Foothills Blog

Foothills Alumni Spotlight: Avery Gendler

Following Curiosity. Finding Voice.

When Avery Gendler looks back on her years at Foothills School of Arts and Sciences, one memory stands out: ninth graders huddled around paper brackets, debating which anonymous short story deserved to advance in a March Madness-style writing tournament. “We were always trying to write the best story, to capture each other’s attention,” Avery recalls with a laugh. “It made creative writing feel alive, fun, and competitive in the best way.”

That playful yet rigorous approach to learning shaped Avery’s path in profound ways. Today, Avery is a senior at Princeton, studying English and minoring in Creative Writing. She’s  just returned from Oxford, where she spent a semester reading Shakespeare's Sonnets and rowing in traditional races on the Thames. But Avery’s love for writing, and for seeing the world through details and stories, was seeded at Foothills.

Teachers played a pivotal role. Dan Fisher’s English class introduced Avery and her peers to ambitious texts like War and Peace and Anna Karenina, demonstrating trust in her ability to tackle challenging literature. “Dan helped me take myself seriously as a writer,” Avery says. “Even in middle school, he was quietly nudging me toward colleges with strong writing programs I hadn’t even imagined I belonged in.”

Leah Clark also left her mark, encouraging Avery to see herself not only as a writer but as a performer and storyteller. Through acting and project-based work, Avery discovered a stronger voice. “I had always thought I was just the writer, behind the scenes. But Leah made me believe I could be a storyteller in so many ways.”

Foothills’ emphasis on curiosity and independence carried Avery into high school, boarding school, and now college. “In public school, learning felt like checking boxes. At Foothills, it was about following what interested me and learning to advocate for myself. That has been invaluable at Princeton, where you really need to take ownership of your education.”

Community projects were equally formative. Avery remembers volunteering at the Interfaith Sanctuary Shelter, serving meals and co-creating a mural with children there. “Those experiences grounded us in Boise. They showed me how learning connects to the world outside the classroom.”

Looking forward, Avery is considering a career in publishing after interning at a literary agency last summer. In the meantime, she’s preparing a creative thesis in poetry, working with two of their favorite writers. “I’d love to leave behind writing that really speaks to someone, even one person,” she says.

When asked what advice she’d offer current Foothills families, Avery smiles: “Trust the process. The learning may not always be measured by test scores, but the projects, the curiosity, the collaboration: those are the things that last.”

We’re grateful to Avery for sharing her journey with the Foothills community and for continuing to embody the joy of lifelong learning.