This interview has been edited for length and clarity while preserving meaning and intent.

What was the purpose of your role on campus this year?

Nemo: Our purpose is to better the experience of the student body. Whether it’s advocating or coming up with different ideas, we try to make things enjoyable—the goal is to serve the people.

Pati: It’s also holding the community accountable to becoming the people they want to be when they come to this school.

What originally motivated you to run for Head Monitor?

Nemo: My middle school was a feeder into ISL schools, and whenever I would talk to my friends about my high school experience compared to theirs, I always left feeling like I definitely have it the best. I want to foster a place where everyone could say that.

Pati: My sophomore year was very divided, and I didn’t know how to reach out to people. As I saw our grade coming together junior year, I wished we had connected sooner. As I approached the podium each day, my main goal was to bring people together.

What did you accomplish? What is still left to accomplish?

Nemo: In terms of bringing the community together, I won’t say that we completely accomplished that because that’s not something that can happen in one year. We’ve highlighted and worked to fix some of the holes in our community in terms of why people struggle to connect, especially through Stables.

Pati: With Stables, everyone says they want to talk to new people different from them, but when given the space, not so many people want to. Hopefully it’s a start to a bigger journey. I don’t think anyone in our time has managed to implement something with as much structure. I’m really proud of us for that.

If we had more time, I wish we got more elected official representation on the Discipline Committee (DC). Right now, there’s only one elected official in each DC and it’s one of us two. Others are appointed by adults. My wish is that the next Head Monitors take that issue on.

What were some of your strengths as Head Monitor?

Nemo: Pati has a brilliant mind. Sometimes she will come up with something, and then I feel like I’m almost lacking as her co-monitor because her ideas are very good. Also, if she wants something done, it’s going to be done. That sense of drive helps both this position and her partner.

Pati: Nemo stays calm in stressful situations. It’s such a hectic role with so much uncertainty and pressure, but he’s been a great person for me and so many other people to lean on.

What challenges did you face?

Nemo: With Stables, we didn’t have any help. It was quite the process to create all the groups and activities on our own. We pride ourselves on Stables, regardless of what students feel about it, because it was a lot of work.

Pati: It was challenging [determining] what worked within Stables. When we got that DC idea, that was a big hurdle because it got a lot of people talking. It was challenging to figure out what topics are not too sensitive but hot enough. I would say stress, but we rely a lot on each other. When I can only give 20, Nemo knows he has to step up and give 80 and vice versa.

What’s one thing you learned?

Nemo: Whenever you make a big change, there’s going to be pushback. It’s hard to stay motivated when there are people criticizing you. If we fell into all that noise, it wouldn’t have worked as well as it did.

Pati: If it’s making someone else’s life better, it’s worth it. If there’s a freshman that thinks Stables is the best time ever, it’s worth it. It means I’m creating something that I believe in: connection.

If you could only give one piece of advice to 2026-2027 Head Monitors Phoebe Quinn ’27 and John Cerullo ’27, what would it be?

Nemo: The great thing about this position is that holding on shouldn’t take much. You were elected because you’re you.

Pati: Hold on. Hold onto your beliefs. Hold onto your morals. In this position, there are so many eyes on you that sometimes I can’t even comprehend it. But the way you behave in the smallest moments matter. Model the person you want other people to become.

How will you aid the transition for next year’s Head Monitors?

Nemo: Voting is staggered so that we can work with the Head Monitors as early as possible. They can always give us a call, and I hope they do.

What do you hope your legacy as Head Monitor will be?

Nemo: I hope people remember me as someone who made them smile. I try to say “hello” to people whether I’ve met you once or you’re my best friend, because it goes a long way. “Just say hey,” as the Head Monitors our sophomore year would say.

Pati: I hope people remember that it’s cool to care. It’s cool to cheer for your friends, to engage in the classroom, to care about everything going on around you.

Nemo: Both of us do a lot of things, whether it’s playing a varsity sport or leading other clubs. You don’t have to be one thing.

Pati: I talk to people who are day students, different races, different ethnicities, and of different financial statuses. And those all are so important to connect across.

Nemo: The differences are what make Milton Milton.

Pati: And so when you don’t experience them -

Nemo: - what are you doing?