GFA recently hosted its 15th annual Symposium, a celebration of student voice and the depth of work that defines the academic experience at GFA. What began more than a decade ago with a small number of projects has grown into a two-day event spanning disciplines and divisions.
Before Advanced Inquiry presentations began, the day opened with an Assembly and keynote address. In his opening remarks, Head of School Bob Whelan framed the day through the lens of the “hero’s journey.” He described how, throughout the school year, students in Inquiry and Advanced Inquiry start with a question or area of interest and, with the support of teachers and mentors, develop something meaningful to share. By the time Symposium arrives, that process is visible—each project reflecting months of careful thought and persistence.
The idea of returning to share what you’ve learned carried directly into this year’s keynote, delivered by alum Sofia Segalla ’21. Sofia traced her path to an early moment of curiosity. As she told it, her interest in artificial intelligence began almost accidentally, sparked by a middle school project and a late-night deep dive into something she didn’t yet fully understand. What mattered wasn’t the clarity of that moment, but that it stayed with her. “Finding that passion doesn’t have to be profound,” she said. “It just has to stick.”
Sofia's story reflected many of the same themes seen throughout the Inquiry and Advanced Inquiry process. She spoke about learning to follow ideas before fully knowing where they would lead, about the value of asking better questions, and about the teachers who pushed her to refine and rethink her work. Her Advanced Inquiry, which focused on AI safety, became a turning point—grounding her curiosity in something real. Throughout her remarks, she returned to a few themes: stay curious, pay attention to what genuinely interests you, and be unafraid to ask for help and build relationships with the people around you.
Like the students presenting at Symposium, Sofia began with a question and followed it passionately, well beyond her time at GFA. Her story offers a glimpse of what can grow from the questions students begin asking here—and where these questions might lead.
View photos from the day here.