Eve Garland
What is your first memory of Trinity?
One early memory from 6th grade took place on Fall Field Day at Tree-to-Tree, which also happened to be my birthday. My squad leader surprised me with a handmade card and a pint of ice cream, and our squad serenaded me, singing “Happy Birthday.” I remember my mom was there and was so struck that an older student who barely knew me would be so kind to me.
What do you think makes Trinity Academy distinctive?
Trinity’s Christian culture, especially how it allows for intellectual examination of Christian ideas, seems unique to me. Scripture class instilled in me a commitment to reading the Bible as it is – knowing that there are many tools for understanding the ancient languages or historical context, I am cautious to avoid cherry-picking, and I want to make sure to read the text as a whole. Part of it is also knowing people from different denominations, which naturally brings up questions about our faith. Sometimes it’s been challenging to a belief I’ve held, and I’ve had lots of conversations that have helped me understand things better personally or academically. I think that, if something is the truth, it will withstand a challenge.
Do you have a favorite Trinity Academy tradition?
One thing I love about Trinity is how there is always singing. I love singing on Fridays at morning prayer. It’s so cool that we can all read music and sing together. There is always some high school girl singing in the upper commons, and I love the moments where everyone will join in, singing parts, with a song we all know from choir, like “Shenandoah.”
What have been your biggest challenges at Trinity as a high schooler?
In middle school, I was very quiet. Relationally, I kept a very close but small circle of friends. In high school, I’ve become so much more comfortable with people and taken a lot of initiative in planning things for our class. Academically, I’ve tended to be a perfectionist. My work is painstaking, but it’s not a slog, because it’s all interesting to me. And I’ve gotten better at stopping at a reasonable time in order to do other things!
At Trinity, you all work hard and take high level subjects as part of a set core curriculum. What has that been like?
At Trinity I’ve had lots of classes that I might have thought wouldn’t fit my personality type. I trust my teachers enough to think there must be value in what they’re asking, and I’ve become okay being “bad” in classes where it’s not naturally appealing. It’s a good thing to take personal responsibility for it, and I grow in appreciation for classmates who excel in those areas.
What was your favorite book you read in HL?
Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. I liked how he talked about virtue as habit. It is very freeing and comforting to think you can grow in different virtues by practicing them, and it seems true to my experience. Following it with Augustine’s Confessions was helpful because he focuses on how desires drive your actions. And since Aristotle thinks of your actions determining the sort of person you are, it led me to think you should be very aware of what you desire, even subconsciously, because that will play out in what you become.
What’s next for you? What do you hope it will be like?
I’m going to Wheaton to study Biblical and Theological Studies. I want to do minors in Spanish and social work. They have an honors program called Aequitas, and I’m in the Urban Leadership cohort. Trinity has given me a pretty complex and comprehensive philosophical view of the human person. I'm hoping that at Wheaton I'll learn how to put that into action practically and holistically. I want to keep the moral, intellectual, and spiritual wellbeing of individuals in mind when designing social service programs. I would like to do some kind of nonprofit work and come back to Portland to help it flourish!
