Natalie Norton

I always thought I’d go to my local high school, but my mom’s boss’s daughter went to NMH, and one thing led to another. The moment we pulled into the driveway with the trees and the buildings and the pond, my mom turned to me and said, “Don’t get your hopes up.” But I wanted to be here. It was very home-y and laid back, while at the same time the kids had initiative to start things, to do things, to change things—like getting rid of trays in the cafeteria, bringing The Laramie Project to campus, or serving on the faculty hiring committee. I’d known a few kids like that before, but here everybody is like that. They wanted to be pushed. They wanted to achieve. And I wanted to be one of them.