Growing up as the daughter of an NDB alumna, it was always a joke that my mom had my high school picked out before she knew where she was going to send me to preschool. I became accustomed to her stories of her four years of high school and could not wait to attend myself. When I received an email telling me that I had been accepted to NDB in the spring of eighth grade, I could not have been more excited to begin my own journey of making memories, while also following in the footsteps of my mother: Liz Stapleton Zerella ‘95.
After years of listening to stories about NDB and visiting for occasions, such as Aquacades, with my mom and sister, I believed I had some idea of what my experience would be like. However, what I did not anticipate was how connected I would feel to my mom as I walked by her picture in the main hallway every day, sometimes even pointing it out to friends.
Although there are obvious signs to me that my mom attended NDB, it is never more apparent than when I meet one of her teachers or a staffulty member that my mom played soccer with. Although this can become embarrassing when I am with my mom during such instances, it reminds me of the legacy that this school holds and how many connections have been forged. Her eagerness to catch up with all of her old friends leaves me to wonder about the friendships I have made so far, and I hope that I will someday have the same bonds with them as my mom has with her best friends, allowing for conversations as if no time has passed.
Pictures that my mom has shared from her high school experience allow me to catch a glimpse of NDB as she knew it and, even though she graduated long before I stepped foot on campus as a freshman, there are still many similarities to the school as I know it now. From seeing pictures of her at winter formal with familiar faces that I see every Christmas, in soccer photos or in all of the red she wore to Aquacades, I realize that the school community is the same as it was then, complete with the large emphasis on school spirit that is apparent from her stories.
These moments that I get to share with my mom are always treasured because they allow me to connect with her in a way that would not be possible if not for my time and experiences at the same high school. Listening to her tell about her time in high school always becomes more interesting when the traditions have changed, causing me to wonder if I will someday be able to pass on these stories to my own daughters.
