Tripp Ronon goes West

“I read about the 1964 Los Angeles County Museum of Art post-painterly abstraction exhibition. I read about the 1999 Brooklyn Museum of Art Sensation exhibition. I read about Robert Morris’s 1980 exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art,” Sixth Former Tripp Ronon said. “[Los Angeles] is the center of the art world.”

For an average high school student, these interests aren’t common. 

Ronon isn’t an average high school student.

Whether you’re receiving a passionate argument about critical theory or scrolling through his weirdly artistic “post-minimalism” Instagram account, Ronon is known for his uniqueness.

His eccentric energy will leave the Main Line soon, as he prepares to join Occidental College’s Class of 2028. He will move to Los Angeles in August to stay for the next four years.

Ronon stands out amongst his peers, even in the college process. Confident in his fit for Occidental, it was the only school Tripp applied to for early admissions. 

“I wanted a small liberal arts college in an urban location, which is a tough ask,” Ronon said.

Upper School English teacher Dr. Micah Del Rosario agreed. 

“Part of that decision [to apply to only Occidental] was knowing that he was an incredibly good fit for that school,” he said.

Majoring in Critical Theory & Social Justice, Ronon also plans to be a part of Los Angeles’ union culture. 

“I could read Angela Davis’ feminist critical theory,” he said. “There is no excuse for me to be reading critical theory, and not go out and do something about it.” 

Ronon isn’t interested in West Coast hobbies, opting to lean fully into the union culture. “I’m not going to Los Angeles for the skateboarding or surfing,” Ronon said. “I’m going for the contemporary art and the organized labor.”

“Try to immerse yourself in the city. Try to get a sense of the life in your community outside of the geographic boundaries of your university,”

Dr. Del Rosario

While away, Ronon won’t leave Haverford completely behind. 

Along with potential visits during the holidays, he’ll keep close with his friends and teachers. “[Sixth Form Russell Yoh and I] have this agreement that when I go to New York, I’ll be with him. And when he goes to LA, he’ll be with me,” Ronon said.

“I’ve never been to LA,” Yoh said, “but I’m definitely going to go visit. [He’s] giving me a reason to go.”

Dr. Del-Rosario leaves Ronon with a piece of advice 

“Try to immerse yourself in the city. Try to get a sense of the life in your community outside of the geographic boundaries of your university,” Dr. Del Rosario said. “Lean into the experience of having a complete life reset.”