Kaia
Akwesasne, New York
Kaia valued the ability to embrace her identity and learn more about other people and cultures at NMH.
What brought me to NMH:
Lacrosse brought me to NMH. My friends' sisters really enjoyed it here and talked about it at home, which is when I heard about NMH. It made me want to try boarding school. NMH was the only school I applied to and although my tour was virtual, I really saw myself fitting in here.
My activities at NMH:
Varsity lacrosse, varsity soccer, JV basketball, the Native Affinity Group, the Lamplighter, the Student Diversity Committee, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Zenmh, and photography.
Something new I tried at NMH:
The Student Diversity Committee; the Lamplighter; soccer; basketball; workjob (I worked in the bakery and on the farm); art classes such as sculptural forms, photography, graphic design, and ceramics; academic classes such as studying farming, studying human biology, studying other cultures such as Asian American literature, different cultural foods, learning about different cultures.
The most challenging part of my time at NMH:
Going back and forth between home and NMH. I live in Akwesasne, New York, which is a reservation. While I am at home, I am able to communicate with my family through my language and practice my culture with my family. At school, there are not a lot of Native kids, but there is a Native Affinity Group in which I [could] practice my culture and language while I was away from home. This school supports identity and helps you be proud of it. I was lucky enough to have a group that relates to me through my identity.
My favorite class:
Humanities II: Religion with Pete Masteller, You Are on Native Land with Wil Chuch, Science of Farming with Mary Hefner, and Global Women's Literature with M.K. Brake.
Favorite activity:
Varsity lacrosse. I have played lacrosse for 12 years as it is intertwined with my Mohawk culture and has been a huge part of my life.
Favorite food in Alumni Hall:
The stir-fry bar.
Favorite spot on campus:
The playground swings, the lacrosse field, and the boathouse.
One of the things I truly love about NMH is that the adults are all so helpful. I have many mentors in my corner and rooting for me.”
Favorite NMH traditions:
Dances and events such as Dwight Night and athletic banquets and also smaller traditions that I have made in my time at NMH such as getting dinners with my team after my sport, half days on Wednesday with a game afterwards, the Native Affinity Group, and other little moments that I’ve grown to appreciate because they are specific to NMH.
An educator who’s been especially supportive during my time at NMH:
Every single adult who I have interacted with at NMH has given me a lesson or valuable interaction. One of the things I truly love about NMH is that the adults are all so helpful and personal. I can connect with them on a personal level and I have done that with every teacher because I feel comfortable doing that.
On top of that, I have many mentors on my side that I can go to for any advice or adults that are in my corner and rooting for me. Whether it is my advisor from freshman year to a teacher that I have now, I am so grateful for every interaction.
What’s special to me about NMH:
It gave me an opportunity to further my academics and my athletics while meeting so many new people from all over the world. I didn’t know that I would be able to hold such close friendships and relate to people from everywhere. I have friends from Nigeria, Korea, Pennsylvania, China, and all over the U.S. The faculty here have become my safe spot away from home and are now my closest mentors that have helped me through the college application process, family problems, personal issues, and so much more. The support that I have received from people all over NMH coming from students and faculty have made my experience so special and unforgettable.
NMH has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. I have learned so much from my experience at NMH personally and academically and it truly transformed me as a person.
What I will miss most about NMH:
The atmosphere, the support, the people, the classes, and absolutely everything about NMH. I am so grateful to have been a part of the NMH community. The people have been so nice to me and allowed me to learn about myself.
How NMH has changed me:
In freshman year, I was not as open-minded as I am now as a senior. I have figured out how to navigate life on my own and I have done it through a positive way of meeting new people, interacting and finding out my own identity and who I truly am. People are so interested in who you truly are at NMH, and over the years it has helped me discover who and what I truly love. I am an empathetic person who cares deeply about everyone and everything and I have discovered that through interactions with my peers. I am so thankful for all of the interactions and opportunities that I have had at NMH because without them I would not have learned so much about other people but about myself as well.
Plan for the fall:
I am heading to Hobart & William Smith College to play lacrosse and study biology.