Emma Tapscott ’07
Emma Tapscott ’07 never thought about applying to Princeton until she visited the campus on a whim during a college trip to the Northeast. After touring the idyllic courtyards and hearing about what Princeton had to offer — particularly the strong undergraduate focus — she was immediately hooked and decided to apply.
Once at Princeton, Tapscott joined the women’s swimming and diving team. One of the first women’s sports at Princeton, the team has won 16 Ivy League championships since it started in 1971.
Tapscott, who later became a team co-captain for both her junior and senior seasons, says she met wonderful people through swimming. “We are a family,” she says, “both the men’s and women’s teams. We’re very close.”
The ties didn’t end there. “I was very fortunate to witness the power of tradition,” says Tapscott. “Alumni would come back to cheer us. Even though none of them knew me personally, people who graduated years ago treated me as a part of their family.”
When the time came to decide on a major, Tapscott chose anthropology, in part because it allowed her to take classes across the University curriculum — in politics, history, Spanish and English, among others. “Princeton definitely encourages cross-disciplinary studies,” she says. “At the same time, the distribution requirements don’t force you to take classes that don’t interest you.”
Surprisingly, it was a required freshman writing seminar that Tapscott credits most with shaping her academic experience at Princeton. Themes from that seminar, called “Culture and Memory,” returned in many of Tapscott’s later classes, even influencing the thesis of her junior paper.
As a student, Tapscott worked on the crew for Reunions weekend, when tens of thousands of Princeton alumni and their families descend on campus for three days of panel discussions, family activities, parties and the world-famous P-rade. Seeing the loyalty and dedication of so many Princeton grads firsthand made the Houston, Texas, native doubly appreciate her decision to attend a university with many traditions.
“You learn what it means to be part of something greater than yourself,” says Tapscott, who was a member of the Cloister Inn eating club on campus.
When she wasn’t in the pool, in class, studying or hanging out with friends at Princeton, Tapscott volunteered with Pa’Delante, tutoring Spanish-speaking members of the Princeton community in English. She was also a member of Youth for Organ Donation Awareness.
Once at Princeton, Tapscott joined the women’s swimming and diving team. One of the first women’s sports at Princeton, the team has won 16 Ivy League championships since it started in 1971.
Tapscott, who later became a team co-captain for both her junior and senior seasons, says she met wonderful people through swimming. “We are a family,” she says, “both the men’s and women’s teams. We’re very close.”
The ties didn’t end there. “I was very fortunate to witness the power of tradition,” says Tapscott. “Alumni would come back to cheer us. Even though none of them knew me personally, people who graduated years ago treated me as a part of their family.”
When the time came to decide on a major, Tapscott chose anthropology, in part because it allowed her to take classes across the University curriculum — in politics, history, Spanish and English, among others. “Princeton definitely encourages cross-disciplinary studies,” she says. “At the same time, the distribution requirements don’t force you to take classes that don’t interest you.”
Surprisingly, it was a required freshman writing seminar that Tapscott credits most with shaping her academic experience at Princeton. Themes from that seminar, called “Culture and Memory,” returned in many of Tapscott’s later classes, even influencing the thesis of her junior paper.
As a student, Tapscott worked on the crew for Reunions weekend, when tens of thousands of Princeton alumni and their families descend on campus for three days of panel discussions, family activities, parties and the world-famous P-rade. Seeing the loyalty and dedication of so many Princeton grads firsthand made the Houston, Texas, native doubly appreciate her decision to attend a university with many traditions.
“You learn what it means to be part of something greater than yourself,” says Tapscott, who was a member of the Cloister Inn eating club on campus.
When she wasn’t in the pool, in class, studying or hanging out with friends at Princeton, Tapscott volunteered with Pa’Delante, tutoring Spanish-speaking members of the Princeton community in English. She was also a member of Youth for Organ Donation Awareness.