“Wow!  It has been three years since I received my high school diploma at The Storm King School.  Memories of my first semester are quite vivid. When I first arrived on campus in October of 2010, I was a very mellow, introverted teen. I was interested in getting more involved in the community and had debated for days whether or not to audition for the school play. I had never been in a theater production before, and stage fright was looming. My teachers and classmates were very supportive and encouraged me to give it a shot. At the audition I was nervous, but when I got up on stage, the nerves melted away and the lines flowed. After that, I participated in every show for the rest of my time at SKS.

The theater was one of many firsts I experienced at Storm King. Others included joining the School’s first-ever crew team, working for Storm King’s student literary magazine The Voice, traveling abroad to Spain and Costa Rica, and creating a community service club. All of these first-time experiences encouraged me to dream of the amazing possibilities that awaited me in years to come. The continual and sincere support I received from my dorm parents, faculty, and fellow peers motivated me and pushed me to break outside of my comfort zone, embrace new things, and challenge myself inside and outside the classroom.

 

 

Be it on the stage or behind the curtain, theater at SKS helped me learn how to communicate, work with others, and take risks. Furthermore, the confidence and growth I developed during my time at SKS have taught me to stand up, speak out, and get involved with issues that matter to me. Today, I am proud to share that I am a senior at Rhodes College, in Memphis, Tennessee, majoring in international studies and history. Special thanks to SKS alumnus Mr. Joseph Blount ’74 for suggesting that I apply to Rhodes —his alma mater.

Here are a few highlights from my college career that I am very proud of. These experiences reminded me of how SKS helped to shape and develop my character, confidence, and sense of citizenship:

First, I spent the fall semester of 2016 overseas in Rabat, Morocco where I studied migration and transnational identity through the School for International Training. I chose this program because I was interested in the ways migration and transnational identities affect our globalized world. I wanted to delve into these topics more deeply. With my concentration in the Middle East and North Africa, Morocco seemed like the ideal country for study abroad.

 

 

During the program, I studied with 16 students from various colleges and universities across the United States. I was very nervous about meeting them, but during the first week of orientation, we did a lot together. From going to the beach to explore the medina to watching the sunset from our hotel balcony, we all quickly bonded and became a close group. After this initial week of orientation, each of us stayed with different host families throughout Rabat. This was nerve-wracking. I knew little to nothing about my host family aside from their names and address that I had received on a piece of paper a few days prior. Upon meeting them, I was thrilled. They were genuinely excited to have me in their home. I enjoyed spending time with my host family, and I became part of the household, helping to prepare dinner and going for walks with them in the evenings. During most of the day, I was in classes. I took Arabic for three hours each morning. In the afternoons, I attended a thematic discussion-based class on migration and transnational identity, as well as a course on research methods and ethics.

During my Arabic class, we often went around the city to practice our new language skills in a shop or café. For my Migration and Transnational Identity course, we took a few short day trips to cities and towns like Al Hoceima, Nador, and Meknes to see how human migration affects real people. We also took a weeklong trip to Amsterdam to explore how Moroccan migrants in the Netherlands balance their Moroccan and Dutch identities.

During my final month in Morocco, I was working on my independent studies project. Through our Research Methods and Ethics class, I had been designing research based on my studies and experiences in Morocco. I chose sub-Saharan migrants living in Rabat as the focus of my project. I studied what mental health ailments were common among the group, as well as what resources they seek out when dealing with mental health trauma. This was an eye-opening experience. To view my study: digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/2480/.

I loved studying, but I also enjoyed the time I spent out of class. Every moment was a new opportunity. I traveled with friends to the Sahara Desert on road camels, I bartered for leather in Marrakesh, I got my hair braided on the side of the road under an orange tree . . . all these experiences were exceptional. I hope that everyone seeks out new traveling adventures, especially if you are a high school or college-age student. These types of experiences expose you to new and exciting things the world has to offer.

 

 

In addition, this past spring, I began investigating several opportunities to pursue once I graduate from Rhodes on May 12, 2018. As always, my mind went back to my days on the Mountain. I reflected on the great teachers I had who made me excited to come to class each day and motivated me to give my best effort. I decided that I, too, wanted to teach, mentor, and coach students and help them enjoy learning as much as I did. Thus, I made the decision to apply for a job at Teach For America, where I would work with students in low-income neighborhoods. While I was writing this article, I received my acceptance letter! The fall semester of my senior year hasn’t even begun, and I already have a job opportunity upon graduation! If it weren’t for my great teachers and leaders at SKS, I wouldn’t have considered teaching.

The vast number and variety of experiences; the encouragement from faculty, staff, and friends; the loving nudges to try something new—these are the things that make SKS such a beautiful place to learn and grow. The time we all have on the Mountain shapes us each differently, but the experiences and people stick with us for a lifetime. I look forward to continuing my connection with SKS and returning to reconnect and share my experiences with future students.”

 

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