Damon
Hong Kong
NMH gave Damon the support to try new things and take risks.
What brought me to NMH:
My sister was studying here at the time, and she told me about great stories from the school that made me interested in coming. She told me about the beautiful campus, great food, friendly students, and teachers that actually care. I found comfort in the idea that my sister and I would be living and studying in the same school, and I grew up always being in different schools as my sister so I took a hold of this opportunity.
My activities at NMH:
Varsity tennis, including serving as team captain; Peer Educator; Lamplighter staff writer; Math Club; varsity wrestling; JV rowing; PE skiing.
Something new I tried at NMH:
Skiing. Throughout my life, I’ve always been scared the few times I had the chance to ski, and other than that, I never get the opportunity to ski since I live in Hong Kong. As a freshman, a lot of my friends participated in the PE skiing program and told me great things about it, but I was still too scared to try and did wrestling instead. In my junior year, I set a goal for myself to join the program and complete one run on the black diamond slope before the end of the season. Throughout the season, I learned quickly from the coaches at Berkshire East and my supportive friends and was able to conquer my fear of skiing and gain a new life skill. I was able to get one run, though I fell a few times, on the black diamond slope.I took PE skiing during my senior year again and I now can consistently go on black diamond slopes without hesitation.
My favorite course:
The Rhodes Fellowship Social Entrepreneurship course stands out to me for multiple reasons. The fact that the course is a whole year long allows you to build strong connections with the teacher and your peers.
The class content taught is also very different from the average curricula, as we learn about historical and present social issues that sought to be reformed. The highlight, but also the most challenging part of this course, are the mock enterprise projects. These mock enterprise projects require each group of students to identify a societal issue, come up with a business plan, create a need-based solution, keep a strict balance between a nonprofit organization and a profit-maximizing business, and “selling” your business to the class through presentations. A course like this isn’t something that you can find in most schools, and it exposes you to real life issues that genuinely create and impact the world.
Favorite food in Alumni Hall:
The Friday food bars (e.g., bahn mi, bibimbap, burrito bar). It’s always a mystery what food they have at the Friday bars, and they all taste really good while also showcasing meals from different cultures.
Favorite spot on campus:
My favorite spot on campus is the gym. The gym culture is definitely one of the most significant things because it’s an environment where students motivate each other and help others who are new to lifting, and it’s a non-toxic environment. The gym can definitely be intimidating for newcomers, but you start to realize that everybody is in tune to the same goal, whether it is to be more athletic or put on more muscle, and everyone is pretty much minding their own business. As a freshman who was very new to lifting, I sought help from the upperclassmen who were more experienced, and much of my growth is attributed to them. I remember hitting 225 pounds on the bench press my sophomore year. There were 10 guys surrounding my bench cheering me on as I made my attempt to hit my personal record. They were all screaming as I struggled to get the rep up, and as I did, I jumped up in excitement alongside all the other guys.
Favorite NMH traditions:
Mountain Day. Though Mountain Day is always special, what stands out to me is the day before mountain day.
The community is very tight-knit. Walking around school, whether it’s going to class, to lunch, or to practice, you’ll always see a familiar face.”
The day always begins with rumors going around, and the wait begins for the announcement email. There were a few occasions when the announcement was released during dinner time, and the whole dining hall started cheering all together. On Mountain Day itself, I enjoy coming all together as a class and spending time with one another. The hike for freshmen to juniors is a beautiful and easy hike along a trail that leads you to a pretty nice view. Though, the Monadnock hike [for seniors] was definitely harder than expected. To end Mountain Day, all students eat at the outside tent, where chilli in bread bowls is served alongside lemon tea.
An educator who’s been especially supportive during my time at NMH:
My [tennis] coach and [art] teacher Bill Roberts has been especially important to my time here. Bill has been my coach for the past four years. He is supportive on and off the courts, and often gave me advice on how I could improve my game. On the courts, he never raises his voice and always finds a way to make practice fun for all. He was also my Painting 1 teacher, where he guided me carefully through his many years of experience. I’d never actually known how talented he was at painting, and my first time seeing his art projects in his room amazed me. Bill is a person that brightens my day and someone whom I can be myself with. We engage in all types of conversations and I always leave with a smile on my face.
Advice I would give myself if I could go back to my first day at NMH:
Be open to trying new things. NMH offers a wide range of sports teams, art classes, weekend activities, and cocurriculars, and I wished I took a hold of more opportunities, as I find that the best memories are often created in the most unexpected situations. Being more open and saying yes to things you usually wouldn’t allow you to expand your perspectives, find new hobbies, and lead to richer life experiences.
What’s special to me about NMH:
The community. Being a four-year senior exposed me to many people from different grades, backgrounds, and cultures. Some of my closest friends were seniors when I was a sophomore, and it’s a community where grades do not define the friends you hang out with.
As a senior, I had friends from sophomore and junior year, and just like how the upperclassmen used to take care of me, I try my best to reciprocate it back to the underclassmen. The community is also very tight-knit. At some point of the year, you’re bound to have had class with at least half the grade, and this helps a lot when making new friends and meeting new people. Walking around school, whether it’s going to class, to lunch, or to practice, you’ll always see a familiar face.
How NMH has changed me:
It made me more independent. Before I came to NMH, I was a carefree child who depended on his parents and didn’t put much effort on academics either. As I arrived here, I realized that I can no longer depend on my parents to help me, whether it is laundry, homework, or simple things like time management. Living at NMH has forced me out of my comfort zone, teaching me to develop healthy habits, creating a schedule that works effectively, and taking care of myself in times of adversity. I believe that being independent is not being alone but rather being self-sustainable and content about myself. These are all skills that I will carry throughout my life, as it will allow me to be adaptable to any environment I live in.
What I will miss most about NMH:
My dorm, Upper Tron, and its people. I remember sophomore year when my friends and I all tried to get put into Hayden for our new dorm but got our second choice instead, which was Upper Tron. We were all pretty bummed out since it was a dorm we weren’t sure if we would like. Three years later, this was definitely the best decision I’ve made. The people in the dorm treat everyone with respect. Everyone is pretty much friends with each other, and I’ve met some of my closests friends here. The dorm is a place where I can have fun, rest, and also study without distractions. It’s a place where I feel at home, and one that I will miss the most as I leave NMH. Most of my journey in making friends, personal growth, and creating memories are all attributed to this dorm, and I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it.
Plan for the fall:
I will be going to Northeastern University in Boston to study marketing.