Meet Our Tour Guides

List of 4 items.

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  Ruby Besson '25

  Hometown: Bellows Falls, VT
  
  Activities: VASA, Varsity Crew, Dance Team, Student Tour Guide, Vocal Ensemble, Theater
  
  Favorite Class at VA: Drawing with Scissors (Collage) which is a winter elective with Ms. McNealus. 
  
  Favorite Place on Campus: The dance studio. Sometimes I go there just to improv or come up with new and fun dances.
  
  Favorite VA Memory: Wildcat Games of 2022. This fall tradition has grade levels competing against each other in silly categories. Seeing everyone come together in a friendly competition was a really memorable experience. I ended up leading our sophomore class in singing VA's Evening Song on my friend's shoulders!
  
  Shoutout to a Faculty/Staff Member: Coach Burnham has been an important mentor to me this year both as my crew coach and as an adult in my life. He has helped me cope with anxiety and has encouraged me to be my best when it comes to rowing.
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  Philippe "Phil" Longchamps '23

  Hometown: Sainte-Claire, Levis, Québec
  
  Activities: Varsity Ice Hockey, JV Soccer Captain (MVP this season), Golf, Student Body Treasurer, Proctor, French Tutor, 24-Hour Play Festival, Student Tour Guide
  
  Favorite VA Tradition: Winter Carnival because it lasts a whole week and it brings our community together even more. It's impossible not to have fun and there are many opportunities to participate in the events.
  
  Favorite VA Memory: The first time I watched the sunset from the top of the ski hill. It was beautiful and I loved every second of it. Seeing campus from up there is really special. 
  
  Why did you choose VA?: I chose VA because it felt right. I love that we are surrounded by woods and wildlife. It reminds me of home. The people at VA are the best. Being a school of 200 students means you play an important role in the community. 
  
  Proudest Accomplishment at VA: My proudest accomplishment at VA is becoming someone people look up to. To get there, I had to get out of my comfort zone and put myself out there. I'm really proud of that.
  
  Shoutout to Faculty/Staff Member: Ms. McNealus has been the most important person for me at VA. She has been my advisor for the past three years and is also my AP Art teacher. I couldn't wish for a better advisor. I am grateful for what she has done for me and she will forever have a special place in my heart.
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  Sydney Palmiotto '24

  Hometown: Walpole, NH
  
  Activities: Varsity Soccer, Nordic Skiing, Lacrosse, National Honor Society, Class of 2024 Vice President, Day Student Proctor, Student Tour Guide, Chamber Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble
  
  Favorite Meal: My favorite meal at VA is the avocado toast bar.
  
  Favorite Place on Campus: Sap Line. In the winter, skiing the campus trails is the highlight of my day, especially the Sap Line trail. Sap Line is a smooth, fast downhill. Just before dusk, the sun illuminates the path and gives you just enough light to see.
  
  Why did you choose VA?: My brother went to VA. I always saw how much fun he was having and I wanted to have a similar high school experience.
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  Josh Swan '23

  Hometown: Châteauguay, Québec
  
  Activities: Varsity Ice Hockey, Proctor, Varsity Soccer, Golf, Student Tour Guide, 24-Hour Play Festival
  
  Favorite Dining Hall Meal: Wildcat mac attack. I have always loved mac and cheese growing up so a build-your-own mac and cheese bar is amazing.
  
  Favorite Class at VA: Filmmaking. I took this class not knowing what to expect, but I've really enjoyed learning how to create movies. Our teacher, Mr. Velsor, makes the class really fun.
  
  Favorite Place on Campus: As a hockey player, my favorite place on campus would obviously be the rink. It's where I go to practice, to play with my team and to clear my head. To me, the ice is a "stress-free" zone.
  
  Favorite VA Tradition: Winter Carnival. It's four days long, where every dorm competes against each other in different silly activities such as broom ball, ski jump, lip-sync competition, and more. Each year there is a new theme. The best part about Winter Carnival is the entire community coming together to just have fun.