Middlesex students and faculty participated in a diverse array of summer adventures, from playing music to dancing, flying, building, competing, and everything in between. Below are a few stories from our community about their summer adventures.
Even though Sophie ’16 received her pilot’s license last summer, this summer was the first time she took her dad up flying:Middlesex oarsman Daniel ’17 attended the US Junior National Team Development Camp as one of 28 young men from around the country selected for the camp. He also rowed with Riverside Boat Club in Cambridge, MA, competing in the Cromwell Cup (where his boat won gold) and Royal Canadian Henley.
Having been exposed to mindfulness at Middlesex, Derek ’16 and Will ’16 attended an Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBMe) teen retreat in Colorado (with our own Director of Mindfulness Programs, Doug Worthen MX’96). They report that the retreat was a great experience!
Head of the Social Science Division Mr. Hitzrot took his family to Costa Rica for 5 weeks, “for surfing, rice and beans, zip-lining, horseback riding, and as many batidos pina y banano con leche as you can shake a stick at.” He reports that “the Ticos (as the Costa Ricans call themselves) are kind, generous, patient, and very much in tune with the natural pace of each day’s unfolding. They’re altogether “mindful” in a way that our own contemporary society has lost in its frenzied rushing around to the next thing.”
Head of the Science Department Dr. Schaeberle spent his summer putting STEM knowledge to work as he built a new porch on his house in Maine.
Timothy ’18 spent three weeks at the Eastman School of Music, where he met many other talented and dedicated musicians. “It was an eye-opening experience,” reports Timothy, who performed Mozart’s piano sonata no. 12 at his final recital:
Mathematics instructor Ms. Shepard attended the first annual mindfulness retreat at Middlesex, which she called “life-changing”, and also took two of her three children (missing Neil MX’10!) on a bike tour of Ireland in a tribute to her Irish mother, who passed away in February 2015. “Many memories were made on the trip!” says Ms. Shepard.
Sisters Emily ’18 and Alice ’19 participated in a world-wide competition called “IoT World Forum Young Women’s Innovation Grand Challenge.”
After several rounds of competition with girls from 171 countries, Emily and Alice won the Grand Prize for their idea of creating a “Global Container Management System.”
Hannah ’16 left directly from Middlesex in June for New York City to train at American Ballet Theater, where she was cast in a leading role. She then spent five weeks training at San Francisco Ballet before returning to Boston Ballet, where she prepared for her soloist performance in the Youth America Grand Prix, the world’s largest international dance competition.
Head of the Arts Division Tom Kane traveled with his family to Greece for the first time. The highlight of the trip was attending two very contemporary performances of classical Greek tragedies performed in ancient settings at the Athens Festival. Rhesus by Aristophanes was staged at Aristotle’s Lyceum in the heart of Athens and Iphigenia in Tauris by Euripides was performed in the ancient theatre of Epidauros.
Lily ’17 interned at the Sabri Ülker Center for Nutrient, Genetic, and Metabolic Research, a research lab in the Harvard School of Public Health’s Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, to work and learn with professionals who seek innovative solutions to a rapidly growing global health crisis: heart disease. Of her internship, Lily says, “I gained experience outside the classroom and made connections with people from across the globe who share a vivid passion for science, and, specifically, public health.”
Emily ’18 jogged her way through Europe, visiting 5 countries (and running in every one!) over the course of a month. “There are few tourists out at 6:30am,” notes Emily. She explored such attractions as the Roman Forum, Lucerne Lake, and the Charles Bridge in Prague from the comfort of her trusty running shoes.