Pema Yankey: Finding Herself and Securing Her Future

Pema Yankey—current Roycemore senior, 2026 Thomas J. Ellis Service award recipient, Robert Eisner Scholar, former Vice President of Student Ambassador Club, founding member of Diversity Club, Student Government member, Yearbook Club member, DECA member, and future Marquette Golden Eagle—has embodied what it means to get back what you put into your time at school. Her dedication to academic excellence, civic engagement, and leadership is evident to teachers, parents, and peers alike. 

However, her outgoing spirit, tenacity, and clear knowledge of herself and her future direction were not things that came easy or without effort. Through giving herself to the Roycemore community, accepting help from the college counseling program and faculty mentors, and being willing to sit with and learn from discomfort and setbacks, Pema finds herself entering a college program she is excited for at a school that already feels like home. She will be attending Marquette University in the fall, pursuing a degree in psychology with a minor in marketing, with the hopes of building a career in industrial and organizational psychology.

Transitioning to Roycemore

Pema first came to Roycemore as a freshman, having transitioned from a small Catholic middle school in 2022. The small school environment of Roycemore was a familiarity she welcomed. 

“The transition from my 8th grade year into Freshman year was more smooth because I was used to the small kind of dynamic. At Roycemore, I was still seeing kindergarteners through eighth graders every day even though I was a freshman, which honestly brought me a lot of joy.”

Despite being comfortable with the school’s size, the reality of starting high school in a new place and making new friends was something that initially caused stress for her, as many students had been at Roycemore and knew each other for years. A senior inviting her to join the Student Ambassador Club during her first week changed everything. 

Student Ambassador Club at Roycemore is designed to work alongside Roycemore’s advancement team, helping welcome prospective students and families to campus and executing key admissions events throughout the school year. Joining this club as a new freshman immediately placed Pema in a leadership position at the school, giving tours, leading prospective students through a day in the life at Roycemore, and collaborating with her peers to promote the school. This stood as a jumping off point for student involvement for Pema, as she states she then “joined every club and every activity possible.” Getting involved with clubs and school organizations greatly impacted her confidence, sense of belonging, and leadership skills. 

Pema’s transition to Roycemore was also aided by several teachers taking interest in her and giving her individual attention, which is something that she feels may not have been a case had she chosen a larger school. “I would say teachers were the best thing to help with my transition. Conversations [with the teachers] felt friendly, not just like a talk with an authority figure. They challenged me to do better and applauded me on my success as it came.” 

College Counseling

Perhaps the most tangible impact on Pema’s experience at Roycemore has been the impact of the college counseling program. Led by Ashley Quire, college counseling at Roycemore begins for students and their families in 7th grade, and gradually ramps up in intensity as students progress through Upper School. Students in 11th grade begin to familiarize themselves with the college application process, scheduling college visits to experience various campuses and working to further narrow their career interests and school choices.

For Pema, this stage of the college counseling process was initially daunting. 

“I will admit, going into junior year, I was really worried. I was thinking ‘how am I going to make this [college] list’ and it was so overwhelming to me. After I expressed this to Mrs. Quire, she re-assured me that we were going to get through this and the process would be a breeze. There were a couple of bumps with rejects, but in the whole process with her helping me, I would say it was really the easiest thing. Not many people can say that.”

One of these bumps took place during the acceptances, rejections, and deferrals stage of the college search process when one of her top choices, Fordham University, informed her that she had been deferred. This being her first deferral, Pema was discouraged and unsure how to move forward. After going to Mrs. Quire for help, she was encouraged to write a deferral appeal essay, the purpose being to reaffirm her interest in attending the school, provide updates to her application, and prove that she was still a top-tier candidate for admission. 

“I had no clue what any of that meant, but she [Mrs. Quire] sat me down for a week straight each hour during my free period. She had her whiteboard, and essentially put down everything I said into writing. It was so helpful.” 

While Pema did not ultimately end up at Fordham University, the process of writing essays and being willing to accept help from Mrs. Quire was something that proved to be invaluable. 

Marquette was another school that had ended up on Pema’s list during a meeting with her family and Mrs. Quire. Pema had already been updating her college list with potential schools that she was interested in, many of which were in close proximity to home. However, Marquette was not on Pema’s radar until Mrs. Quire suggested she consider the school. 

“I had never thought of Marquette. I knew at the time that Marquette was kind of a small school, but not much else.” 

After researching the school further, Pema discovered there was plenty to like about the school, including the small size, close location, and internship and career opportunities for her desired field. She made the decision to include Marquette with the others that she would be applying to and hoping for admission. Amongst her top choices were UIUC and UW-Madison. 

Fast forward to this year, Pema started to receive more and more admissions decisions. To her disappointment, she did not receive admission to either UIUC or UW-Madison. Mrs. Quire was able to sit with her in her disappointment and assure her that this just meant a redirection and that she would end up going where she wanted to go for school. Shortly thereafter, Mrs. Quire received an update from an excited Pema, sharing that not only did she get accepted into Marquette, but that she would be receiving the Père Marquette Award, a scholarship worth around $30,000. 

After receiving many more acceptances and rejections, it was time to make a decision. The large amount of scholarship money, combined with Pema’s continued research about what the school had to offer, made Marquette the easy choice.  “I attended admitted student day this past Saturday. It was very fun and interesting. I would actually describe Marquette as a bigger Roycemore, I can’t quite explain it…I feel like now [after making her college decision] I am free. I have no weights on my back.” 

Through the support of Mrs. Quire, Roycemore faculty, and the community at large, Pema is ready for the challenge that lies ahead of her and eager to continue to be a risk taker and be the person she wants to be.