Troy Sipprelle '17

Screen Shot 2016-05-27 at 3.40.16 PMMy name is Troy Sipprelle, and I’m a member of the Class of 2017 from Englewood, NJ.  Growing up, I wanted to go to Williams because the Purple Valley always seemed to welcome me with open arms when I visited for sports camps or dropped my older sister off as a first-year. I felt comfortable nestled in the mountains away from the bustling tri-state area where I’d grown up.

Now I realize I was only half correct in expecting comfort in Billsville.  While I have settled into my collegiate life with pleasure, Williams has pushed me far outside my comfort zone both inside and outside the classroom.

I entered with no idea about a potential major, but steadily found my place as I took more and more stellar math classes. Fast-forward almost four years and countless problem sets later, and I now serve on the Student Math and Statistics Advisory Board helping ensure that the department remains interesting and welcoming both to those who know their path ahead as freshmen, as well as those who are less sure.

If I’m not in Bronfman’s library doing math, I’m likely to be across campus working on a new design in the architecture studio. I discovered my love for 3D art during Art History 101-102 survey as a first-year and, many architecture history and design classes later, have not looked back.

But if you still haven’t found me, I may be working as an instructor/monitor at the climbing wall in the field house, exploring the many nearby forest trails that led me to run my first half marathon in 2015, playing pickup soccer, or continuing to hone my skills on the squash courts. I may also be watching a concert, cooking a meal with some friends, or watching the latest film at Images.

Williams has given me a home away from home and expanded the scope of my knowledge and appreciation far beyond the Purple Valley.  I will leave here after my four years not only a better, wiser person but also a citizen of the world, and for that, I thank you.

 

Sincerely,

Troy Sipprelle ’17

 

On February 17, 2016, the entire student body came together to celebrate all the things that members of the Williams community do for one another and to show their gratitude and “EphPreciation” for your Alumni Fund contribution by signing thank you cards. As such, the signature inside your card may not belong to the student profiled on this page. To learn more about the EphPreciation event, visit williams.edu/ephpreciation; to read about the students your gift impacts, visit williams.edu/ephprofiles.