- By Liza Ewen, Friends' Central Teacher (Literature)

From his arrival to my 9th grade literature class to his departure from my 12th grade class, Chris Campbell was a bright, sincere young man whose easy-going nature was met at every step with genuine compassion. While it was a delight to see how Chris changed over the course of his four years in upper school, when I think about him, I'm much more taken by the ways in which he did not change, but remained steadfastly true to himself and to his family. Chris was a young person who made me realize that I too easily used the words “earnest” and “optimistic” to describe others; his tenacious, undeterred efforts both in and outside of the classroom and his positive energy recalibrated the standard in my mind. He really was one of just a handful of students I've taught who walked through my classroom door each day, both in 9th and 12th grade, without fail, with a smile on his face. While the rest of us could all too easily get lost in a maze of stress and complaint, Chris arrived unscathed by the daily ups and downs of academic life. This image of Chris that I return to, one of taking joy in the everyday and providing a good bit of delight to others along the way—is a tribute not only to him but to his loving family. It's not hard to see where he learned to delight in the world around him and to reach out to others with a genuinely warm heart.

When I taught Chris as a senior, I asked students, as we studied Hamlet, to create a three-dimensional construction of themselves. The project asked them to recognize that who we are in the world, as individuals, is often based on a set of carefully-designed choices and actions, as if we're actors figuring out how best to play a part for a particular audience—our outward appearance sometimes masking and protecting our innermost thoughts. Chris' construction, not surprisingly, revolved around a soccer ball. The ball was covered with photographs of family and friends, and was accompanied by a reflection in which Chris noted that while he understood the project was meant to show a distinction between what he shared with the world and what he kept to himself, that he really didn't have much he kept inside—that how he appeared and how others saw him was an honest reflection of who he was at heart. Being true to oneself and being genuine do not come easily to anyone, particularly not to adolescents. Chris, however, exuded kindness, dedication and optimism because it was in his heart.