Each day at Friends Seminary brings together the energy of New York City and the grounding presence of Quaker values to create a learning community that feels both vibrant and deeply human. Here, students are known, challenged, and supported as they discover who they are and who they hope to become.
Upper School life moves quickly, but steadily—between classes, assemblies, performances, athletics, clubs, advisory, and the steady hum of hallway conversations. We begin each week with Meeting for Announcements—an opportunity for club and committee leaders to share events and opportunities in the coming week with their peers. This is followed by a mid-week Meeting for Worship—a moment of stillness that shapes how we show up for one another. That rhythm of reflection carries into our classrooms, where questions drive learning, students take intellectual risks, and teachers act as partners and guides. Students learn that seeking answers may be valuable, but framing thoughtful queries is what will propel us forward.
Our students engage with complex texts and real-world problems, debate ideas across disciplines, and learn to write and argue with clarity and conviction. They lead clubs and committees, run culture clubs and affinity groups, and serve the city through service and community engagement. Their voices matter here—whether they are wrestling with important community issues through the Student-Faculty Advisory Committee, organizing community events, or collaborating with faculty to strengthen our culture.
These daily experiences build the habits captured in our Portrait of a Learner: empathy in how students listen and respond to one another; critical thinking as they navigate the complexities of our world; collaboration that emerges naturally in labs, rehearsals, meetings, and group projects; and integrity that grows from making choices aligned with one’s values. Leaning into our integrity and holding each other accountable creates fertile ground for our truest and most authentic learning. These are not abstract ideals—they are lived practices that guide students through the challenges and joys of adolescence.
Friends Seminary students graduate with a strong sense of purpose, grounded in reflection and shaped by meaningful relationships. I invite you to visit our campus, meet our students and teachers, experience firsthand the community where these values come to life.
Eric Osorio
Head of Upper School