The Sharon Academy

Sam Drazin ('06)

 
Why did you choose College of the Atlantic of all colleges? I applied to four schools and got into four schools. I thought a lot about which school might be the right one for me and began the process of elimination. One school was in North Carolina so that was a little too far from home for me, another school was in Vermont so that was a little two close. Then it was down to College of the Atlantic or a school in Boston. The school in Boston has a great Elementary Education department (which is my interest), but I finally decided to go to COA where I could pursue my Educational studies but could also try other classes from a variety of disciplines. I also chose COA simply because it is very similar to TSA in many ways. It is small, with about 300 hundred students, environmentally focused, and also understands the importance of community.

Why did you choose to study Ecology and Elementary Education? At COA everyone receives the same degree: Human Ecology. I am on the elementary education track which means that I will still graduate with a B.A in Human Ecology but will also be certified as a K-8^th grade teacher. I have always enjoyed hanging out with kids and have baby-sat among doing other kid-related things for many years. I feel like we live in a time in which the world is changing dramatically; between climate change, advances in technology and a world that becomes more and more globalized each year, and it is vitally important that we have good teachers in our schools to educate today’s children.. I know it sounds cliché but children are our future, especially in a rapidly changing world like today. I feel like one way I can make an impact on the world is working with today’s children so they can make educated decisions in the future.

What classes are you taking this semester? Any favorites? COA runs on a trimester schedule (we have three 10 week terms). The courses I am currently taking are Intercultural Education, Changing Schools Changing Society, and Ecology Natural History. Intercultural education looks at how different cultures look at and value education. In addition, the class addresses how, as a teacher, I can teach in a way to make the material assessable to students regardless of their cultural background. Changing Schools looks at how we can change schools and ultimately change society. I have been working with Acadia National Park in their education department developing some new activities. Ecology Natural History is a field study class in which each period we go to another place in Acadia National Park or the Mount Desert Region and learn about the ecology and history of that area.

In comparison, what was your favorite class at TSA and why? I think I had two favorite classes during my time at TSA. First I enjoyed my humanities class with Joniomo. It was one of the first history classes I had ever taken that I actually enjoyed. I think what I liked about it was the creativity in the projects we were assigned. I remember we had to pick a food and learn the history of it and then bring in some dishes made from that ingredient. Who doesn’t like to do that?! These types of assignments were much more engaging than just writing paper after paper. I also really enjoyed my senior science class. What was nice about this class was that our assignments were things that we actually did. To be more specific we were split into groups and had to do something that revolved around sustainability or energy efficiency. I was in the garden group in which we planed and then created a garden at the entrance of TSA. In addition, as a class, we went to Montpelier to speak to the energy board with our proposal for Vermont’s energy future. Projects like these provided me with a real world application for what I was learning in the classroom and I felt like that was very valuable.

Is there one experience (or person) at TSA that had a lasting impact on your life? I have dozens of positive memories from TSA but if I had to choose one it would be when the whole school visited me in Boston after I had undergone major jaw reconstructive surgery. TSA taking its all school trip to Boston that May and I was recovering from my surgery at a place like David’s House but near the hospital in Boston. Ten by ten or so the whole school came up to my room to visit with me. That is an experience I will never forget. The support I received from students, faculty, and staff at TSA before, during, and after my surgery was unforgettable.

Describe the differences between life at College and life at TSA - any goods or bads. The main difference between college and TSA is just my schedule. Instead of being at school from 8am-3pm I only am there when I have class. Some days I only have one class which is one and a half hours long. I wouldn’t say there are any goods or bad differences between college and TSA. I tried to take advantage of everything at TSA and enjoyed my time there. Now at college I am trying to do the same thing.

Are you involved in any activities at school? If so, what? and what do you do for the activity? I am currently the admissions host at College of the Atlantic. That means that I am in charge of any perspective students who come to visit the school and spend the night. It has been a great opportunity as I have been able to meet many students looking at the school and chat with them about my experience at COA and what they might be looking for in a college. I am also active in the local elementary school. I help out in several different classrooms, volunteer with Big Brother Big Sister, have helped educate teachers on teaching students with hearing loss, and taught a lesson about school segregation and the Americans with Disability Act to many classrooms.

What do you miss the most about TSA? Oh that is a hard question, I miss many things about TSA. I miss having classes in a yurt, skiing at Suicide Six every week (in the winter of course), going down to Sandy’s or the Trading Post to get lunch or pick up coffee for teachers. I also miss being involved in the all school plays in November. The play/interim was an amazing experience and one of those things that TSA is known for and hopefully will continue to do in the future. I miss my long meetings with Michael and Janice’s smiling face each morning.

What do you miss the least? I don’t think there is anything I really miss the least. Overall I really enjoyed my time at TSA.

What is the most ridiculous item that you brought with you to college? I travel very light and so can’t say I have anything ridicules that I brought from home. Probably most people would say I am ridicules because I didn’t bring enough stuff.

Advice for current TSA students? I would say wherever you are whether its TSA or college to take advantage of all that is offered to you and not be afraid to try new things and break out of your comfort zone.

Last but not least, where do you see yourself in 5 years Sam? I hope to move back to the Upper Valley and be a teacher at one of the elementary schools.