Maeve
Brattleboro, Vermont
Maeve’s advice to new NMH students: Try new things, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
What brought me to NMH:
I decided to apply to NMH because my grandfather, uncle, mom, and sister all attended NMH, so I come from a long line of NMHers. Although the unique opportunity that NMH presented like working on the farm and the arts programs at NMH drew me to campus, the community is why I decided to come.
My activities at NMH:
Ecoleader, cross-country, Ultimate frisbee, backstage theater, arts and culture trip to Japan, Dead Poets Society poetry club, fiber arts club, portrait sculpture, watercolor and gouache cocurricular, modern and contemporary dance, piano lessons.
The most challenging part of my time at NMH:
Learning how to grow into my voice. When I came to NMH, I didn’t raise my hand in class or participate unless it was necessary, but as I got to know my peers more, I realized how supportive they were and opened up in the classroom and in extracurriculars.
Something new I tried at NMH:
Last winter I took the Modern and Contemporary Dance cocurricular, having never danced before. I was not confident in my dancing skills, but I had so much fun and was able to laugh at my mistakes! I ended up performing in the “Wizard of Oz” at the end of the term as a Munchkin.
My favorite class at NMH:
The interdisciplinary English and science course called the Farm Semester that I took during my junior fall semester. This class felt like it was designed for me, because it fit my interests of writing creatively and factually about the natural world and understanding the process and application of sustainable agriculture. The class was very small, which allowed me to get to know my peers on a really personal level. Because we knew each other so well, we had really intricate and meaningful discussions, which were my favorite part of the class.
My favorite activity at NMH:
Playing on the Ultimate frisbee team. I began as a new player during my junior spring and had never played before. I was nervous that I wouldn’t be good enough as a new player but was met with overwhelming support and encouragement from my teammates and made some incredible memories and friendships on the team.
From growing my confidence and leadership skills through my work as an Ecoleader, to my time playing Ultimate frisbee, to my poetry class where I learned to take initiative in my own learning and ask guiding questions during discussions, every part of my time at NMH has taught me that I can be a leader in my own way.”
Favorite food in Alumni Hall:
General Tso’s chicken!
Favorite spot on campus:
The hillside outside my dorm, Norton. In the fall I played fetch with my advisor’s dogs on that hill, in the winter I went sledding down it with my friends (screaming all the way), and in the spring I watched for the first forget-me-not flowers to appear there.
Favorite NMH traditions:
Mountain Day, because we get a full day off from classes to enjoy the last of the summer sun and the beginning of the fall foliage from the top of a mountain!
An educator who’s been especially supportive during my time at NMH:
My advisor, YeJin Han. From taking me to get coffee on the weekends, to encouraging me to take an advanced art class that helped me to find my style and grow my confidence in my art skills, to planning and chaperoning a trip to Japan that I was so lucky to go on, she has supported me and opened doors for me that I never would have found without her encouragement.
Advice I would give myself if I could go back to my first day at NMH:
Jump into everything without being afraid to make mistakes and with an open mind.
What’s special to me about NMH:
NMH is unique because of its values. This school truly lives up to its values of educating the head, heart, and hands.
While I have grown in many areas of academics and extracurriculars, I have grown most overall as a person. I have learned how my voice and my unique abilities and skill set weave together with my peers so that we collaborate as a community.
How NMH has changed me:
NMH has shown me how to be a leader. From growing my confidence and leadership skills through my work as an Ecoleader, to my time playing Ultimate frisbee, to my poetry class where I learned to take initiative in my own learning and ask guiding questions during discussions, every part of my time at NMH has taught me that I can be a leader in my own way.
What I will miss most about NMH:
While I will miss my friends a lot, I know I can stay in touch with them. I will miss the beauty of the NMH campus most. I will miss the fog that hangs over the Connecticut River in fall, the snow that sloughs off the chapel roof in winter, and the sound of sap dripping into the metal bucket in spring.
Plan for the fall:
I’m going to attend Kenyon College and major in environmental studies and English.