Prefect Council hosted the Winter Market on the Quad during lunch on Dec. 16. The market featured 18 student-run booths selling treats, clothing, pottery, candles, crafts and other goods. The event drew students throughout the lunch period, offering an opportunity to support classmates’ small businesses while adding to the festive atmosphere on campus.
Junior Prefect Charlotte Im ’27 said the Winter Market gives a chance for students to gather and have time to bond with classmates.
“Events like Winter Market are so important because they give students the opportunity to gather on the Quad,” Im said. “As the year becomes more and more stressful and busy for everyone, we tend to spread out and isolate ourselves, so I truly love how the Winter Market gives our community the time to just spend time with and talk to the people you might normally see on a day to day basis.”
Yamile Maxil-Gomez ’27 participated in the Winter Market by selling amigurumis, crochet stuffed animals. Maxil-Gomez said she chose to create a booth because she enjoys the process of making amigurumis and seeing people brighten up as they see them.
“I decided to sell them because when I started to learn I really enjoyed making them and I started to give them as gifts for friends and family during holidays and birthdays,” Maxil-Gomez said. “Many really enjoyed them and suggested I sell them. Last year I participated in the Winter market as well, and I had lots of fun so I decided to repeat it again this year. I was glad to see people brighten up and smile when they walked towards my table. A lot of people were very supportive and had lots of questions about the process. I learned a lot from the community and their interests which makes the experience so much more fun.”
Kayla Kim ’28 and CJ Jia ’28 ran a matcha bar in the Winter Market, where they sold various matcha lattes with different toppings. Kim said through the Winter Market, she learned the effort involved in creating a business.
“[Jia] came up with the idea to make a matcha stand and I love matcha, so I thought it would be a good idea,” Kim said. “Through this project, I was able to learn about how much thought really goes into making a business since there were a lot of different variables we didn’t account for.”
Victoria Wu ’28 volunteered at a booth for Opioid Awareness Support Intervention Society, OASIS, where she sold baked goods to make care packaging for people experiencing homelessness. Wu said she is grateful that the community were supportive of OASIS’s mission.
“It felt wonderful knowing that people wanted to support our mission,” Wu said. “Being able to spread joy through our cookies and muffins made the experience even more meaningful.”
Im said the Winter Market gives students a unique opportunity to showcase their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit while strengthening pride within the school community.
“Winter Market really encourages creativity and entrepreneurship by giving students a welcoming space to share their creations with the community,” Im said. “It allows student vendors to express themselves, try something they’re passionate about, and see their work appreciated by their peers. Winter market generally fosters a sense of pride in our community as well, getting to see how talented our community is.”
