During the summer break, students spent their time away from school learning novel hobbies at home, beekeeping, and traveling around the country and the world, among other things.
Kamryn Cabrera ’28
The [Learning in the World] program I did was called “Japan: Taiko Drums for Peace.” [My group] learned about the Taiko drums as well as their different history and how to play the instrument. We also learned about the indigenous Ainu people and the Ainu culture there. We learned about the atomic bombing in [Hiroshima], and we met with the townspeople in different regions. We traveled around the entirety of Japan itself through train, ferries, and buses, and we got to experience the entirety of Japan far more than just the touristy spots…. I feel like there’s a difference between getting to know different monuments on the basis of just seeing them, and actually getting to learn from the perspective of those who have experienced the things that have occurred [in Japan].
Philip Molina ’28
The most exciting thing I did this summer was learn how to drive. I’m from Manhattan, New York, and I was forced by my parents to get my permit. I wasn’t too excited at first because [when] living in the city, it doesn’t feel necessary to know how to drive, given that trains take you everywhere. But since I’ve gotten my permit, I’ve realized that I can drive myself to college, and that there are a ton of advantages to getting it. I did practice in Times Square. It was terrible but also really fun. I’m happy I got to do a little bit. I did reach my 50 hours, so I intend on taking my exam over winter break. Stay tuned to see if I get my license.
Jayden Roos ’29
I worked as a beekeeper, and this is my first year, so I apprenticed under a seasoned beekeeper. I did this in Utah, and then my grandma lives in Massachusetts and she also has bees, so when I visited her for a little bit, I worked on her bees. [I worked in] Utah on different hives and learned the science. I went around to the hives and checked on them and performed medicinal things to make sure that they were doing well. The first half of the summer I did upkeep, and then the second half, I did honey collection.
Carsen Leach ’27
At the beginning of the summer, I went to the Naval Academy and did their summer seminar session which was super fun. I got to see what a military academy was like and got to gauge how much I liked it. I actually met a girl from [Phillips Exeter Academy] there, so we’re friends now. I went to get a feel for the lifestyle. The students wake up early. They do morning workouts, and then they have their classes, so I was getting a sense of what that might feel like. We got a chance to see some of the classes that they offer, and some of the activities that they do. It was really cool. My sister goes to the Academy, [but] because my sister and I are not the same, I wanted to experience it for myself.
Alex Burger ’30
This summer, I went to a sleepaway camp in Wilmont, New Hampshire called Camp Evergreen. We went on a lot of trips, and I loved hanging out with my friends. My favorite activity we did this summer was going to the Anchorskoggin River where we canoed down the river and jumped off the bridge. After that, we rode to this movie theater in Maine. We watched The Odyssey, which was really, really good. We camped out, and we learned our Juniper song which is our chant, since we’re going to be the oldest girls next year. We also made some banana smores, so that was my favorite trip.
