“Haverford wasn’t for me.”
You don’t often hear these words from a Signet Society member.
Yet as he is walking with his Beats headphones, lightweight blue puffer jacket, deep voice, and dense crown of braids, Sixth Former Lamar Duvernay is living proof that making the most out of Haverford is not always correlated to connection.
Ever since his arrival in sixth grade, Duvernay felt disconnected from the school.
“I just don’t think [The Haverford School] suited me. It wasn’t even just Haverford; it was Haverford on top of some stuff going on at home,” Duvernay said. “I’ve been dealing with family problems and personal stuff since around that same time. Being disconnected from the school community and then coming home to chaos made it hard to want to be ‘connected’ at all. I was already irritated by the home stuff, and then I’d come to school and feel like I didn’t belong.”
Along with challenges at home, Duvernay’s time in middle school was defined by unwanted expectations from others. “Throughout middle school, I spent a lot of time trying to be who I thought people wanted me to be. I thought people wanted me to play football, or make jokes, or do this and that,” Duvernay said. “At the end of the day, I had to ask: what do I want to do? Who am I? I had a little identity crisis there, but that experience taught me that you just have to ‘do you.’”
Second Form English teacher Ms. Kelsie Canty noticed Duvernay’s attitude changes.
“Ms. Canty would pay attention to my body language. I was always mad or sad back then; those were pretty much my only two emotions. She started a thing where every time I saw her, I had to tell her three good things that happened to me. At the time, I didn’t take it as seriously as I should have, but it meant a lot going into high school because it showed somebody cared,” Duvernay said.
“A lot of times, I have thoughts and feelings that I can’t really display through just talking. Short films are a great way to display what I feel.” – Lamar Duvernay ’26
Duvernay’s attitude would change in high school as he found a new passion: creating art.
“I lived out in the county, so I wasn’t in the city often. Being an hour away, I felt disconnected from a lot of people,” he said. “During a hard time growing up, I was pretty much doing nothing but bed rotting. That’s where the ideas came from.”
“I just woke up one day, and I was bored, so I made one [short film] about ‘bed rotting.’ It wasn’t anything too complicated; it was just me with two backgrounds, portraying what a day looks like. But I liked the process: figuring out concepts, turning those concepts into ideas, and those ideas into action, ” Duvernay said. “I think it’s really cool to be able to show art. A lot of times, I have thoughts and feelings that I can’t really display through just talking. Short films are a great way to display what I feel.”
Sixth Former Ahjah Goins, one of Duvernay’s closest friends, also noticed the growth in Duvernay’s artistic talents.
“In middle school, he was making TikTok skits that were really good and even blowing up, but now he’s making actual short films—stuff people wouldn’t expect,” Goins said. “That’s where I’ve seen the most growth.”
Duvernay explores his emotions through art.
“Art was a good way for me to channel feelings I still have. Those feelings of anger or sadness don’t just disappear; I haven’t cut them out completely, but I’ve learned how to live with them and redirect them into something that isn’t vulgar or destructive. I’m grateful for what art has allowed me to do, but I don’t think a passion alone can keep you from a bad life,” Duvernay said. “There are still problems I need to address personally so I can move on. Art is an outlet I enjoy and will continue.”
Making art is not the only way Duvernay channels his emotions. He also enjoys listening for meaning in music. As seen from his January reflection, Duvernay’s favorite album is 4 Your Eyez Only by Jermaine Lamarr Cole.
“J. Cole is someone I’ve been listening to for a while. Recently, I’ve had to really dig deep into his songs. I wouldn’t say I ‘study’ them, but I try to really sit with the lyrics and the meaning,” Duvernay said. “That album is about him putting himself in the shoes of a childhood friend who was tragically killed. I think it was a beautiful thing to turn the death of a friend into art that can be commemorated forever.”
“If you stay mad or sad your whole life, you can’t have real relationships or hear other people’s opinions.” – Lamar Duvernay
The reflection’s message and the relationship to J. Cole was also a surprise to Goins.
“I knew he liked J. Cole, but I didn’t know it was that deep. The way he broke it down surprised me. It shows how differently he thinks—most people don’t connect to an album like that in such a personal way,” Goins said.
Understanding that everyone faces traumatic experiences allowed Duvernay to not let his emotions define him.
“As I got older in high school, I tried my best to mellow out, and eventually, I did. I decided to stop letting little things bother me. I’ve become a lot more calm and at peace with things that happen in life,” Duvernay said. “I think every man should learn how to do that. If you stay mad or sad your whole life, you can’t have real relationships or hear other people’s opinions. ”
Goins agreed.
“He’s definitely someone you can go to. A lot of the time, he’s been through something similar, or at least understands,” Goins said. “He knows when to be serious and when to joke around, so it’s a good balance. You feel comfortable talking to him—you don’t feel judged when you’re being vulnerable.”
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