Osbourn house, led by their Prefects, cheers as they win the 2025 House Olympics.
“Next year, I’m definitely excited to win House Olympics again,” Josh Cain ‘26, one of Osbourn’s new Prefects, said.
House Olympics is the culmination of a year-long rivalry and competition between Kershaw, Alcott Day, Galloway, Osbourn, Roberts, Washington, and Truesdell. However, for the Prefects, House Olympics is more than a single day; it marks an entire year of hard work and dedication.
The honor of prefect is given to three standout rising senior students per House. The application process is competitive; it begins with a letter of interest and then an interview with faculty members. The job of prefect entails leading their respective houses while embodying leadership, kindness, respect and responsibility.
Continuing the policy from this year, there will be three Prefects per house. The rising Prefects for Kershaw are Mallory Hersh ‘26, Jake McVeigh ‘26, and Luke Burnett ‘26; for Alcott Day: Sophia Legos ‘26, Emmy Sopka ‘26, and John-David Plechner ‘26; for Galloway: Nina Sager ‘26, Emma Paulus ‘26, and JJ Johnson ‘26; for Osbourn: Josh Cain ‘26, Evan Badami ‘26, and Mirabelle Hayes ‘26; for Roberts: Giah Sharf ‘26, Connor Harrington ‘26, and Brynn Sweeney ‘26; for Washington: Cece Fikioris ‘26, Jet Dickerson ‘26, and Anna Weber ‘26; for Truesdell: Kiki Steffens ‘26, Ana Miller ‘26, and Kyle Guess ‘26.
The work of the Prefects is not limited to the school year. One major job responsibility is attending the Freshman Retreat. The retreat occurs prior to the beginning of the school year and typically takes place at an outdoor camp. The goal of the retreat is to bond the underclassmen with their House before the school year officially begins.
“I’m excited for the Freshman Retreat and getting to know the new members of my house,” Nina Sager ‘26, Galloway prefect, said.
Additionally, the rising Prefects help in organizing the mentorship program, which pairs freshmen and new students with current House members. Although the mentorship program may seem simple, the reality is that the Prefects put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes. They ask questions to the rising mentors in order to best match up a House member with a new student.
“I’m really excited to set up the mentorship system in a few weeks as that was one of the original reasons I felt like I wanted to be prefect,” Sager said.
Kershaw Prefect Mallory Hersh ‘26 is similarly excited about the beginning of next school year.
“I am looking forward to bringing a lot of school spirit to GA/PC week,” Hersh said.
While Hersh is excited to bring spirit to GA/PC week, she is just as excited to bring House spirit and camaraderie every day. Going forward, a major priority for many of the Prefects is House spirit and inclusion. They want to find fun and engaging activities that will bring together all grade levels.
“I’m planning on trying to encourage participation from members of my House that don’t normally participate in House events and competitions,” Sager said. “I’m planning on setting up better ideas and focusing on winning House competitions earlier in the school year than House Olympics.”
Hersh shares a similar sentiment:
“Next year, I am going to make sure to include the underclassmen and create an open and welcoming Kershaw environment,” Hersh said.
Although there are many aspects of the House system that the Prefects want to improve upon, there are also many traditions they intend to continue.
For example, Kershaw Prefects Hersh, McVeigh, and Burnett are planning to continue playing fun games during House meetings, as they believe it is a great way to encourage community building between the different grade levels.
The Alcott Day Prefects have clearly stated their goals for the upcoming year.
“For Alcott Day next year, we are thinking about pairing people with different grades more often during House meetings and activities,” Sophia Legos ‘26, Alcott prefect, said. “We hope to foster more connections throughout our House and help everyone feel appreciated and supported in our community.”
It is clear that inclusion and community building are integral parts of the House system, and the Prefects intend to only build upon these previously stated principles.
It is safe to say that the Prefects are working hard to improve the GA community in the upcoming months.