When Marblehead High School senior Joy Meshulam got a call from Principal Michele Carlson the day before February break, her first thought was panic.
“I was in the library studying,” she recalled. “Dr. Carlson called me and I thought, ‘Oh my god, what did I do wrong?’”
Instead, Carlson delivered unexpected news.
“You’re valedictorian.”
For Meshulam, the announcement marked the latest milestone in a long Marblehead journey that began at the Gerry/Coffin School, continued through Village School and Veterans Middle School, and will soon take her to Dartmouth College this fall.
At Dartmouth, she hopes to pursue two passions that may seem unrelated at first glance.
“My two interests right now are evolutionary biology and art history,” she said. “I want to pursue my passions.”
Science has long fascinated her, especially the natural world. While many students interested in animals gravitate toward veterinary medicine, Meshalum discovered that path was not for her.
“I don’t want to be my veterinarian… I think it would be too stressful taking care of sick animals,” she said.
Instead, she hopes to study animals from another angle.
“I want to study animals, without providing medical care,” Meshulam explained.
In fact, Meshulam dreams not just of studying wildlife but of discovering something entirely new.
“My overall dream in life right now is … I want to discover a new species,” she said.
The criteria are specific.
“It has to be an animal, multi-cellular and terrestrial,” she explained.
Meshulam recently read about newly discovered geckos in a cave, an example that reinforced her fascination with exploration and discovery.
At the same time, Meshulam has cultivated an artistic side. She enjoys creating “a lot of graphite sketches,” including a drawing of her turtle, Pumpkin, rendered in ink wash.
Her high school years were equally defined by athletics and leadership. Meshalum served as captain of both the golf and tennis teams and made school history along the way.
“I was the first female captain of the MHS golf team,” she said.
She played golf all four years of high school — three years on varsity.
Despite her many accomplishments, Meshalum said the last four years were not without challenges.
“The biggest challenge has been managing my anxiety, which is something I’ve struggled with,” she said. “But I’m better now.”
She speaks openly about those struggles, viewing them as part of her growth throughout high school.
As an only child, Meshulam said one of the most meaningful parts of senior year has been finding a strong circle of friends.
“One of the highlights for me this year…. I found some amazing friends,” she said. “I feel like community is something that’s always hard to find at the high school.”
As she prepares to graduate, Meshulam said her upcoming valedictorian speech will center on taking chances instead of holding back.
“The general idea is that it’s better to regret things you do than regret the things you never do,” she said.
Meshulam traces much of her success to a willingness to pursue opportunities even when failure feels possible.
“Maybe I’ll experience failure along the way, but I want to take chances,” she said. “Maybe I’ll fail, but that’s better than never trying.”
You can read Meshulam’s blog about being a female golfer at shegolf.org/post/hole-yeah-joy-golf
