Admission, Student Spotlight

Riley Crawford ’26 Encourages New Middle School Rams to Embrace Excitement

Crystal DAngelo /

The MICDS Middle School welcomed newly accepted students and their families on Wednesday April 1 at the Accepted Families Celebration. At the event, students met current Middle School students, spoke with members of the Middle School faculty, and got questions answered by MICDS administrators and current parents. They were also treated to the remarks of two student speakers including Riley Crawford ’26, Senior Class President. Check out Riley’s words of wisdom below and see how she encourages new students to lean into their excitement as new Middler Schoolers at MICDS!

Hello parents, teachers, little siblings, and most importantly, all of the future Rams! My name is Riley Crawford, and I am the Senior Class President here at MICDS, but before I was class prez, a student ambassador, and speaking at events like this, I was standing exactly where all of you are. Well, sort of. 

My journey at MICDS was a little bit different. Beginning at the height of COVID, I received my admissions letter March 13, 2020…AKA the beginning of the shutdown. In so much uncertainty, the one thing I was sure about was joining this community and becoming a Ram! They mailed the ‘home of the Rams’ yard sign and the whole admissions goody package—with the poms and everything else! 

But, there was one thing I couldn’t quite shake. I was leaving my school I’d been at since I was four and starting over in a place that was triple the size of my current school, had new kids, new faces, and most importantly, new responsibilities. The transition all of you are about to make from elementary school to Middle School and into MICDS is a big one and one that is scary, but it doesn’t have to be. 

If I could go back right now to my little Middle School self and give myself three pieces of advice, I promise it would have been so much easier, but I can’t do that. What I can do, though, is give all of you that advice that I would have wanted back then.

  1. Go to everything! Bridge Program, Pathfinders, Eliot Summer Academy—all of it! Just put yourself out there and don’t be afraid of things being awkward.
  2. Try new things! A new sport, a new activity, a new food! There are so many ways to be creative and innovative in middle school, so now is the time to try them. 
  3. Last but not least, remember you’re still a kid, and now is the time to prioritize time with your friends—the ones you already have and the ones you soon will find at MICDS. 

I know this can be scary, but it can also be extremely exciting. Lean into your excitement, push yourselves to be greater, and never give up. The MICDS community welcomes you, and we can’t wait to see what incredible things you all do in the next few years! Thank you!