Ambivert

I have always hesitated to call myself an ambivert, as it’s such an arbitrary term since no one is 100% introverted nor 100% extroverted. Oxford Languages defines ambivert as “a person whose personality has a balance of extrovert and introvert features.” Rather than being constrained to just one personality type or the other, an ambivert might function with a blend of traits from each side. 

In school, Saléya Scott ‘25 (an ambivert) noticed that the amount she talks and acts in an extroverted manner in class has a strong correlation with what class she’s in. “It depends on the classes, like when I’m in one class that I have with friends I might talk a lot, or even if I don’t have friends I might talk a lot, but it all just depends on the class,” said Scott. Scott’s level of comfort with speaking depending on which class she’s in could provide an advantage for her, as she finds that in classes where she is relatively quiet, she feels just as engaged with the material, and says in fact, she sometimes learns more, because she’s less distracted. On the other hand, she’s also able to understand the material better by conferring with her peers by asking questions and sharing ideas. 

Ella Tutterow ‘25, an introvert, gave her opinion about the impact, or lack thereof, her introversion has on her social life saying“I don’t really feel the need to spend time with my friends every single weekend.” Tutterow also doesn’t “really seek out new people, but still [has] friends” she values. 

Rather than “ambivert,” I think of myself as an introverted extrovert. I love spending time alone drawing, reading, watching TV, exercising, and more. But I definitely get more energy from my interactions with friends, teammates, family, coaches, and teachers. One advantage of being an introverted extrovert is that I get to recharge with downtime, but I also have more fun with friends. It’s a different kind of reenergizing, and for me, it’s all about keeping the right balance between the two.