In the fall of 2021, Sixth Former Noah Kanefsky entered his first day at Haverford. As a new student, Kanefsky struggled to find his footing.
“I didn’t know anyone except for one upperclassman and a few guys in my grade. And I didn’t really know them too well either,” Kanefsky said. “I saw upperclassmen say hi to the guys in my grade, but not to me.”
Adding to his struggles were his insecurities about his body. Standing at 6’1” and just 145 pounds, Kanefsky felt inferior to “those guys”: the bigger and more imposing upperclassmen.
Kanefsky initially came to Haverford to pursue baseball, but he needed a second sports credit and decided to pick up crew in the fall of his Third Form year. “I saw alumnus Wyatt Johnson ’22 break the school 2k record at 6:14. He was a massive guy—weighing 240 pounds,” Kanefsky said.
Weighing almost 100 pounds more than Kanefsky, Johnson, along with many other larger students, motivated Kanefsky to get bigger. “They were intimidating guys to me,” said Kanefsky. “I felt weak and didn’t like how I looked. I wanted to look like them.”
Over the next two years, Kanefsky committed to getting more fit, gaining 50 pounds in the process.
“It was a fun weight-gain process, and I’m super happy I went through it,” said Kanefsky. “I became a lot more educated about nutrition and the body through the process, and I was able to try so many different methods.”
Kanefsky’s parents supported him every step of the way. “I took pictures every day, weighed myself every day, and tracked my food and my lifts in the gym,” Kanefsky said.
Still, Kanefsky’s freshman year was not without struggles. Kanefsky struggled to fully focus on himself, especially academically; Kanefsky finished his freshman year with a 3.3 GPA.
Kanefsky completely changed his approach during his sophomore year.
“I changed my habits. I changed my lifestyle,” Kanefsky said. “I tried all sorts of things with the goal of improving myself.”
“I changed my habits. I changed my lifestyle. I tried all sorts of things with the goal of improving myself.”
Noah kanefsky ’25
He experimented with new study techniques, even placing sticky notes on mirrors. It paid dividends; Kanefsky finished his sophomore year with a 4.0 GPA.
Kanefsky also made strides physically during his Fourth Form year. “I fell in love with working out, not so much to be the best rower, but to develop my body and to improve myself,” Kanefsky said.
He also decided to commit fully to rowing. As a result, he finally got to know his teammates well, which helped his social life too. “Before then, I felt the need to convince myself and prove to others that I was worthy of their respect,” Kanefsky said.
Kanefsky’s performance in the boat and classroom continued to improve during his junior year. He maintained a 4.0 GPA while enrolling in three honors classes. In rowing he won the city championships twice, the SRAA nationals, the summer nationals, and the Stotesbury Cup, the biggest high school race in the world.
He also became the third Haverford student ever to row a 2K in under 6:20.
As Fifth Form wrapped up, Kanefsky was considered for the Signet Society, the group of Sixth Form student leaders who embody the school’s values. He was thrilled to be selected by his peers.
“I’ve always wanted to be on Signet,” Kanefsky said. “I feel like it is part of my duty to look out for the underclassmen, just like how upperclassmen did for me.”
“I want to be somebody that people can look up to.”
Kanefsky’s journey wasn’t perfect, and he doesn’t want other students to fall into the same traps he did. “Other people’s achievements are put out there during assemblies—whether academic or athletic, and it’s dangerous to compare yourself to them,” Kanefsky said.
“You’re surrounded by greatness at this school, but it shouldn’t weigh you down if you can’t match what other people are doing in one regard. Use it as motivation instead. In the end, it is you versus you,” Kanefsky said. “It’s your journey, not others’.”
This mindset allowed Kanefsky to strive. “Pressure makes diamonds. If you put yourself in a competitive environment with a healthy mindset, you will get better,” Kanefsky said. “I’ve become a better person, mentally stronger, and more competitive since coming to Haverford.”
During his Fifth Form year, Kanefsky also regularly went to peer counseling, a place for upperclassmen to talk openly with their peers about their challenges and successes.
“I learned that the guys I looked up to had their own struggles too. The people who seem super successful aren’t actually perfect,” Kanefsky said. “There’s this idea that men have to be strong and perfect, but that’s not true. We all have our issues, and nobody has it all figured out.”
Peer counseling has helped Kanefsky grow more empathetic and more of a student leader. “I’m open to talk about anything with anyone. We don’t need to act all tough, everyone’s going through things, and you have to talk it out,” Kanefsky said.
Already, Kanefsky has been “that guy” for other people.
“Every upperclassmen wants to look out for someone, because at some point in their life, someone else did that for them. So if you’re an upperclassman, reach out to an underclassman and say hi. If you’re an underclassman, reach out and get to know the upperclassman.”
Despite the insecurities Kanefsky faced throughout high school, his faith was never one of them. Kanefsky has been a proud member of the Jewish Student Union since Third Form.
“I’m proud to be Jewish, and it’s part of who I am,” Kanefsky said. “I was always open about it.”
Reflecting on his journey at Haverford, Kanefsky offers this advice for new students: “Enjoy the process, because nobody comes to this school perfect. Look up to others, but don’t compare yourself to others. It’s no good for you in any way.”
