Northwest High Grad Finds Third Space in School Library 
Victoria Halpin helped turn her school library into a third space — a spot where students wanted to gather, socialize and build community. 

"Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room 
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home 
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said 
And all your little brother's favorite songs 
I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone” — from “Never Grow Up” by Taylor Swift 

Victoria Halpin, a Northwest High grad heading to the University of Michigan, is a runner, a book nerd, a future nurse — and a total “Swiftie.” That’s the term used to describe pop star Taylor Swift’s devoted and passionate fan base. 

Halpin says she’s been listening to the song, “Never Grow Up” a lot lately. As she reflects upon her years at Northwest, she feels nostalgic about her time there. Finding her people in the school library. Bonding with teammates at track meets. Discovering new books and discussing them with friends.  

Yet, as she looks back, she’s also really excited about what lies ahead for her: starting her freshman year at the University of Michigan to study nursing. She looks forward to campus life and fulfilling a lifelong dream of being a student there. Halpin credits her participation in Battle of the Books, her time in the library and its librarian, Colleen Pinyan with helping her get into her dream college. Pinyan wrote recommendation letters for her and was always available to help. 

“Anytime I needed advice, I talked to her. She’s very knowledgeable and she provided a lot of encouragement,” Halpin says.  

The library was always Halpin’s anchor and refuge. It’s where she always felt free to be herself, and because of that, she was able to thrive. 

Libraries, the piano and finding your people 

“You booked the night train for a reason 
So you could sit there in this hurt 
Bustling crowds or silent sleepers 
You’re not sure which is worse” — from “Champagne Problems,” by Taylor Swift 

"I hated the cafeteria,” Halpin recalls. “It’s too loud and there are too many people. I was just so nervous to be in high school, so when I found out that Ms. Pinyan, our librarian, allowed people to come in here during lunch, I was so grateful.” 

Halpin, an avid reader, has always felt at home in libraries. She’s had a library card since she was little, and even studies at the Greensboro Public Library after school because there are too many distractions at home. She’s already got her eye on the beautiful law library at the University of Michigan and can’t wait to explore it. But there was something else in the library at Northwest that also drew her attention: a piano.  

Her mother is a piano teacher, so Halpin learned to play when she was five. Her older cousins got her into Taylor Swift, and over time Halpin started to analyze her songwriting. She would pore over the lyric booklets that came with the CDs, absorbing Swift’s words, learning the back story of how her albums came together and the source of her inspiration. 

“She has a song for any mood that you’re in, any experience you’re going through,” Halpin says. 

Swift also references literature in many of her songs, which Halpin appreciates. When she first started spending lunchtime in the library she was working through Swift’s song, “Champagne Problems.” 

“It’s just very beautiful. I love the lyrics,” Halpin says. “It’s about an engagement that’s broken off, but it has a very beautiful piano piece throughout.”  

“I so admired her for working on that song every day — never worrying about who heard her practicing,” Pinyan says. 

It started with working through “Champagne Problems,” but Halpin eventually found her tribe in the library. Other students — introverts and book lovers — who became part of the Library Club. They help Pinyan manage and organize the library. Their classmates use it for study hall or to make up tests, but others go to socialize. There’s also a ping pong table there.  

“We just sort of control the chaos in here,” Halpin says. “It’s not a quiet library. It’s a social library, but it’s an inclusive place.” 

Wolverine spirit and a top nursing program 

“Everything you lose is a step you take 
So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it 
You’ve got no reason to be afraid 
You’re on your own kid,  
Yeah, you can face this”  — from “You’re on Your Own Kid,” — by Taylor Swift 

“You’re on Your Own Kid” is the Taylor Swift song that makes Halpin think of the University of Michigan these days. Her father, who’s from Detroit, has been a lifelong fan of its

athletic teams. Halpin will be the first in her family of Wolverine fans to attend the prestigious university. The nursing school where she plans to enroll ranks in the top 10, nationally.  

Halpin always enjoyed her science classes, especially biology and anatomy. She also likes helping people. Nursing seemed the perfect career match. She also likes that there are so many career options in nursing, including anesthesiology, which she may pursue. At Northwest, she took nursing classes to earn a nurse aid certification and is a member of the HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) Club. She completed clinicals at a local nursing home. She also volunteered with Atrium Health at Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical Center, where she worked in multiple ICUs assisting nurses and at the guest services desk. These experiences confirmed that she only wanted to learn more.  

“I really do love working with people, especially when they’re vulnerable and they need someone that can be there for them without judgement and supporting them through pretty tough times,” she says.  

Making connections one race and one book at a time 

“Baby, let the games begin 
Let the games begin 
Are you ready for it?” — from “Ready For it?,” by Taylor Swift 

“Ready for It” was the anthem of Halpin’s final track season at Northwest.  

She started running during the pandemic as a way to just get outside, clear her head and listen to music. With the track team, she found a supportive community of runners who encouraged each other.  She ran the 400 and the 4X400 relay and the four by 200 relay. 

“The 400 is a pretty brutal race. It’s very painful, but passing off the baton to my teammate and watching all of them improve our position and get us into a better place — that’s my favorite part of going to a meet,” she says. 

Her advice to incoming freshmen: join clubs.  “You’re going to meet people in your classes, but you never know if you’ll have a lot in common with them. When I joined Battle of the Books, I knew that everyone liked to read and that was something that we could all talk about,” she says. “After that initial connection through reading, maybe you’ll find other similarities.” 

So much of Halpin’s time at Northwest is centered around the library. She showed up there as a shy, nervous freshman, seeking refuge. In that space, she learned to become a leader and role model.  

When Pinyan became the school’s librarian, she wanted to reinvent it. After the pandemic, she knew students needed a safe, welcoming place where everyone felt welcome.  

“We had to reinvent the library from the ground up. Victoria Halpin was a huge part of that process,” Pinyan says. “The founding members of our Library Club, of which Victoria was a member, shared my vision." 

The library became the meeting space for the Hispanic Students Association’s. Halpin worked with members to plan after school activities. It also hosted a major educational event with the Muslim Students Association during Ramadan. Halpin, who was in charge of the bulletin boards, consulted Muslim students so that the displays were authentic and culturally appropriate.  

“Victoria Halpin has left an indelible mark on the Northwest High School library with her authentic approach to diversity and inclusion,” Pinyan says. “Students should feel seen and because of Victoria’s leadership over the past four years, all students do feel welcome and safe. Today, when you enter our space and you take a look around — our visitors are the proof. Victoria was a key part of the construction crew who built that safety net.”