Nina Scott, Instructor in English, completed her tenure as the advisor to The Phillipian today after serving in the position for 12 years. Neil Fater, Advisor to The Phillipian, has taken the reigns of the paper and will be joined in the fall by Ada Fan, former Instructor in English at Andover, who will return to the school after ten years at Deerfield Academy. Fan will serve as an Advisor to The Phillipian and an Instructor in English.
“Nina was our mother down there in the newsroom — in the constant craziness of schoolwork, sports, friend drama and trying to publish a quality newspaper, she listened to us, gave us advice and supported us unquestioningly and unconditionally. She was always forgiving, calm and knew just what to say when I called her in tears at one in the morning. Her enthusiasm and belief in us always pushed us to do our best. She taught us how to make journalistic decisions and also how to be responsible people,” said Jamie Chen ’15, Editor in Chief of The Phillipian, vol. CXXXVII.
Former board members of The Phillipian recognize, in particular, Scott’s inspirational mentorship.
“I’m so lucky to have had Nina as one of my biggest mentors at Andover. She’s inspired me to do my best inside and outside the newsroom, pushed me to innovate the Sports Section when I thought we couldn’t do more and just taught me to smile and enjoy the little things about life. Nina made me the journalist I am, but in the process, she shaped the person I am today. Although Nina will leave The Phillipian this year, The Phillipian will always be a part of Nina—just like Nina will always be a part of The Phillipian,” wrote Kailash Sundaram ’15, Sports Editor for The Phillipian, vol. CXXXVII, in an email to The Phillipian.
“Nina… is a mentor in every sense of the word. She’s caring and compassionate, but she was firm and brutally honest when necessary. Whenever I needed advice or just a person to talk to, I knew she would be there for me. She also has an uncanny ability to make an entire room of worn-out and exhausted students smile when she walks in, which is pretty amazing,” wrote Alex Jiang ’15, Online Editor for The Phillipian, vol. CXXXVII, in an email to The Phillipian.
Students have cited Scott’s love for and support of the newspaper as standout attribute that made her a strong advisor. Despite the large size of The Phillipian’s boards, Scott has had a poignant, personal impact on many Editors.
“At The Phillipian turnover banquet, I made the mistake of not wearing leggings or tights, despite the freezing weather. Nina insisted on driving me back to my dorm after the banquet so I wouldn’t have to walk back in the cold. Moments like that exemplify Nina’s kindness and genuine care for every member of The Phillipian board. Her careful guidance, sense of humor and clear affection for the paper were key to making the newsroom the warm, homey environment that it was to me and so many others,” said Peyton Alie ’15, Arts and Leisure Editor for The Phillipian, vol. CXXXVII.
“Nina picked us up and brushed us off at our worst. Her faith in the paper as an independent, student-run institution was always unshakeable, rivaled only by her care for us, the Editors and staff, as individuals,” said Janine Ko ’14, Executive Editor for The Phillipian, vol. CXXXVI.
Scott’s influence will have a resounding impact on The Phillipian.
Clem Wood ’04, Editor in Chief of The Phillipian, vol. CXXVI, said, “[Nina] just has a fabulously lively, zestful approach to life and learning, and so she was always a whirlwind of energy and good cheer when she came into the newsroom and would always be ready to jump into some story we were working on… One of her great strengths [and] what I love most about her as an advisor is that she combines both this very high standard of professionalism based on her exposure to journalism with this very warm, personal touch… to everything she does, from teaching to mentoring to being a friend or a parent, because that’s just her personality.”
Fater said, “Nina has balanced holding the students to a high journalistic standard while also gently supporting them as young people. She’s advanced a great 137-year tradition of a free and uncensored student press on campus, while providing students with incredible connections to real-world journalists. Most importantly, she’s taught the students wonderful reporting and life lessons.”
Next year, Scott will continue to work at Andover as an Instructor in English.
