Jack Tunnell is a day student from Rome who has attended Darlington School since first grade. He is the Honor Council president, a member of the Concert Choir and a varsity tennis player. He is the older brother of Sarah ('22) and Hillary ('18).
How long have you been at Darlington? Why Darlington?
I started at Darlington in first grade, so I've been here for 12 years. The decision was really made by my parents; my mom started working here a few years prior and she and my dad decided it would be the best place for me. I was happy because it meant an extra week of summer before starting school that year.
As the Honor Council president, a member of the Concert Choir, and a tennis player on the varsity team, how do you organize your time during your senior year?
Balancing my time this year has been a bit of struggle, and I think it's really done wonders to prepare me for college next year. With Honor Council and tennis, I rarely get home before 6 p.m., and sometimes it's more like 8 p.m. I try to make myself sit and work during free periods at school when I can, and go straight to my desk when I get home to knock my work out. Some days I do better than others because I am, by nature a procrastinator and a night owl.
Which Darlington teacher do you think has contributed the most to your personal growth?
Mrs. Wilson was my adviser freshman through junior year, and I also had her for AP Language. She's the teacher who's most responsible for—first my appreciation of, and now love—for writing. It's not just that she taught me how to write, she taught me how to write well, and how much of a stress reliever it can be to get stuff on paper. That love and appreciation for writing is something I'll always have with me, and I'm very thankful to Mrs. Wilson for that.
What makes music so important to you?
Music is my favorite thing. I don't think there's anything that has more room for creativity, less limits, and a capability for causing a wider variety of emotions. I love to make music because there are so many different ways to go about it. I love to listen to it because nothing else can cause me to feel so many different ways.
Take the music from a movie soundtrack. Think about how boring it would be and how little a movie would play on your emotions if there wasn't happy music when there's a happy time and sad music when there's sadness, all of it absolutely gorgeous. That's the power of music I love.
How has Darlington impacted you? Which word would you choose to describe your experience at Darlington?
My Darlington experience has been exceptional. Because of the amount of time I've spent here, it is responsible for an astounding portion of the man I am today as I prepare to move on to the next chapter of my life. Darlington is responsible for the way I am able to associate with adults, the way I view and value honor, the way I'm able to prioritize my time. Darlington has had a profound impact on every part of my development, and for that I am so thankful.
Is there any advice you would like to offer to our student body?
I'd like to encourage the student body to try to get out of Darlington everything you can. Strive to walk across that stage after your senior year, confident that you've gotten everything out of Darlington you possibly can, and that you're better for it. Find that one thing that you're most passionate about, and really devote yourself to it, but don't lose the well-roundedness. Most of all, enjoy the ride!
