does not sound like the perfect start to high school, what does?