I’ve never done this much work in my life before. This term is back breaking, but I love it. It’s the winter of my senior year and in addition to my two math and independent physics classes, I’m on Work Committee and Admissions Committee. These are two leadership positions I have dreamed of doing since I set foot on this campus, as a younger, different version of myself.

Work Committee is comprised of two juniors and six seniors who run the Work Program. All students participate in the Work Program by doing one job per trimester ranging from “a.m. barn”, where six students milk, feed, and muck over 40 cows at 5 a.m., to “dish crew”, where eight students wash 700+ cafeteria dishes. These jobs are difficult but rewarding and the Work Committee oversees the students leading these crews, works with struggling students, and runs the jobs. The Work Program is one of the three pillars of Putney education, valued equally alongside academics and afternoon activities. Its value lies in becoming a participating community member everyone relies on and learning hands-on work, which many students here would not otherwise have the opportunity to do. I served on the committee my junior and senior years because I believe that working for one’s community is valuable and beneficial and I want to be an ambassador of this message.

This year I am also on admissions, a committee made up of eight seniors who read and vote on incoming applicants admission status for the following year (and write these blogs). We read roughly 25 applications a week. This position not only teaches me leadership, diligence, and discussion techniques, but also lets me shape the future of the school. My favorite part of this work is sitting in the beautiful light flooded admissions room with the committee, laughing and discussing the candidates.

The work I am doing is endless but I love every minute of it. When I look up I can see Putney shaped me into a better person and enabled me to develop my passions covered in a foot of glittering snow. I now have a chance to give back to my community in a fulfilling way.