Female Postgraduates Forge Own Paths at DA

Sally Sirothphiphat ’17 came to Deerfield from Bangkok, Thailand and her postgraduate year will serve as a transition between Thailand’s school system and the collegiate experience. She is a recipient of the prestigious King’s Scholarship, which is awarded to only nine students in Thailand annually. The academic scholarship allows her to attend one year at a prep school and four years of college in the US.

When asked to describe her Deerfield experience in three words, Sirothphiphat said, “I love it.”

Ireland Miessau ’17 decided to come to Deerfield from East Haven, CT to play softball after developing tendonitis in her wrist and forearm during the recruiting season. She mentioned that she has transferred to a different high school before – in tenth grade – so transitioning to Deerfield has not been too difficult.

“The Deerfield community welcomed me [with] open arms,” mentioned Miessau. “Here at Deerfield, I feel as if I am part of a family, which I cannot say about any other place I’ve been throughout my high school career.”

Olivia Messina ’17 is from Hingham, MA and has come to DA to play field hockey. The field hockey team, currently 8-4-0, has greatly benefitted from the addition of a postgraduate to the program. Messina believes that playing on a varsity team in the fall was instrumental in easing her transition to Deerfield. In particular, preseason training allowed her to meet students before the rushed pace of the school year set in.

“I would describe my Deerfield experience thus far as exciting, different, and challenging,” said Messina.

Ericka Ekhator ’17 attended the Middlesex School before taking her PG year, deciding to do so after suffering from an ACL and meniscus injury in the December of her senior year. She currently aspires to play collegiate basketball after Deerfield.

Speaking to the experience of being a female postgraduate, Ekhator believes, “As PGs, we are told that we have such an impact on the senior class and school, yet there’s only four of us. We need to both figure out our own individual paths… and make sure we’re reflecting our very best selves at all times.”