I remember my shadow day like it was yesterday. It was a rainy Monday morning and I woke up at a brisk 6 a.m. to catch the Pasadena mini-bus, something I had never done before. To this day, I don’t think I have never been as nervous as I was that morning. For those who don’t know, Marlborough’s shadow days offered prospective students the opportunity to follow actual Marlborough students around for a day. This allowed applicants to understand what being a Marlborough Mustang felt like firsthand.

When I first got on campus, my nerves were through the roof. Where was I supposed to meet my shadow? What class did I have first? What if my shadow didn’t like me? What if I got lost? The questions kept coming and my worry only grew. 

However, the second I stepped through the Rossmore gates, I was immediately greeted with the friendly faces of teachers, students and security guards. Seeing everyone so cheery in the morning swiftly helped calm me down while I walked to the admissions office. 

After meeting my shadow, I was quickly put at ease. She was kind, welcoming and excited to show me around the school. The first thing we did was take a trip to Café M to get the world-renowned chocolate chip pancakes. I couldn’t believe the array of freshly made breakfast foods. From hashbrowns to burritos, everything looked delicious. Right after I chowed down probably the best pancake I have ever eaten, we ran up to former English instructor Mary Fish’s 7th grade English class. When the class began, I was astonished by how passionate the students were about reading. Not only had every single student completed the homework, they also each shared their own thoughts and ideas. The course didn’t even feel like a class, but rather a discussion that everyone was excited to be in. The next periods were the same. The first time in my life that I actually felt like school was fun was in a classroom at Marlborough. 

After my lovely experience, I was ecstatic to go home and tell my parents about my day. I always loved Marlborough, but it wasn’t until my shadow day that I could picture myself here. My shadow day instilled a deep excitement for Marlborough. By providing the opportunity for a shadow day, Marlborough was able to give applicants the same experience as me and excite them for what’s to come. Even though Marlborough has discontinued shadow days due to scheduling issues and an inadequate number of student volunteers, I believe that the school is missing out on an opportunity to build enthusiasm and admiration for the school among prospective students.