Alan Rachins ’60

According to Golden-Globe and Emmy-nominated actor Alan Rachins ‘60, though he did not pursue extracurricular activities focused on acting while at the high school, he still developed a passion for the craft that culminated into a career.

“Well, I knew since the eighth grade that I wanted to be an actor, but I was not sure if I would have the wherewithall to pursue that,” Rachins said. “So it was something in the back of mind that I wanted to do. A lot of young kids want to play major league baseball, but that doesn’t happen for too many, and I didn’t know if this acting fantasy or dream of mine was going to be in the same category that I’d have to let go of it.”

Rachins also said that he enjoyed the social life at the high school. He went on many adventures with friends, many of whom he still stays in contact with.

“We organized a ski trip and we were away a week skiing, about six of us,” he said. “I think Mount Snow was the first place we went to. A bunch of us went to the Newport Jazz festival and we slept in our cars outside one of those mansions. We just had great times together. It was a great group of people and they all had ideas to contribute and the occasional parties.”

According to Rachins, high school is an important time not only to develop relationships but also to begin to develop an identity.

“For me, I loved it because it’s where I developed a lot of these great friends and got the beginnings of a sense of self and had a sort of an extended family with these friends and took from that some energy to move forward,” Rachins said. “So I think some people really learn who they are in high school.”

In conclusion, Rachins said that he was very glad to interact with a great group of people at the high school. Moreover, he believes that though he had fun with friends, all of them were still focused on college and later life.

“I guess the word is focus,” Rachins said. “If you focus on what it is you want to do, learn about it, ask questions about it, reach out to people to find more about it. So, go after it, you have to go after it and assume that it’s not going to come to you. It requires a lot of work.”