Anya Hooper Is the 2020 Winner of the Edmund Jones Scholarship

Since 1993, the Swarthmore Centennial Foundation has awarded a $6,000 college scholarship –  now named after its late founder – to a Swarthmore high school senior with an exemplary record in both academics and community service. An essay describing the student’s experience in Swarthmore is the heart of the application.

Anya Hooper graduated from Strath Haven High School in 2020 and will attend Chapman University. Here is a condensed version of her essay.

My Life in Swarthmore

Anya Hooper

I was three years old when I moved to Swarthmore, but I don’t remember moving. I do, however, remember the new neighbors. Most of them were middle and high school students, and they embraced my younger brother and me so lovingly, from playing with us at block parties to babysitting us to greeting us enthusiastically outside of the neighborhood. They made a lasting impression through their neighborly kindness which is the epitome of what makes Swarthmore a special place.

When I wasn’t biking to school, the Head Nut, or Swarthmore College, I was running. I remember going out running alone for the first time. It was probably early middle school, and I had some fear about venturing out on my own. My nerves melted away instantly though, as I noticed that I was passing so many familiar homes. I felt safe knowing that, God forbid anything happened, I could run to at least one house on any street and find refuge. 

The number of houses I now recognize has probably quadrupled, and every time I run these days, I see someone I know. I’ve been given the gift of safety in this town, and that has embedded a strong sense of independence and confidence within me. Now, when I see some of my younger neighbors riding their bikes or scootering, I am grateful that they are provided the same safety. It is a very loving act to make children feel safe, and that is embedded in the culture of Swarthmore.

I was raised on Swarthmore Recreation Association soccer (Tomahawks forever!), the Swarthmore Swim Club, and the Young People’s Theatre Workshop. Getting involved in these organizations allowed me to achieve goals that probably seem silly now, but were everything to me in my early development: scoring a goal, passing my blue ribbon test, getting a part in the play. I know those early years shaped my sense of purpose and joy as an individual.

If you visit the clock tower, dedicated in honor of Mr. Jones himself, you’ll find an Anya Hooper brick right next to an Annie Mutz brick. Who would have guessed that the friendship we made as five-year-olds playing at the swim club would remain strong as ever now that we are graduating in the class of 2020? The tradition of being a loving neighbor, friend, and resident of Swarthmore is palpable throughout our town, and I am grateful for it.