By Sophia Ludtke ’20, Feature Editor

Two and a half months. 88 days. 2112 hours. 126,720 minutes. In June we all fantasize about these seemingly endless two and a half months of summer, but as days turn to hours turn to minutes, summer is gone before we know it. Now that we are all settling back into the rhythm of a new school year, it is a great time to reflect on, and, more importantly, share our summer experiences. From sea turtles, to new languages, to philosophical questions, to hiking boots, these four Newark Academy students’ summers were filled with new experiences:  

This summer, Erica Edman ‘21 travelled across the country to get a jumpstart on fulfilling her immersion requirement. Through Wilderness Adventures, she spent three weeks scuba diving, surfing, hiking, and kayaking, all while exploring the natural beauty of Hawaii. She describes feeling as if she were “in the plot of [her] favorite movie, Finding Nemo” as she scuba dived through waters full of puffer fish, blue tang, and sea turtles. Erica was certainly eager to take on all kinds of new adventures while in Hawaii, even diving into unfamiliar waters and spotting a 6-foot long shark! Highly recommending the program to others, Erica summed up her experiences perfectly: “all you need is a [willingness] to take on adventure.”

Meanwhile, Mel Xiao ‘18 was in the midst of a very different but equally rewarding summer program. Along with 39 other top students from across New Jersey, Mel spent five weeks conducting interdisciplinary research through the New Jersey Scholars Program (NJSP). The program’s mission is to “create an intense,

interdisciplinary intellectual experience that will change students’ lives by teaching them to think in a new way–relating disciplines instead of dividing them.” Mel certainly took advantage of all the program had to offer. She explains how the first three weeks were spent attending lectures and seminars about this year’s theme: the Great War Era. During the last two weeks, she wrote her own research paper. But, as Mel insightfully pointed out, the program wasn’t merely about acquiring knowledge about World War I. Rather, it was about thinking “in new, introspective ways as well.” Asking questions such as “how much can you take away from someone before they are no longer human?” (her personal favorite), Mel was certainly able to delve into some thought-provoking topics while at NJSP.

Halfway around the globe, Kennedy McNeilly-Anta ‘20 was busy taking in his surroundings while living

with a host family in China through School Year Abroad (SYA). “The best way to experience is by digging in and stepping out” was Kennedy’s motto during his 6 week stay in China. Adapting to a foreign host family, navigating through China’s metro system, and exploring the county’s beautiful countryside, Kennedy certainly succeeded in following through with this motto. While Kennedy’s SYA program was just for the summer, NA is affiliated with SYA’s school year abroad program as well, which offers students a rich immersion experience for the entire school year. When asked, Kennedy said that he’d “deeply recommend the SYA summer program to anyone interested in expanding their horizons.”

Along with several other NA students, Ethan Mandel ‘19 boarded a plane heading to the Southwest this June on the school-sponsored Southwest immersion trip. Having always enjoyed hiking, Ethan figured the trip would be a great way to explore Utah and Arizona–two

states he had never visited before. Indeed, the trip wasn’t without its challenges–there were tents to set up, food to cook, and long hikes to tackle, but, as Ethan put it, “facing these challenges as a group brought us all together.” And of course, the fact that “every single hike ended with an amazing view of a national park” was an added plus. Ethan’s experience proved that an immersion requirement can be more than just a box to check off, but a transformative and enjoyable experience as well.

From scuba diving with 6-foot sharks to navigating the metro system in China, NA students’ summer experiences are diverse. Reflecting the various and unique interests of our community, these summer experiences deserve to be shared. So, even as summer is fading into a distant memory, take a moment to share your own summer memories with others–and listen to their experiences as well. 126,720 minutes is all too short to do everything. But, as a community, we can come awfully close.