Ben There Done That

Ben Girolamo, Senior, Staff Reporter

I have lived in Pelham my whole life which means that I have always had a close knit group of friends. I never thought that I would leave this town, but somehow I ended up spending a year at Trinity-Pawling, an all-boys boarding school in Pawling, NY. There’s a good chance you don’t know where Pawling is. You don’t need a GPS to find it. Head north of Pelham until you are in the middle of basically nowhere, and you’ll find it. Even though I spent the year relatively close to home, I still felt so far away.

Living alone was definitely a huge perk for me. The brotherly culture in my dorm made me feel like I was part of a fraternity. Another thing I’ve always enjoyed is having freedom and responsibility, and Trinity-Pawling definitely handed that to me. If your parents are constantly in your face about SAT’s, college, and AP courses, you would probably enjoy boarding school too.

The learning style at Trinity-Pawling was also very different from Pelham. Classes are smaller in size, and usually involve a class discussion, rather than lectures. This helped me personally stay engaged and get to know more students and teachers that I probably wouldn’t have had a relationship with before.

Nonetheless, public schools have an amazing spirit and an upbeat atmosphere that is incomparable to anything else. Pelham’s events like olympics, homecoming, and the senior talent show are truly unforgettable for any student. I’m excited to be able to participate in those activities again and most of all play varsity lacrosse in Section 1 with all of the people that I missed greatly.

While I did not take the most commonly travelled road, I took the path that was best for me. I am glad to have two different high school experiences and so many great memories that I will always hold onto. Coming back home only gives me more excitement for the upcoming year. Last march, I unfortunately missed winning the Olympics gold trophy as a junior, but I am more than ready to win it in my final year as a Pelican.