Before seventh grade classes even began, Peninah was a Charger athlete. “When I came to Shorecrest in seventh grade, cross country practice began in August before school even started. My mom dropped me off and I didn’t want to be here. Alice Darrow ‘15 and Katherina Fucci ‘15 came over and said, ‘Welcome to the team, let’s run.’ And I was excited because they were older and still so nice to me.”

Winning athletic awards and facilitating new friendships aside, her experience in Shorecrest athletics has been hugely influential to Peninah. “I remember when I was in eighth grade and tenth graders who I ran with would see me during school and say hi to me and I thought they were the biggest superstar role models! I remember how the senior leaders treated me, and when I see younger runners I remember how much of an impact that had on me.”

During her sophomore year, Shorecrest’s Upper School implemented its first student-run Honor Council. After undergoing a multi-step selection process involving administration, faculty and the student body, Peninah was one of three sophomores elected to the Council. She provided valuable input in the deliberations of each case and was elected co-President senior year by the Council.

“I like that we’re combined with the Disciplinary Committee [made up of faculty members] because we work together. We can justify things as students, and the teachers give their side. I like the balance.”

Beyond the Honor Council, Peninah’s more personal humanitarian efforts have earned her numerous awards and accolades on campus. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of seven, and spends time teaching underprivileged children how to manage their diabetes through AYUDA (American Youth Understanding Diabetes Abroad).

And take note: all of this is done in Spanish. “My mom is fluent in Spanish and lived in Spain for a couple years after college. I want to do that some day so I can be fluent in Spanish too.” Peninah will spend five weeks in the Dominican Republic this summer setting up camp in Santo Domingo and helping AYUDA with outreach in other cities before heading off to Dartmouth College - where she’ll sail for the Ivy League’s Big Green.

In Upper School’s Landy Hall, Peninah found a similar focus and determination with her grades. Math is her favorite subject, and she reflects back on Mr. Field’s math classes with a smile. “I had him freshman and junior year, and everyone said, ‘He’s so hard!’ and he obviously was really hard, but he was available 24/7.”

She laughs, “My parents think my brother and I are crazy because if we’re doing homework and get stressed, math relaxes us. If I had to read history for homework and was struggling, I’d be like, ‘OK, time to do math homework.’”

Mr. Field shares the sentiment, and says about his esteemed pupil, “I would usually grade Peninah’s paper first as a check to make sure my solutions were correct. I do not remember a day that she did not come to class with a smile and leave with a thank you.”

“I miss his class,” she laments, just a day after graduation. “He had signs hanging in the front of his classroom with sayings and I loved those. One said, ‘Don’t do it until you get it right, do it until you can’t get it wrong.’ That’s my favorite.”

Peninah has already nailed that lesson.