Putney has changed me more than anything else in my life. For one, being away from home changes you. Before Putney I went to a little private school from preschool through eighth grade. I never thought I was going to go to a boarding school. I’m very close with my family, and so the idea of being away from them was really scary.
I definitely adjusted well. Something that drew me to Putney was how talked up it was about how the community is so accepting and unique, and people can really be whoever they want. That’s a cool idea that a lot of schools say they have. But Putney really does that in practice. It’s not just a concept. I feel I’m a much more outgoing person now, and a lot more willing to try new things and put myself in harder positions to push myself.
I’m a dorm head. That position really allows you to connect with a lot of new faces. I also just got my tour guide training and next year I’d like to be on Bridge which is student outreach. It’s kind of a full-circle moment for me because I depended on that student leadership a lot when I was new. I love that process of just helping to acclimate people.
I’m also on Diversity Committee. All of the social justice movements happening all over the world kind of opened up my eyes to what I had been oblivious to in the past. I find social justice work to be very fulfilling and also just really, really important. That’s something I want to continue with throughout my whole life.
I often say Putney is what you make of it. You get from it what you give. There are all of these amazing opportunities but they’re not being forced on you. So if you want them you have to take them. That was definitely something I had to learn how to do. 