As I flew across the country alone to spend the second half of my junior year at the High Mountain Institute, I was a mix of the most excited I’ve ever been and absolutely terrified. Once I arrived, though, I realized there was nothing to be afraid of. Pelham had given me everything I could’ve ever asked for to prepare me for a world outside of it. PMHS taught me how to be passionate, curious, and driven. Though I didn’t get to enjoy all the traditions that come senior spring wht my classmates, I know our class will be even stronger after this. I miss you 2020!

During my 4 months in Colorado, we went on 13-day wilderness expeditions, backpacking deep into lands most people have never seen. We studied animal tracks in the snow and learned that the canyons of Utah used to be part of the ocean from scars on rocks. At night we’d lie in our sleeping bags, captivated by the shooting stars in the sky above. Lessons in the wilderness came to life on our second expedition in a blizzard known as a bomb cyclone that brought hurricane force winds and 6 feet of snow. Our tents collapsed under heavy snow and we were unable to evacuate due to nearby avalanches. At 5’3”, carrying a 20-pound backpack and a 40-pound sled, trekking up a mountain on skis in extreme conditions tested my strength. In one of the hardest moments of my life, I took a step back and realized there was nothing I could do but embrace these obstacles and keep moving. Mother Nature was in control, and it was very humbling. At that moment, my friend Nick yelled, “Bammmm, baby, B.A.M.!” I turned to see the Beauty Appreciation Moment, taking in the stunning cascade of white trees below and appreciating just how lucky I was to have this experience. 

Leaving Pelham and meeting kids from other high schools all over the country, I quickly began to realize how lucky I was to grow up here, to attend PMHS, to be a part of a community where everyone truly cares about one another. In every mountain I climbed, book I read, and friend I made during my time away from PMHS, I saw Pelham. I saw how it shaped me to be me, how my teachers and coaches pushed me to be a better student, athlete, person, friend, to just be better. Small moments defined my four months at the High Mountain Institute. Being greeted by a black lab in class, playing guitar with teachers, cooking eggs for 60, and chopping wood for the fire became part of my daily life. But in my three years at PMHS, my time was defined by the big moments. The moments that make high school special, where it all happened for the first time. The disappointments, the sadness, the accomplishments, and the happiness. All of it. The growing up and the learning was found in those halls. 

Pelham nurtured my dreams in every sense. The PMHS faculty and administration opened their minds to me going to a semester school for 4 months, and opened their hearts to welcome me back for senior year like I never even left. I had the experience I was yearning for, but even more importantly, I got a deep appreciation for Pelham that I never would have had otherwise, in returning.