After months and months of worrying about college acceptance, I’ve come to terms with another big step in my life: graduating from high school. I’ve known that graduation day has been fast approaching ever since I started senior year, yet it’s still hard to fathom not seeing Chef Paul every morning at 7 a.m. for a quick chat and a hot coffee.
I’ve been alive for only 17 years—and the fact that I spent so many of them attending the Bromfield School makes me really nervous about my upcoming transition to college. This will be arguably the single greatest change in my life thus far.
I think that Bromfield has prepared me very well for the educational aspects of college, but there is always a limit to how much high school can really prepare you. You’d be hard-pressed to find a class at Bromfield on managing the change in location, friends, classes, food, extracurricular activities, jobs, and routines of college. Not to mention that I still need to learn how to do my own laundry.
Bromfield has shaped me
In my more stressful weeks, I have a tendency to complain that I am sick of Bromfield and am so excited to just walk out the door and never come back again. Yet, on the inside, I know that is simply not true.
Lately, I’ve been noticing how much Bromfield has shaped me as an individual. I truly believe that this environment has dramatically altered me, making me a more caring, passionate, and academically curious person than I once was. Although some would likely argue that my inclinations and proclivities were hard-wired from birth, I can say, wouldn’t I be the same person I am today if I hadn’t spent these seven years at Bromfield.
Luxury of a small school
The small size of Bromfield has been and will always be criticized. Yet if I had a choice, I would not have wanted to go to a bigger high school. I love the fact that I know everyone and that everyone knows me. It gives me a sense of belonging, like I’m a significant, unique, and irreplaceable piece of the puzzle of the high school. The fact that almost every teacher knows who you are is a luxury that most Bromfield kids will not have in college.
This brings me to my next point: I’m going to miss all the teachers. Whether it’s academic help or help with out-of-school issues, I’ve found the teachers at Bromfield flexible and supportive. Rarely will I ever hesitate to talk to a teacher if I do not understand a concept or need extra time to complete an assignment. Bromfield teachers are not simply machines that give lectures and assign work. They are truly human beings—who (mostly) have a great sense of humor and can see that not everything is black and white.
But beyond the small size of my school and its world-class teachers, I’m going to miss so much more. I’m going to miss all those little things that make Bromfield unique and interesting from class to class.
I’m also going to miss the Harvard General Store, which has transformed throughout my Bromfield experience from an occasional hangout spot into a busy forum for middle and high schoolers alike.
Finally, I’m going to miss my class—the Class of 2013. It’s incredible that such a small group of students can be so talented. We’ve got world-class rowers, state-recognized musicians, and future Picassos. I see Broadway, academia, Wall Street, K Street, and Capitol Hill sitting in my homeroom. I see successful doctors, neuroscientists, and politicians in all of my classes—each burning with life and character.
Too early for goodbyes
I know some of my readers are thinking that it’s a little too early for all these goodbyes, and I admit it wasn’t my original intention to publish this article so soon. However, the more I thought about leaving Bromfield, the more I realized how hard it is going to be to let go. And when the time comes, I’ll be far too emotionally preoccupied to write an article about how I’ll miss everyone—so I’ve decided to do mine early.
For all my young high school readers, I’m going to end with one of the most clichéd, but accurate, aphorisms that you will ever come across: You don’t know how good something is until it’s gone. Appreciate and love your time at the Bromfield School because pretty soon you might find yourself going to great lengths, like publishing an article in the Harvard Press, just to ease the pain of walking out of that brick building for the last time.
