For most, summer vacation is a time for rest, relaxation and reflection. However, several Andover students used the time to learn and partake in unique experiences outside the classroom. Aaron Finder ’13 spent a part of his summer abroad through Andover’s SYA program. Along with fellow Chinese students, he traveled to Chinese cities to study the language and culture. In Beijing he took classes ranging from the language to calligraphy taught by Chinese teachers. Immersing the group of students in the language, the program provided them with an intense education. “We managed to finish the whole textbook, and after a while, it became easy to talk to my host family,” said Finder. He also enjoyed delving deep into Chinese culture. “It was cool that the city still had the old wall around the whole city,” Finder said about Xi’An, the capital of the Shaanxi province. When visiting the Yunnan province, the group stayed in a small village and participated in the village customs. “I remember nights when we danced around a tiny fire with the townspeople,” he said. Patrick Brady ’11 interned at the professional Wheelock Family Theater, an award-winning non-profit theater. During the internship, Brady worked under the Marketing Director. “He was a great boss, and I learned a lot about advertising and theater,” Brady said. During his internship, Brady juggled many roles in operating the day-to-day workings of the institution. “I did a lot of writing for the theater… enticing families to take their children to see the family-oriented plays,” he said. In addition, Brady taught an acting class for teenagers for two weeks. “It was fun to teach other kids what [I love] to do,” he said. Brady also joined the staff of the Theater in a trip to the Harold Gray archives in Boston, since the Theater planned to produce Annie the Musical, a performance based off of a comic strip by Gray. “It let us get a primary source and experience first hand the context of the original play,” he said. The internship allowed Brady to experience theater in a more professional context. “It was a very memorable and rewarding experience where I got to do the very multi-faceted internship that exposed all aspects of theatre,” said Brady. Khalil Flemming ’12 worked for Kenneth Reeves, Cambridge City Councilor, over the summer. According to Flemming, his responsibilities included sending e-mails, taking calls, scheduling and attending meetings, and attending events such as graduations. During Flemming’s internship, he was able to meet members of the police force to discuss certain cases and lawyers about Microsoft-Google property disputes. At one point Flemming even met Bill Clinton, former President of the United States. Not only did Flemming helped arrange a family basketball and football fun day, he also organized a meeting for those working on a commission to renovate Central Square. “Working alongside a politician was a new experience for me, and it was interesting to see how the city of Cambridge works from the inside,” said Flemming.
