Over the summer Hackley students and staff were given the opportunity to explore and partake in a myriad of different activities. As school starts back up, it’s important to reflect and share everything students have accomplished during their time off. The summer offers students more time which allows them to create unique memories and new experiences that students can learn from and use as lifelong lessons.
Freshman Isa Llorca Luth spent her summer playing soccer at a camp for Red Bulls Academy for a week. Afterward, she spent two and a half weeks at a sleepaway camp in Michigan called Camp Miniwanca. During her time at camp, she went on an eight-day backpacking trip. The backpacking trip took her through mountains and tough terrain which pushed her outside of her typical comfort zone.
“The trip made me realize that I’m much stronger than I thought,” Isa said.
In addition to going to camp she later stayed at her grandparents lake house in Saugatuck Michigan. When she returned to New York, she and her sister went to the broadway show the Outsiders. She loved the usage of lights in the show and thought that it elevated many aspects of the show.
Like Isa, freshman Xavier Payne also spent a lot of time outdoors. During the summer he and his family visited Aruba where he stayed at a resort and even went snorkeling. He also went to an adventure camp, where he and others would visit a large variety of exciting places such as Rye beach where he basked in the sun and enjoyed swimming in the ocean. He also went to Sky Zone trampoline park and completed obstacle courses and had fun fooling around on the trampolines with his friends. The camp also took him rock climbing at Movement Gyms which challenged him physically as he attempted to climb the various rock walls.
Sophomore Cora McMahon spent her summer in Nantucket. She stayed with her grandparents in Madaket beach. Throughout her summer, she spent lots of time enjoying the beach and meeting new people. During Cora’s time in Nantucket she spent her time scooping ice cream at a local shop named Millie’s.
“I made a ton of new friends over the summer,” Cora said.
At night she would often go to bonfires and loved being able to hang out with her friends constantly.
Sophomore Leo Gutowski started his summer by attending a Nike tennis camp. The camp allowed him to maintain and grow his skills while on break, as well as offering him lots of time to hang out with his friends.
When he returned from camp he went to his house in Belize. During his trip he saw family, went zip lining and was able to experience many different cuisines such as traditional rice, beans and gravy, as well as fri-jack, a popular Belizean breakfast bread. He also spent time volunteering in Virginia where he helped to build houses and roofs. The experience itself required a lot of hard work, but was rewarding to know he was helping others.
Junior Keisha Johnson helped her cousin plan her wedding. She worked on preparing the food and setting up the church service.
“It was nice to see my family again,” Keisha said.
The wedding allowed her to connect with family members she rarely sees because of how far away they live. She also explained how she was able to meet new family members and build relationships with them.
Keisha also spent time volunteering for Hudson Scholars. It was her first time and offered her the opportunity to become a role model and make connections with the kids. She loved going on trips with them and listening to what they were excited for when they returned to school.
Senior Andy Hegerty spent most of her summer playing softball. She played for two different teams over the summer, the PA Strikers and Team Ireland. For games and tournaments she traveled to a variety of places such as Poland, Texas and Kansas. Andy enjoyed how her tournaments allowed her to visit places that she would usually never
She mentioned that playing softball allowed her to experience various sides of the places she visited, rather than just sticking to the usual tourist spots. She also went to Colorado with her family for the Fourth of July. In Colorado she attended a concert for the band Blues Travelers.
English Teacher Jenny Leffler also spent a large part of her summer going on trips. She visited Park City and Oregon with her friends from high school and college.
“It was really nice to see some of my friends that I haven’t seen in years,” Ms. Leffler said.
Ms. Leffler took another trip with her family to the Dominican Republic. She enjoyed being able to see her daughters and just spending time with her loved ones. When she was home she enjoyed relaxing and reading. Her favorite summer reads were Run Read, For One More Day, The Women, Spread Light Relaxing and The Sun is Also a Star.
Overall, Hackley students and teachers used the summer to relax on vacation and at home, spend quality time with friends and family, and engage in community service. Through these experiences, students not only enjoyed downtime but also developed valuable skills like teamwork, empathy, and responsibility. Whether volunteering at local organizations or participating in summer programs, they enriched their learning and deepened their understanding of the world around them.
