My name is Adam. I’m a Freshman and I hail from Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
How did you hear about Thacher?
To be honest, last year I had no idea how to go about applying to boarding schools. No one in my family that I know of has gone to boarding school. I found an enormous book at the library listing thousands of schools. Thacher caught my eye and seemed like the place for me.
What I like best about living and studying at Thacher: I love dorm life. It is a totally new experience to live with my friends and have so much responsibility over my life.
My favorite class at the moment is French. The language program at Thacher is so different than that of my old school— I have learned so much more in the first weeks here than in my entire eighth grade year. The immersion style of teaching makes an enormous difference in being able to enjoy, read, and converse in
the language.
People at Thacher – peers, schoolmates, faculty, staff and others – who have influenced me positively and how: All of my classmates want to be here. I think this is why the atmosphere in the classroom is so different from any other school I have gone to. This simple fact helps classes erupt in flurries of discussion, so dynamic sometimes that I wish class might last a few minutes longer.
Advice for someone thinking about going away to school or specifically coming to Thacher: Sleep is important. Don’t try to stay up late watching the latest episode of your favorite T.V. series, or you will pay for it later. Missing feeding your horse and getting work crew is not cool.
Blog Posts by Adam:
Gymkhana has made me see my horse, and the riding program in a totally new way. I am nowhere near being a good gymkhana rider, but the season has shown me how many skills I have learned this year. I finished the rescue race. It lended a sense of accomplishment to me. This season is really beginning to feel like our reward, our grand finale– a mixture of the gymkhana field dust, the horses’ sweat, and the sodas our captains bring. It will last me a lifetime, that is for sure.
On a Sunday, I had the best riding day yet. Out on the Gymkhana field, I played horse tag. The horses flew across the sand, their riders leaning in awkward positions to evade whoever was it. We clumped up into groups and laughed, then suddenly scattered, like that school of silvery fish from Finding Nemo. And as I watched while resting, the streaks of white and mahogany and light brown were etched on my eyes in the warm, lazy, Sunday sun.
Excited to finally see Keno (my horse) again, I walked down a dirt track. As the trees cleared I saw the pasture, dotted with saddles, horses, and other freshmen. I strode past them and came to the corral. My horse stood out, his milk chocolate skin contrasting the golden light of the waning afternoon sun. I reached out with the worn leather of the bridle and caught him. He turned, his left eye, a mix of mahogany and edges of light blue, searching me for the first time in weeks. We walked out of the gate. I tacked him up, and joined a group to ride back to campus. The familiar bouncing trot of my horse shook me. The crunchy brown leaves swirled in the wind. He was mine again.
Photo creds to Joy Sawyer Mulligan
The hills around Thacher have become bleak, the November sky painting everything gray. The trails are stunning. The muted golds and reddish browns that surround me are complemented by the crisp air.
I made my friend come running with me. His shoes kick up the dust ahead of me. I quicken my stride as I hit a steep hill. As I climb, my muscles burn, the remains of the cross country meet on Wednesday coming back to me. Cross country has ended, but I’m still at it for now.
The views of Thacher and the Ojai valley below me preoccupy my mind as I run. I feel elevated above the bustle of daily life. My thoughts wander so freely. The range of topics is broad enough to cover how long of a shower I might have when I get back, and whether to get chocolate, vanilla, or swirl soft serve from the dining hall. I choose swirl. But, as I take another step with my mind in the cafeteria, I fall. The ground catches me, as it usually does. Dust covers the palms of my hands. The sneakers in front of me stop. I get up. And as Ben looks forward again, I change my mind. I think I’ll have chocolate.
