Izzy Daniel ’27

Izzy Daniel ’27 is an integral part of Tower Hill’s girls cross country team, which placed sixth in the state this season. Putting her best foot forward, in academics and athletics, is something Daniel strives to do
every day. 

On a crisp November day, Daniel raced across the finish line at the Division II DIAA Cross Country State Championship in Killens Pond State Park. It happened in the blink of an eye, but at that moment she finished the race in first place—winning by 0.1 seconds.

“My mom always tells me that the only two things you can control are your attitude and your effort, and I think that’s something that I’ve carried with me,” she says. 

Daniel began her Tower Hill career in eighth grade. She was looking for a rigorous academic environment, but the strong sense of community is what made it feel like the right fit. Her Shadow Day was incredibly welcoming and friendly, she remembers, allowing her to see herself as a part of the student body immediately. 

Now in her junior year, Daniel is focused on enjoying every part of the Upper School experience. 

She’s most drawn to her English courses as she finds reading and writing to be a creative outlet. She’s the president and co-founder of the Tower Hill Writing Club and has participated in and helped edit other students’ work in a variety of writing competitions.

“Writing has just always been a way for me to express myself,” she says. “I think that any time I’ve had trouble expressing myself verbally, I’ve always been able to write it down, and then I can collect my thoughts.” 

Daniel is also enjoying her advanced English course this year, “Reading the Apocalypse.” This year-long literary study allows students to explore how writers utilize apocalyptic tropes throughout their work.    

“It’s so interesting,” she adds. “That course has been one of my favorites.” 

Daniel has also found a new interest in math through her advanced calculus course. She says that through the teachings of Nicole Keith, an Upper School math faculty member, the concepts have been broken down to be easy to understand and apply. 

“The way Ms. Keith explains things really makes sense and if I don’t get it the first time, she’s willing to explain it again. But, also, I love the idea that the concepts build on each other and everything that I’ve learned in math now has a very practical application,” Daniel says. 

When she’s not focused on her coursework, Daniel turns her attention to her love of running. While a member of the girls cross country team, she also participates in winter indoor track and spring track and field. 

She first laced up her running shoes at eight years old, when her mom motivated her to join the nonprofit organization, Girls on the Run. The same year with more encouragement from her mom, she ran her first 5K. Daniel’s passion for racing has kept growing ever since. 

At Tower Hill, she naturally became a three sport track and field athlete, along with the motivation and guidance from Coach Richard Loeper-Viti, who is also a member of the English faculty. 

With cross country being her first love, the championship race in the fall was exciting but nerve-wracking. She says that with the support of her family, coaches and teammates, races feel like everyone is working together even though each runner receives an individual time.

The team’s pre-race rituals also help, including their warm-up run where everyone does a loop and gives high fives to each other as they pass by. Plus, green and white hair ribbons and motivational words written in paint on their arms and legs continue the positive energy.  

“At the end of the race, it was a sprint to the finish. It was very, very close. And after I was done, I was kind of in shock. I was like, wow, this just happened. And everything that I was hoping would happen did. That was a really, really cool experience,” she remembers. 

That sense of support and uplifting each other through big moments is something Daniel cherishes about her school community. 

“Tower Hill is a community that roots for you,” she says. “Everyone is able to cheer for each other, and then also, I feel like everyone is able to be cheered for when they have their wins. I think that sense of support and community is something that drew me to Tower Hill. Being here and lifting each other up and being able to cheer for each other are some of my favorite things.” 

As Daniel looks toward her senior year, she strives to continue to challenge herself and find successes along the way as she knows her family, friends and teachers will always be there cheering on the sidelines.