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Roxbury Latin teaches students responsibility, determination

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Roxbury Latin teaches students responsibility, determination
Nate Lopes Photo:courtesy the roxbury latin school

“I’m not the type of kid to give up on something,” responds Nate Lopes, a senior at Roxbury Latin. When asked to consider what personal trait he is proud to have developed over time at the school, he quickly focuses on determination. “Whether in sports or in class — whatever the hard challenge is that I am facing — I’m just not going to give up on it. I will keep working and, at the very least, will try my hardest because otherwise there is nothing to gain.”

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To learn more about Roxbury Latin contact us at admission@roxburylatin.org or (617) 477-6317 or please visit

Nate is a talented young man who has achieved success in the classroom and in athletic competition as a high school student. He is a starting lineman on Roxbury Latin’s varsity football roster, captain of the varsity wrestling team, and a shotput and discus thrower for the varsity track and field team. Nate is also a stellar student, perennial leader of the school’s Classics Club, a member of the debate team, sound technician for the dramatics program, steady baritone in the Glee Club, and much more. He has no shortage of abilities and inherent talent. Over time, though, Nate has learned to place far greater value on the quality of his effort and in the strength of his resolve. This allows him to savor the process, and even the struggle, of his experiences as much as the positive results that may come from them.

Nate and his 52 classmates, seniors now at The Roxbury Latin School in West Roxbury, MA, have been tested physically, intellectually, and emotionally as they have grown up within the school. Taking part together in the classroom experience at Roxbury Latin, they have learned to assume responsibility for their studies. Challenging assumptions, seeking out interest, demanding urgency and relevancy from the work they embark upon, Nate and his peers have taken ownership of their academic growth and made the work matter to them. Such a transition signals the maturation of a student that Roxbury Latin considers fundamental, and that it works to foster in each and every boy of the school.

Roxbury Latin expects its older boys to demonstrate to the rest of the student body what widespread involvement and scholarly investment look like. Nate and his fellow seniors understand the responsibility they share to lead the student body and to model Roxbury Latin’s values: honesty, integrity, and generosity of spirit. The years these seniors have shared have granted them countless opportunities to learn from one another and to compete alongside one another. Nate and his friends have joined voices in song as members of the Glee Club. They have rehearsed for musicals, practiced for big games, and grappled together with important questions that have tested their intellect, their worldviews, and, profoundly, their souls. They have learned the value of the joint venture. As a class they recognize the strength of their whole and the power in their multitude.

Together at Roxbury Latin they have put aside differences, let down defenses, and lifted one another up. Celebrating another’s success and commiserating with another’s loss have taught these young men empathy. They have learned to register the environments around them and to know with conviction how, and when, and why they must act upon their world. As Roxbury Latin students, they have come to know that they must be more than individuals in dogged pursuit of personal goals. They have the responsibility to act as citizens of larger communities, serving interests that extend beyond their own as they honor the school’s call to lead and serve.

A small school of 303 boys, Roxbury Latin is located in West Roxbury. Easily accessible from all parts of the city of Boston, the school is proud to serve the community it has been a part of since its founding in 1645. Nate Lopes, a shining example of one whose commitment is broad and whose investment is full, is one of many similarly bright and engaged students who together comprise the Roxbury Latin student body. As an independent, all-boys day school, Roxbury Latin is a distinctive community comprised of boys from various backgrounds contributing various talents. Through its need-blind admission process, the school seeks ambitious young men who endeavor to realize their potential and aspire to do something good with their lives.

Education, latin, roxbury