In honor of Veteran’s Day, this week’s All-School Meeting (ASM) featured Jesse M. Ehrenfeld ’96, President of the American Medical Association (AMA) and former U.S. Navy Commander. In his speech, Ehrenfeld spoke on the impact of his Andover experience in shaping his path towards medicine, leadership, and advocacy.
Ehrenfeld spoke on how overcoming obstacles and blocks is significant to character, first mentioning how he faced probation at Andover during his Senior year. Later, during his medical training, Ehrenfeld became increasingly involved in advocacy, creating an Emmy-nominated documentary on health issues related to LGBTQ+ rights. Though the documentary was eventually not awarded an Emmy, Ehrenfeld noted how true achievement lies in commitment behind meaningful work.
“This realization hit me as I was sitting [at the Emmys], I was just as valuable as I was 5 minutes ago. The loss, or rather the failure to get that external validation, was just as instructive as the academic probation [at Andover] I’d gotten 25 years earlier. The Emmy was a test. It tested whether I was doing the work for the recognition or for the cause. The nomination really was a fleeting vanity, but the service was permanent,” said Ehrenfeld.
He continued, “Anybody who’s sitting here agonizing over your college results, your test scores, your social rankings, remember the Emmy. True value is not in the trophy that you get, but the effort that you put in and the commitment to the mission that drives you. If you allow your identity to be defined by what others award you, will always feel empty. The only validation that matters is the quiet knowledge that you showed up and did the work.”
Philip Molina ’28 reflected on Ehrenfeld’s words, noting that his speech focused on a personal shift in perspective. He mentioned that Ehrenfeld’s speech was greatly inspiring, allowing Molina to understand the importance of impact over tangible rewards.
“My main takeaway was doing the work not for the sake of doing it, the spirit of not creating a movie to win the Emmy, but for the impact that the movie will have. It showed me how he turned his life’s focus from the accomplishments and achievements that would manifest into material things, versus what he could actually do for people. He shifted perspective to focus on the impact he was making, not just a trophy. That’s really powerful and inspiring,” said Molina.
Vera Pape ’29 added that Ehrenfeld’s message served as a reminder to focus on purpose rather than praise, and that fulfillment arises from staying true to one’s values.
“It’s really important to always try to help others, but also not look for others’ approval, which was a big takeaway. At one point, he was stuck looking for what others thought of him, but it’s really important just to know what you’re doing is right and just try to still do the right thing,” said Pape.
Ehrenfeld also reflected on how his Andover experience taught him the importance of humility. He noted that the pursuit of perfection can make vulnerability feel like a failure, a mindset that he had to unlearn in both medicine and military service.
“We’re taught here at this academy, subtly or overtly, that life is a straight line, that high grades lead to a great college, a successful career… The weight of responsibility, the expectation of being flawless, creates a situation where showing that vulnerability can feel like a professional or a moral failure [in medicine], and that’s where my Andover lesson of humility comes full circle. If I can’t accept my own small failures, how could I expect my colleagues or my patients to endure catastrophic ones? It was that commitment to humble, essential service that propelled me to seek out the most challenging environments, places where the stakes are unequivocally life and death, and where service required is fundamental and immediate,” said Ehrenfeld.
Additionally, Ehrenfeld’s speech aimed to address the purpose of obstacles in life. Soleil Williams ’27, noted that Ehrenfeld’s message resonated with her, relating to her experiences at Andover so far.
“Definitely considering that I’ve only been here for one year, I haven’t reached a block or obstacle as big as his described probation, but a big mental block of mine has just been coming here and feeling challenged… The fact that he can describe how amazingly he has done in his lifetime after having such a big block in high school, goes to show that no matter what I’m going through during this small period of time during high school, that I can still be bound for greatness because I have an ambition to reach,” said Williams.
