Alumnus Reminisces About Country School Experience
To this day, it feels as though I have spent the majority of my life at Country School. I may have moved on through high school, college, and now into the workforce, but I have never remained anywhere for as long as at NCCS. I have such fond memories of the wonderful faculty and staff; events like Deal Days and the Frogtown Fair; field trips to Nantucket and Yellowstone, and best of all, half-day Wednesdays!
During my time at NCCS, I was fortunate enough to have several faculty and staff work closely with me to further my goals and aspirations. Not only did these teachers express interest in my growth and development, but they consciously contributed to my success and encouraged me to pursue opportunities I once thought to be out of reach. Had I not attended NCCS, I am certain I would not have the determination and work ethic that I pride myself on today.
NCCS has an incredible culture that fosters inclusion, yet over the years I noticed certain students had a harder time learning how to “fit in” at school, especially those coming from a non-independent school background. I strongly believe in the efforts that NCCS has made over the years to uplift and embrace newcomers, but having personally helped new students with their transition, I also wish that there was more of an effort to bridge the cultural gap rather than just catching students up academically. It can be challenging to navigate a new community. My hope is that, with a continued focus on empathy towards students entering NCCS, the culture and growth opportunities that I was given will be shared with and adjusted for newcomers.
Upon reflection, I also wish that I, along with the rest of my class, had been given more access to other communities to help increase our understanding and awareness of the world more broadly. That said, after leaving NCCS, I continued my growth through interactions with persons in different countries, cultures, and communities. I utilized the leadership skills learned at NCCS and found that my worldview and capacity for leadership has only grown after these exchanges. I remember that when I started to embrace my own home community while at NCCS, for example, I began to feel isolated from the school that made up so much of my identity, but now I truly believe that young minds grow exponentially when exposed to new and different experiences in addition to familiar ones, and that we gain competencies that prepare us for the world. NCCS already gave me the capability to stand on my own as a leader, and I believe a clearer emphasis on exploring the voices and stories of all members of our community and beyond, can only benefit the next generation of NCCS students even more.
Lastly, I believe that by adding more diverse voices, many challenges can be corrected with ease. During my time at Country School, I felt that all of the staff wanted to create a welcoming and safe environment, and increased diversity among faculty and staff. It will empower everyone to uncover any blindspots and to take an active role in addressing all issues of identity, which are harder to see when there is less diversity. I have appreciated seeing the school’s efforts in this direction!
New Canaan Country School
New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.
