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I can vividly remember orientation in the fall of 1990. The senior leaders separated us into smaller groups and one leader so boldly commented, “Look to the left of you and look to the right of you, these will be your friends for life”. My thought, “I won’t be here long enough for you to even know my name let alone make life time friends!” So many things have changed since that fall orientation and as for the comment that senior leader made, well she was partially right, I did not make friends, I found sisters.
We all have a story. Our parents have a special task in helping us create our story. Boarding school becomes part of our story for one reason or another, whether it is to be in smaller classes with individual attention, to help us find ourselves in a time were adolescence can be so difficult or simply to have the opportunity to live, learn and grow with others whose families have the same aspirations for their daughters.
Making the decision to go to boarding school was not easy for me. Leaving boys, friends and family, some of the things so important to a teenage girl, but my parents had a clear vision of what it was that I needed to reach my full potential. Although I was vocal about my negative thoughts of boarding school, my parents were clear that going to school at home was not an option.
My six years back at St. Margaret’s, working in residential life, have given me the privilege and honor to hear so many new stories, many of which tug at my memories. I can relate to feeling like you are missing out on things at home, feeling far from everything that you have known, frustrated at times because finding some alone time can be difficult or feeling like you just don’t want to follow one more rule. The road can at times be very difficult and giving up can seem like the only way out.
This part of the story is supposed to be the best part: living with friends who become family, making memories that do last a life time and having the unique opportunity to be a part of something so special. I thought that my years at St. Margaret’s where the best, once I had gotten with the program, but truly the best part of my school story is having this unique opportunity to help this generation of young women find themselves, their inner voices, the true meaning of sisterhood, and this chapter of their story.
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