“No matter how you get there, or where you end up, human beings have this miraculous gift to make that place home.” – Creed Bratton, “The Office“
When I came here four months ago, I was ready to make lifelong friends, enjoy nature, and learn through the land. While I have done all of these things, Chewonki has done much more for me than I ever expected. In the beginning of the semester, we all exchanged small talk, learned about our respective homes, and learned the ropes together. Slowly, we began to laugh harder, sing louder, and dance more embarrassingly. These thirty-eight other students soon became my friends, and this place quickly became home. As summer slowly transitioned to winter and the days became shorter, I started to reflect and realize that Chewonki had changed me much more than I ever anticipated.
Ask any alum or student and they will tell you that Chewonki has this innate way of changing people forever. It re-aligns our values while connecting us to what truly matters. The result of this is different for everyone; for me though, I feel that I now understand more deeply what is important to me. Our society is so focused on instant gratification, whether it be through social media or the ability to purchase items quickly. Chewonki has taught me that happiness exists far beyond this, and that true joy happens when we share moments with those that we love most.
Chewonki has taught me to value the moments in between: the dish crew dance parties or the spontaneous snowball fights between class. Those are the moments that I will remember for the rest of my life. In thirty years, I will not be able to tell you about my test in precalculus or whatever the latest fad was, but I will still remember the lessons of values that Chewonki has taught me. I will never be the same after Chewonki.
Chewonki has also taught me that I am enough. Here, I am able to be myself in a way that I have never been before. I feel supported and loved. When I fall, I am picked back up; when I succeed, I am celebrated without jealousy. At Chewonki I have laughed harder, learned more, and changed in ways I could have never expected.
Sam Child, Santa Fe Prep, Santa Fe, NM
