Each year, Marlborough’s senior administrative team selects one of its seven core values – Stand with Others, Champion Inclusion, Aim High, Trust in Yourself, Act with Integrity, Be Kind and Cultivate Purpose – to be the focus of the school year. This year’s core value is Cultivate Purpose.
The selection process for each year’s core value consists of a comprehensive reflection on the previous school year and an identification of areas of growth for the upcoming year. For the 2024-25 school year, the Senior Administrative Council selected “Cultivate Purpose” as the guiding principle that aligns with their objectives for the school year.
According to Marlborough, “Cultivate Purpose” means to have and execute one’s own intention rather than let external factors influence their decisions. For example, a student who is “cultivating purpose” would theoretically select a class that they are truly interested in, rather than choose one that they believe will add to their academic transcript.
Head of Upper School Regina Rosi Mitchell said there were many reasons why “Cultivate Purpose” was selected this year. One reason was to counteract the “achievement culture” that she said exists among Marlborough’s student body, in which students feel pressure to take on a rigorous course load and simultaneously receive good grades.
“Our ultimate purpose is to create a better tomorrow,” Rosi Mitchell said. “We don’t say anything about toxic achievement culture or achievement culture in our strategic plan, but I think that definitely did factor into our conversation.”
Ruby ’26 commented on how other students at Marlborough tend to select a demanding course load based on what they believe will look best on their transcript, rather than an actual interest in the subject.
“A common phenomenon that occurs around Marlborough is when students take the highest level of courses available to them for the sole purpose of accumulating honors credits, not because they have taken an interest in the class,” Fox said.
Rosi Mitchell believes that by encouraging students to consider a deeper purpose behind why they choose to participate in certain classes or activities, they will achieve a stronger sense of academic fulfillment and satisfaction.
“We always have this never-ending list of to-dos, but if you can cultivate purpose and think about, OK, why am I doing this? That’s what brings about fulfillment and meaning,” Rosi Mitchell said.
