Ezra Leslie

I knew when I came to NMH that students and teachers worked closely together, but I wasn’t expecting to see my English teacher in my French class, too—as a student. At first I thought it was weird, but it turns out the teachers are warm, easy to relate to, and helpful—even when they’re your classmates. It was comfortable and actually fun and I didn't expect that. And my English teacher added a lot to the class. For example, he had been to France and really loved the public transportation there. He seemed to talk about it in all his presentations, so just to tease him a little, we all got sweatshirts with his name and “Le Metro” printed on them.

 

Maybe great class camaraderie shouldn’t surprise me anymore at NMH. Despite the fact that we have over 600 students, there’s just an incredible sense of community. People care about you and know how to treat you. It's that way in the debate club. We work on issues that really matter to us, so things can get reasonably intense. But people always argue logically and, most important, respectfully.

 

The same willingness to listen is everywhere at this school. We have a State of the World speaker series, which the school established after 9/11. The speakers come to discuss world events and how politics, culture, and the military matter in our lives. Students can have dinner with the speakers before each lecture. I love politics and I ask the speakers the best questions I can. Anybody is welcome at the table, and it's a great example of why what they teach us here is important.

 

I also really appreciate the openness here, which shows when we give back to the community through our outreach projects. I participate in Big Brother Big Sister for a couple hours every Friday. I love it when my “little” walks in, maybe with some candy for me, and always with a hug. It’s not a big thing, but hopefully his life will in some way be better because of it. If it opens his eyes to more choices or just makes him feel cared for and a little happier, it’s worth it.