Liam
Burlington, Vermont
Liam chose to do a postgraduate year at NMH because it offered opportunities for both academic and athletic growth.
Why I decided to do a postgraduate year at NMH:
I was looking to get recruited for college soccer and didn’t have much going coming out of high school. NMH seemed like a great opportunity because of the academic and athletic growth it would produce
Something that’s surprised me about my NMH experience:
I found balancing school work with social and athletic commitments wasn’t as challenging as I thought it would be. I found that the school had a lot of support systems in place that made it relatively easy to balance everything.
My activities at NMH:
I play varsity soccer, and I’m also a part of the Create Club, alongside being a tour guide and student ambassador.
Something I tried for the first time at NMH:
Ceramics is something new for me this year, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I like working with my hands, and this gives me a great opportunity to do that, which is also new and interesting. Also having a structured study hall isn’t something that I’ve had in the past, and it’s been really helpful to be able to get work done, because when I was in high school, between getting back late from practices or the gym, I’d normally get to bed around 1 or 1:30 in the morning, but now I get to bed around 10 or 10:30 every night.
The most challenging part of my time at NMH:
Being apart from my family. My family is a big part of my life, so not being around them is definitely challenging sometimes, but at the same time, I’ve made a lot of new friends here that help with that.
My favorite activity:
Hanging out with people on campus, whether it's in common rooms or the gym or the dining hall.
NMH has made me more comfortable talking to a lot of different people, because I’ve met so many people from different backgrounds and with different perspectives.”
My favorite class:
I really enjoyed Advanced Calculus BC, but I’ve also enjoyed Advanced Biotechnology and Engineering Physics.
My favorite food in Alumni Hall:
The korean barbeque steak with a side of pasta is really good. That’s probably one of my favorite meals.
My favorite spot on campus:
I really enjoyed being down on Peller Field during the fall, but at the moment I’d say either the gym, the dining hall, or the top of Chapel Hill.
My favorite NMH tradition:
The inter-dorm competition at the beginning of the year was really good; I think it just builds a great community. I’d say either that or Mountain Day, which is also really fun. To be honest, I wish we did another one in the spring, because I think that would’ve been really fun to do again.
Advice I would give myself if I could go back to my first day at NMH:
I would say be more outgoing. I was very closed in and didn’t really interact with anyone outside of the soccer guys until towards the end of the first semester, but I wish I had. I would encourage other people to try to do that as well, because it’ll make the experience that much better.
What’s special to me about NMH:
The opportunities it’s given me and also the location. It’s such a beautiful place, and there aren’t many better places to go to school in my opinion.
How NMH has changed me:
It’s made me more comfortable talking to a lot of different people, because I’ve met so many people from different backgrounds and with different perspectives. I think I’ve improved my ability to connect with people.
What I will miss most about NMH:
Hanging out in the dining hall with friends from the time dinner opened to the time it closed.
Plan for the fall:
I’m committed to Kenyon College and will play soccer.