As Seth Gibson '22 enters the finale of his Lausanne experience, the Lynx senior's performance on and off campus will undoubtedly be remembered.
Since Freshman year, Seth has been a part of the club Lynx Live, and in his senior year, he was elected as President, which he says he was honored by and felt as if it was a true full-circle moment.
"I started as an intern for the club my freshman year, simply doing work behind the camera and observing how the upperclassmen handled themselves as correspondents," Seth said. "As I continued being a part of Lynx Live and enjoying the work we accomplished, I began to emerge as a leader – brainstorming segment ideas, organizing skits, and helping others who needed the extra push."
As Lynx Live President, Seth runs club meetings, delegates skits and segments, and hosts the Lynx Live broadcasts during Monday convocation.
"This club has been a stable part of my high school journey, and ending this experience as a mentor for the underclassmen – just as the upperclassmen mentored me – has allowed me to leave a true legacy on the club's future."
While Seth's Lausanne experience has had multiple highlights, his advocacy and efforts to make Lausanne a more inclusive space for all, specifically helping the school become a more gender-inclusive environment, also stand out.
"At the beginning of my high school career, a major point of contention for me was the gender-specific dress code that did not allow for queer expression," Seth explained. "As a young queer student, I did not understand why I, as a male student, could not get my ears pierced or wear certain clothes female students were allowed to wear. I began to voice my opinion to fellow students, teachers, faculty, and eventually administration, in hopes of evoking change in the policies that were long outdated."
In the fall of 2021, based on recommendations by Lausanne's Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, the school dress code outlined in the Student and Parent Handbook was updated to be gender-neutral, and gender-specific guidelines were removed.
The Lynx senior's natural ability to take charge of what he's most passionate about carries with him beyond the Lausanne gates as he choreographed a renowned life in the dance world.
As an incredibly talented and well-known dancer, Seth's dance skills have earned him many achievements, including his recognition as a Top 3 Senior Male Dancer at Radix Nationals, the biggest and most intense competition. Additionally, one of his most significant accomplishments comes this fall when he begins his journey as one of only eight males worldwide this year who received acceptance into Juilliard, the prestigious performing arts school. While he plans to attend Juilliard, where he'll pursue a career in contemporary concert dance, Seth was also accepted into the University of Southern California Kaufman School of Dance and received the very selective Trustee Scholarship, a full-tuition award.
"During my Upper School experience, my teachers were most helpful for me by being flexible to my intense dance schedule outside of school," Seth said. "As I expressed my passion for dance to each of my teachers, they were all very encouraging and accommodating to any classes I missed because of a dance competition, audition, or performance. If it weren't for their cooperation and flexibility, I would not have reached the academic success I achieved throughout my high school career."
Attending a rigorous school like Lausanne while training in a sport is no easy feat. However, Seth never backed down from the challenge, a trait highlighted through his successful experience at Lausanne and the future he has set for himself ahead.
"Any student-athlete can tell you that having a strong balance of academics and extracurriculars is extremely difficult, especially in the IB program," Seth said. "I maintained a 4.36 GPA throughout high school while simultaneously achieving significant success in my dance career. It would be selfish of me to say that I did this on my own because if it weren't for Lausanne's flexibility and support, I would never have been able to be achieve the success I did in school and outside of school. Lausanne was very accommodating of my rigorous dance schedule and worked with me to make sure I maintained the same excellence in my academic studies that I achieved in my dance studies. For this collaboration, I am extremely grateful for my teachers and Lausanne."