TA News

Pictured above: Frank Loveland at the 2017 Mr. TA Pageant, accompanied by Eamon Deffner and Alan Xi. The pageant raises money to support the high school education of students in Rwanda via the non-profit Raise Rwanda. Photo by Dan Grossman.

If there is anyone more upbeat than our March Student of the Month, it’s not clear who that person is. No matter the situation, he always manages to find the good in something or someone. This person, of course, is senior Frank Loveland.

As a student, Frank is someone who shows up ready to learn and ready to get something out of class, whether virtually or otherwise. Mr. Deffner noted that “When Frank is in your classroom, you want to be at your best––primarily because you know he will be.” Madame Heinzmann, who taught Frank in previous semesters, agreed that Frank’s participation improves communities: “Frank’s energy, enthusiasm and effort made my classes better every single day. He throws himself wholeheartedly into every endeavor, whether it’s making a video for French class, writing a proof in Geometry, or volunteering as a post runner at the State Cross Country Meet.” And Karyn Neubauer appreciated Frank in yoga class last semester, where he was a natural at designing and teaching peers yoga sequences—but just as importantly, he was always ready with a smile or a positive comment.

Frank’s strong work ethic and warm demeanor merged in his performances at the 2017 and 2019 Mr. TA Pageant, where he joined forces with Alan Xi and Eamon Deffner to prepare a fabulous dance routine to a medley of songs—all to support the education of high schoolers in Rwanda. The 2019 version was preceded by a smart and hilarious mockumentary of the three-person dance trio reminiscing about their past performing tours and gearing up for the reunion we were about to see on stage. In short, Frank is willing to invest the sweat equity and time it takes to succeed and spread good will.

Lastly, Frank is a thoughtful young man who is an astute observer of the world. In the words of Mark Pichette, “he is socially aware and possesses a strong sense of justice. Frank cares about the plight of the world at both a political and global level and has accessed opportunities that have guided him in learning about how he can impact them. As a bicultural citizen of Mexico and the United States, Frank understands that communicating across cultural lines is essential to becoming a global citizen and he aims to fight for the oppressed, providing them with a voice that he realizes that he is lucky enough to possess.”

Even in this time of uncertainty, Frank is still himself, offering to neighbors a “Thank you!” or “Have a nice day!” just as he would at TA when departing classrooms, or soccer or track practices. And as Karyn Neubauer noted, “Positive, caring and friendly people like Frank help make our school—and the world—a better place.”