Our first Senior Spotlight features Cameron Carper, a day student who’s been at St. Stephen’s for the last 4 years!

Carper is probably best known on campus as the libero for Girl’s Volleyball for the last 4 years. If you’ve ever been to any home game, Carper’s hard to miss with her bright jersey and insane saves as she mans the back row. As she proclaims, “defense is [her] life”: “It’s so much more reactionary… it doesn’t have to be perfect.” Her love for volleyball began in second grade, while her family lived in Puerto Rico. She did ballet simultaneously, but volleyball became her main activity in middle school. But why volleyball? Carper credits the community she’s formed through the sport thanks to her teammates and coaches, as well as volleyball’s team sport culture. “You have to be loud, huddle together, and build community” every time you’re on the court, Carper states. “There’s no room to think about anything but the points because volleyball is such a mental sport and you have to put aside everything else.” 

When not on the volleyball court, Carper can be found every other Wednesday leading Haiti Club, which she’s been a part of since her freshman year. She was drawn to the club’s initiative and grew to love St. Stephen’s connection with St. Etienne, simply wanting to help people. Through Haiti Club, she’s made a real impact on St. Etienne by helping plan, organize, and run the club’s various fundraisers over the years. Carper also started a letter-writing program for the kids in Haiti: “Our letter-writing program was designed to maintain personal student relationships because we can’t visit Haiti anymore.”

She also organized the soccer fundraiser last year, the first of its kind, which was a massive success: “I organized the fundraiser as part of our goal that year to raise $20,000 to celebrate our 20-year partnership with St. Etienne. It was a 4v4 soccer tournament where 17 teams played World-Cup style in multiple rounds.” The soccer fundraiser is Carper’s favorite memory from her time at Haiti Club, as it was such a reward to have something she worked so hard on pay off. Thanks to the event, the Haitian Marketplace, and Haiti on the Hill, the club reached its goal of $20,000 that year. 

One thing not commonly known about Carper, however, is her love and talent for writing. Despite identifying as more of a STEM kid, Carper loves reading and writing poetry. “Writing is an emotional outlet [for me], much like how it is for other artists,” she explains. She’s explored more of this passion of hers in Creative Writing with Ms. Rajerison, where she also became involved with the editorial team behind Proteus. Last year, she was instrumental in the publication of the journal, and she looks forward to helping out again this year. Carper’s writing has been recognized through the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, where she’s won a Silver Key and 3 honorable mentions. 

Here’s one of Carper’s poems that won an Honorable Mention:

My Lotus Flower to Her Cherry Blossoms

I don’t wear jewelry, it’s a sensory thing

Rings get in the way, bracelets are too loose

Necklaces tap, tap, tap, on my chest, but

I wear a thin gold chain with a dime-sized pendant

The inscribed lotus stands for peace and serenity

When she gave it to me, 

I joked that she was saying I needed more in my life

She knows I don’t wear jewelry

She proceeded to produce an almost identical necklace

The flower was different, a different birth month

March to my July, cherry blossoms to my lotus

The perfect gift, but I don’t wear jewelry

A golden gleam shone in her eyes

Lighting up the room and the gold-plated flowers

The warmth of her smile contrasting the cold metal

As she looped it around my neck

Another link in our infinite chain of friendship

I don’t wear jewelry, I don’t wear jewelry

I looked in her mirror, behind which she keeps her necklaces

She wears necklaces and bracelets and rings

I turn to see her close the second clasp, 

The cherry blossoms comfortably sit on her collarbone

The small, but plentiful petals flourishing to match her

Mine quick to follow, not wanting to wilt in the dark

The two blooms dance together and

A promise takes root within me 

The little lotus looped around my neck,

Isn’t ever going to be unclasped

Their little tap, tap, tap wouldn’t bother me

I will wear a necklace for her

I will wear a lotus to match her cherry blossoms 

I will keep their golden gleam alive

After graduating, Carper plans to keep playing volleyball in college at any level and keep up her love for writing. While not being a part of Haiti Club afterward, Carper’s influence on the partnership with St. Etienne will be felt for years to come