Here at Connecticut College, one may occasionally see younger students running around Tempel Green, or perhaps using the squash courts at the Athletic Center. These students attend The Williams School, located on the edge of campus behind Cummings. Many Conn students have little idea what The Williams School is, and if it is talked about, may just be mistaken for our fellow NESCAC school, Williams College.
The Williams School is a coeducational college preparatory day school for students in grades 7-12. It was founded in 1891 (making it about twenty years older than Conn) and educates students from forty-three different towns in Connecticut and a number of other surrounding states.
Williams is a relatively small school; there are only about fifty kids in each grade, which is a major contributing factor to the school’s sense of community and tight-knit relationships. “I’ve only ever been at small schools,” said senior Zoe Moffett. “It’s great because of how small it is, because we get to know our teachers and form close relationships with them as well as with each other. It’s comfortable.”
This small community also shares connections with Conn that one may not even realize. Moffett added, “There is a program called New London Scholars. Juniors can write an essay to Connecticut College and the best four get to take classes on campus for free.” This program gives Williams’ students an opportunity to learn in a college environment before actually going off to college. It’s also excellent for the students who have gone above what their school can offer them and are looking for more challenging coursework.
In addition to the New London Scholars program, The Williams School also takes advantage of the close proximity to Conn for some of its daily classes and athletics. “The squash team practices in the squash courts, and the cross country teams run in the trails below the school,” said Moffett. “Our environmental studies class also uses the Arbo, and I used the Shain Library for a project last year.”
However, there are also some restrictions when it comes to the relationship between Conn and Williams. Revealed Moffett, “We aren’t allowed on the campus during school hours without permission. Seniors (who are allowed to leave their school for lunch) can’t eat or hang out in the Arbo. I guess it makes sense; the College doesn’t want to be responsible for us.”
Currently, there are multiple graduates from The Williams School in every class year at Connecticut College. The proximity to their high school has given them an interesting perspective on the college they now attend.
Pablo Tutillo ’13 attended Williams and in his case, his high school experience there very much influenced his decision to go to college. “If I had not received the education and mentoring at Williams that I received, college would not have been possible. My parents were very supportive of my goals but they did not know very much about the college process. I am the first one in my families, both in Ecuador and the U.S.A., to attend college.”
For Tutillo, Williams had a profound effect on him. He explained, “My experience at Williams was very challenging – academically and socially. I had only been in the U.S. for a year and a half when I went to Williams. My English was super rusty and I didn’t really know what to make out of a lot of situations in my first year. I remember sitting in English class sweating so hard and getting really red because I was trying to give an answer to something.”
Tutillo continued, “I would say my experience at Williams was a beautiful struggle. After my second year at Williams, I really continued to master English and did comfortably better.”
Kimberly Meneo ’16, another Williams graduate, explained, “I never really thought about going to Conn seriously until my senior year. I had always seen college as a time when you leave home for someplace new. But the more I looked at different schools and narrowed down my criteria for a school, the more I realized that Conn was a perfect match.”
Meneo continued on to compare the two schools, saying Conn is “much like Williams with its small student body, diverse classes and dedicated professors. People always ask me, ‘Isn’t it weird going to school so close to your house?’ but, honestly, it doesn’t bother me at all. I live a fair distance away from New London, and I rarely ever walk by Williams.”
Meneo also values the small and close-knit community Williams offered her as a student, as well as the school’s college preparation methods. “Although I only attended Williams for three years, I loved it, and I met some of my closest friends during my time there.” When asked about the size of her class, she said, “My graduating class was on the larger side (seventy kids) and after transferring from a different high school, I thought it was a perfect size. The classes and teachers most definitely prepared me for college, and I couldn’t be happier with my experience.”
One might think, though, that going to college so close to your high school would be strange, and in many students’ minds the experience of revisiting your old high school after graduating is a little surreal. But both Meneo and Tutillo take it in stride.
“My perception of Williams has changed slightly,” said Meneo. “I like to think I have matured a lot since moving away to school. Williams seems a lot smaller than when I attended, but I still love it just the same. I have outgrown my high school, but I believe most would say that after graduating. I wouldn’t trade my experiences at Williams for anything.”
Tutillo shared this sentiment: “While being here at Conn, I look back at my Williams experience and notice a continuation in its tradition for nurturing and learning. There’s an amazing academic environment there that is made up by people and activities that really make you discover things about yourself that you didn’t know.”
After hearing how well The Williams School prepared two current Conn students, as well as all of the great offerings that are currently in place for Williams students to experience Conn, we can see why so many of Williams’ graduating seniors look to Conn as a place to spend their next four years. Hopefully, this trend only continues to grow, and many of the students from The Williams School will someday become our peers at Connecticut College.
