There are many good things that Stevenson has brought into my life, one of them being my advisor. Though I initially did not understand the importance of advisory, or why it is even necessary, it is something that I now believe is essential to our Stevenson community.

We, the Atheneum Leadership Team, was returning from our event at the Carmel Campus, where we screened the documentary Finding Kind and were joined by the seventh and eighth grade girls for the evening. The documentary addressed the issue of girl-against-girl bullying. The two young women behind this campaign, Lauren Paul and Molly Thompson, sharing similar experiences with bullying during their childhoods, found that it was a common issue throughout all communities across the country. Their campaign took off to a start as they travelled the entire country, interviewing many girls about their personal experiences while promoting awareness and reconciliation on the issue. To say the least, it was an eye-opening experience.

Just three more steps…

This was something that I said to myself very often, whether that be during practice or during a race. As a junior, I am running cross country for the first time.

“Five more minutes remaining,” boomed the proctor’s voice from the overhead speakers. As time ticked away, my first AP exam soon came to an end. Immediately, I felt a sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Mission accomplished.

In the waning few seconds of the game, I peered at the scoreboard. The score was 10:10. Watching from the other end of the field, I felt a rush of relief as one of our girls scored a goal. This had been our best game by far, and we all knew how far we have come as not only a lacrosse team but also as individual players. We embraced each other tightly in the bittersweet moment, each of us knowing that this would be our last game as a team.

Today is the day that we embarked on the journey that I had anticipated for so long! Sophomore expedition has been something that I have been mentally and physically preparing myself for, as I had mentioned in my previous blog. In this moment, I felt a mixture of feelings as we set off to explore the so-called “backcountry.” Soon enough, the bus engine had turned on, and we had left Stevenson behind us…

新年快乐! On February 16, Stevenson celebrated the coming of a new Lunar Year. This year was my second year away from my home in Shanghai, meaning that it was also the second Lunar New Year that I would not spend with my family. While I do reminisce about the past and the crowded and joyful family gatherings, I was comforted by our community’s efforts to bring this tradition from home all the way to Stevenson.