So what is it that makes living in Fowle Hall so special? Is it that you get to live alongside your best friends while also attending a wonderful school that challenges you academically? What are some of the most exciting memories that have happened here? Find out in these fun interviews with students who live there.
Jooa Lee '23
“Hi, I'm Jooa and I'm currently a sophomore in Mercersburg Academy. I'm from South Korea and this is my second year living in Fowle hall. For my PGAs, I participate in playing field hockey, lacrosse, and I am on the dance team during winter term.” Jooa Lee, class of ‘23 told me when I asked her to introduce herself. I started out by asking Jooa about how she feels during her time off from school since she lives so far away. “I miss living in the dorm very much because living in the dorm with my friends leave me with various fun and valuable memories. When I live in the dorm I feel like I take those memories for granted but when I get back home, I realize those were moments to cherish. Living with peers is definitely a different experience than living with family. Both pros and cons surely exist, but I really enjoy living with my peers in a dorm. We can share a lot of things easily including feelings since we are all in same age range!” Jooa said. We got to talking about life in the dorm, and when I asked her how she was able to handle the heavy workload from her classes while living with her friends she told me: “I don't think the environment in a dorm which is surrounded by all of my friends distracts me from doing my work. It actually encourages me to do my work. We have study hours called "quiet hours" throughout weekdays and Sunday evening. We all have to stay in our room, doing our work. The mandatory study hours make me sit on my desk and finish my work. Also, since the entire hall is quiet during that time and everyone is working, it is easier for me to focus and gives me motivation to finish my work.”
While we had gotten on the topic of learning environment, I asked Jooa what she though about the class sizes at school. “I think that Mercersbyrg had ideal class sizes. When I went to Korean public school before I came to Mercersburg, we had about 30 students in each class. Comparing with the relatively big class, small classes enable students to have more active in-class discussion and better interaction between students and teachers.” I was very curious to learn how Jooa felt about having many of her teachers live on campus. She tells me: “It is definitely beneficial since we can get additional help if we make appointment with our teachers. Also, beyond the academic aspects, I like seeing teachers on campus after school hours because they are always friendly and make me feel sense of belonging in Mercersburg.” To finish off our interview, I asked Jooa what the most challenging thing about high school was so far. “Blending into the whole different culture and education system, but I think I overcame it.” She answered with a huge smile.
“Hi, I'm Jooa and I'm currently a sophomore in Mercersburg Academy. I'm from South Korea and this is my second year living in Fowle hall. For my PGAs, I participate in playing field hockey, lacrosse, and I am on the dance team during winter term.” Jooa Lee, class of ‘23 told me when I asked her to introduce herself. I started out by asking Jooa about how she feels during her time off from school since she lives so far away. “I miss living in the dorm very much because living in the dorm with my friends leave me with various fun and valuable memories. When I live in the dorm I feel like I take those memories for granted but when I get back home, I realize those were moments to cherish. Living with peers is definitely a different experience than living with family. Both pros and cons surely exist, but I really enjoy living with my peers in a dorm. We can share a lot of things easily including feelings since we are all in same age range!” Jooa said. We got to talking about life in the dorm, and when I asked her how she was able to handle the heavy workload from her classes while living with her friends she told me: “I don't think the environment in a dorm which is surrounded by all of my friends distracts me from doing my work. It actually encourages me to do my work. We have study hours called "quiet hours" throughout weekdays and Sunday evening. We all have to stay in our room, doing our work. The mandatory study hours make me sit on my desk and finish my work. Also, since the entire hall is quiet during that time and everyone is working, it is easier for me to focus and gives me motivation to finish my work.”
While we had gotten on the topic of learning environment, I asked Jooa what she though about the class sizes at school. “I think that Mercersbyrg had ideal class sizes. When I went to Korean public school before I came to Mercersburg, we had about 30 students in each class. Comparing with the relatively big class, small classes enable students to have more active in-class discussion and better interaction between students and teachers.” I was very curious to learn how Jooa felt about having many of her teachers live on campus. She tells me: “It is definitely beneficial since we can get additional help if we make appointment with our teachers. Also, beyond the academic aspects, I like seeing teachers on campus after school hours because they are always friendly and make me feel sense of belonging in Mercersburg.” To finish off our interview, I asked Jooa what the most challenging thing about high school was so far. “Blending into the whole different culture and education system, but I think I overcame it.” She answered with a huge smile.
Stephanie Sun '23
“Hi, I’m Stephanie Sun. I am a sophomore, and this is my second year in Fowle. As a PGA, I participate in volleyball during the fall term and dance during the winter and spring terms.” Stephanie Sun, class of ‘23 said when asked to introduce herself. Her favorite memory in Fowle Hall that happened this year was “Despiite all of the crazy things that were happening with covid, our wing was still able to gather together everynight and have dinner together. It made things seem kind of normal, even if it was only for about 30 minutes.” I decided to ask Stephanie a bit about the workload at Mercersburg. This is what she had to say: “Quiet hours is really helpful to get work done, but other times it is difficult to work withour distractions. You also don’t get much personal space to work in or time to actually complete your work, so you have to adapt.” I asked her more about how she felt the learning environment was in Mercersburg. “I like that the classes are smaller because it allows the teachers and students to be more focused and get to know each other better. I really appreciate the fact that teachers live on campus because whenever I am stuck or need help with something, they are always there for me. At Mercersburg, I feel that it is more difficult to balance school work and social life than at some other schools.” She told me that one thing about high school which she didn’t particularly like or expect was tha about of drama. “I expected people to be much more mature and not thrive off of drama as much as they seem to do.
Stephanie and I then got to talking about sports. “Dance is my favorite sport and hobby.” she said. “I started dancing with my grandma when I was young and just kept dancing as I grew up. I’ve also been playing volleyball for a while. This taught me to not give up easily because things can always turn around and to always try my best.” Stephanie ended our interview by telling me that she feels Mercersburg has been a great experience that has taught her many lessons that she will continue to implement throughout the rest of her life.
“Hi, I’m Stephanie Sun. I am a sophomore, and this is my second year in Fowle. As a PGA, I participate in volleyball during the fall term and dance during the winter and spring terms.” Stephanie Sun, class of ‘23 said when asked to introduce herself. Her favorite memory in Fowle Hall that happened this year was “Despiite all of the crazy things that were happening with covid, our wing was still able to gather together everynight and have dinner together. It made things seem kind of normal, even if it was only for about 30 minutes.” I decided to ask Stephanie a bit about the workload at Mercersburg. This is what she had to say: “Quiet hours is really helpful to get work done, but other times it is difficult to work withour distractions. You also don’t get much personal space to work in or time to actually complete your work, so you have to adapt.” I asked her more about how she felt the learning environment was in Mercersburg. “I like that the classes are smaller because it allows the teachers and students to be more focused and get to know each other better. I really appreciate the fact that teachers live on campus because whenever I am stuck or need help with something, they are always there for me. At Mercersburg, I feel that it is more difficult to balance school work and social life than at some other schools.” She told me that one thing about high school which she didn’t particularly like or expect was tha about of drama. “I expected people to be much more mature and not thrive off of drama as much as they seem to do.
Stephanie and I then got to talking about sports. “Dance is my favorite sport and hobby.” she said. “I started dancing with my grandma when I was young and just kept dancing as I grew up. I’ve also been playing volleyball for a while. This taught me to not give up easily because things can always turn around and to always try my best.” Stephanie ended our interview by telling me that she feels Mercersburg has been a great experience that has taught her many lessons that she will continue to implement throughout the rest of her life.
Rebecca Kolodziej '23
“I am a sophomore at Mercersburg and this is my first year at this school. I live on 3 north. I am sixteen years old and I come from Hamburg, Germany. I am pretty an active person and I am someone who also cares a lot about important topics occurring in this world. In my free time I love to be creative, dance, cook, workout and travel this wonderful world. I have two pets but I am a single child. My friends and parents mean the most to me and I love hanging out with them and doing fun stuff together.” Rebecca Kolodziej, class of ‘23 introduces. She tells me that her favorite Fowle Hall memory was was when “One night we had a shower party with loud music and a little music speaker in the bathroom. Nearly everyone from the wing joined and we had a lot of fun.” Since Rebecca lives in Germany, it is much harder for her to travel to and from school than it is for a lot of other students. Especially because we are currently in the middle of a pandemic. She tells me that since she has been home “I miss living together with my roommate and having long late night talks with her. But I also miss living together with so many other people who I can talk to. There is always someone I can ask for an opinion, a hug or just a nice talk.”
Rebecca and I talked a bit about the learning environment in Mercersburg. She told me about her opinions on the class sizes. “Where I come from classes normally have around 28 students and with Mercersburg having a lot less students in a class, the progress and work we make in the class is a lot higher. I also feel like people feel a lot more comfortable to speak and give their opinion. The teacher can really focus on everyone individually, I can get a lot more help if I need it and I can get all my questions answered. The only thing that I think would be better about a larger class is that there are more people with more ideas and opinions.” When I asked her about how she felt about living on the same campus as a lot of her teachers, she old me that “Sometimes I think it is really nice if you have any questions and you can just ask them any time. It is also really nice to build a closer connection to your teacher and you also get know more about how this persons acts in their free time. The only thing is that I sometimes think that if teacher does not like you because of something you did outside the classroom, it is harder to be respected and pursued in a neutral way. I sometimes like to be different than I am in class when on my own after school and I think a bit division between class and free time is good.” I really appreciate the time that Rebecca spent anwersing these questions about what it’s like to live at a boarding school.
“I am a sophomore at Mercersburg and this is my first year at this school. I live on 3 north. I am sixteen years old and I come from Hamburg, Germany. I am pretty an active person and I am someone who also cares a lot about important topics occurring in this world. In my free time I love to be creative, dance, cook, workout and travel this wonderful world. I have two pets but I am a single child. My friends and parents mean the most to me and I love hanging out with them and doing fun stuff together.” Rebecca Kolodziej, class of ‘23 introduces. She tells me that her favorite Fowle Hall memory was was when “One night we had a shower party with loud music and a little music speaker in the bathroom. Nearly everyone from the wing joined and we had a lot of fun.” Since Rebecca lives in Germany, it is much harder for her to travel to and from school than it is for a lot of other students. Especially because we are currently in the middle of a pandemic. She tells me that since she has been home “I miss living together with my roommate and having long late night talks with her. But I also miss living together with so many other people who I can talk to. There is always someone I can ask for an opinion, a hug or just a nice talk.”
Rebecca and I talked a bit about the learning environment in Mercersburg. She told me about her opinions on the class sizes. “Where I come from classes normally have around 28 students and with Mercersburg having a lot less students in a class, the progress and work we make in the class is a lot higher. I also feel like people feel a lot more comfortable to speak and give their opinion. The teacher can really focus on everyone individually, I can get a lot more help if I need it and I can get all my questions answered. The only thing that I think would be better about a larger class is that there are more people with more ideas and opinions.” When I asked her about how she felt about living on the same campus as a lot of her teachers, she old me that “Sometimes I think it is really nice if you have any questions and you can just ask them any time. It is also really nice to build a closer connection to your teacher and you also get know more about how this persons acts in their free time. The only thing is that I sometimes think that if teacher does not like you because of something you did outside the classroom, it is harder to be respected and pursued in a neutral way. I sometimes like to be different than I am in class when on my own after school and I think a bit division between class and free time is good.” I really appreciate the time that Rebecca spent anwersing these questions about what it’s like to live at a boarding school.
Morgan Fisher '23
“Hi, I'm Morgan. I am from Berryville, VA. I am a sophomore. I play volleyball and squash as my two main PGAs.” Morgan Fisher, class of ‘23 says to introduce herself. Right off the bat, as soon as I tell her that I’ll be asking her some questions about Fowle Hall, she immediately gets excited and tells me that she loves living there. She also mentions that her favorite memory was being able to go to the Fowloween dance and have fun with all of her friends last year, a fun event that was not possible this year, due to covid regulations. I asked her what was different about boarding school than she had originally expected. “I didn't expect to be as independent as I am now and do things for myself that I didn't have to before.” she tells me. She also tells me about how she feels leaving school when we go on a break. “I miss living in Fowle a lot. When I am at home it's not as easy as just going across the hall to see friends and at home there isn't always something to do like there is at the dorm.” we talked a bit more about this and we agreed that living in the dorm was much more beneficial and fun last year, before all of the covid regulations were implemented. “I understand why we have to follow the rules that we do though,” Morgan says; “If wearing my mask while we walk down the hall is going to allow us to attend virtual classes and not go home, of course I have no problem doing it.”
I ask Morgan about the workload at Mercersburg and she tells me: “There are definitely times where I can feel tempted to hang out with friends instead of doing my work, but I don't think that it's difficult to get things done because there are designated times to get work done independently. Sometimes it can even be easier to get work done because you have the ability to work together.” Regarding the class sizes she also tells me that “I came from an even smaller private school before Mercersburg so to me they seem large. I think that it's a good size because they're small enough where you feel included and acknowledged, and everyone has the ability to participate.” It was interesting to hear her perspective on this since she doesn’t view the class sizes as small. We got to talking about the teachers and she says: “It is helpful having them live so close because any time there's something going on they're able to immediately offer their help and you're able to for a much closer bond than if they were to live off campus.” I really appreciated the insight that Morgan was able to give me about living in the dorm.
“Hi, I'm Morgan. I am from Berryville, VA. I am a sophomore. I play volleyball and squash as my two main PGAs.” Morgan Fisher, class of ‘23 says to introduce herself. Right off the bat, as soon as I tell her that I’ll be asking her some questions about Fowle Hall, she immediately gets excited and tells me that she loves living there. She also mentions that her favorite memory was being able to go to the Fowloween dance and have fun with all of her friends last year, a fun event that was not possible this year, due to covid regulations. I asked her what was different about boarding school than she had originally expected. “I didn't expect to be as independent as I am now and do things for myself that I didn't have to before.” she tells me. She also tells me about how she feels leaving school when we go on a break. “I miss living in Fowle a lot. When I am at home it's not as easy as just going across the hall to see friends and at home there isn't always something to do like there is at the dorm.” we talked a bit more about this and we agreed that living in the dorm was much more beneficial and fun last year, before all of the covid regulations were implemented. “I understand why we have to follow the rules that we do though,” Morgan says; “If wearing my mask while we walk down the hall is going to allow us to attend virtual classes and not go home, of course I have no problem doing it.”
I ask Morgan about the workload at Mercersburg and she tells me: “There are definitely times where I can feel tempted to hang out with friends instead of doing my work, but I don't think that it's difficult to get things done because there are designated times to get work done independently. Sometimes it can even be easier to get work done because you have the ability to work together.” Regarding the class sizes she also tells me that “I came from an even smaller private school before Mercersburg so to me they seem large. I think that it's a good size because they're small enough where you feel included and acknowledged, and everyone has the ability to participate.” It was interesting to hear her perspective on this since she doesn’t view the class sizes as small. We got to talking about the teachers and she says: “It is helpful having them live so close because any time there's something going on they're able to immediately offer their help and you're able to for a much closer bond than if they were to live off campus.” I really appreciated the insight that Morgan was able to give me about living in the dorm.
Mel Cort '23
“Name’s Mel! I live with my two year roommate who I adore. I play softball, do theatre, write poetry and make art.” Mel Cort, ‘23 says with a smile. “I would have to say that my biggest accomplishment is being a published award winning poet with a manuscript draft by the age of 16.” said Mel Cort. To learn a little more about Mel’s experience living in Fowle hall I asked them what their favorite memory was so far. “Big cards against humanity games. A bunch of people you don’t know all doing funny stuff. I’m pretty sure that’s when I first met you actually.” I also ask Mel what the most unexpected thing about boarding school was. Something that nothing could really prepare them for. “Constantly having people in and out of your room. It’s kinda overwhelming sometimes, but is also so much fun and makes me feel that much closer with my friends.” I asked Mel to elaborate on how they deal with the overwhemlingness and they said “Well sometimes I usually do the busy work in the dorm and then find another place to study for the actual productive stuff.” There are many other perks that come with living in Fowle Hall too. When I asked Mel what their favorite was, they said “Ice cream! Apparently that’s a fowle only thing! Also all the dorm faculty are so sweet that I miss them so much whenever I leave.” While we were on the topic of leaving, I asked Mel if they miss living in the dorm whenever Mercersburg has a break and everyone goes home. “Absolutely!! I miss annoying my friends and having my freedom. I miss living with my teachers and playing with all the dorm animals. Don’t miss the food, though.” (I can agree with them on that one. I am NOT a fan of the food) I also asked Mel what they thought about the age ranges of people living in Fowle Hall. “It works pretty well! The freshman can be kind of annoying in large doses. I also think the 9 and 10th grade range can be really isolating to people who have to live in Fowle for a longer period of time.” We talked a little about class sizes and this is what Mel had to say about that: “I love small classes. I’m Deaf, and being in a small room with few people let’s me focus more. Sometimes being in a class with people you dislike can be awful, but you’re all just trying to pass.” Being able to interview Mel and learn more about their experiences at Mercersburg was very interesting and eye opening to me.
“Name’s Mel! I live with my two year roommate who I adore. I play softball, do theatre, write poetry and make art.” Mel Cort, ‘23 says with a smile. “I would have to say that my biggest accomplishment is being a published award winning poet with a manuscript draft by the age of 16.” said Mel Cort. To learn a little more about Mel’s experience living in Fowle hall I asked them what their favorite memory was so far. “Big cards against humanity games. A bunch of people you don’t know all doing funny stuff. I’m pretty sure that’s when I first met you actually.” I also ask Mel what the most unexpected thing about boarding school was. Something that nothing could really prepare them for. “Constantly having people in and out of your room. It’s kinda overwhelming sometimes, but is also so much fun and makes me feel that much closer with my friends.” I asked Mel to elaborate on how they deal with the overwhemlingness and they said “Well sometimes I usually do the busy work in the dorm and then find another place to study for the actual productive stuff.” There are many other perks that come with living in Fowle Hall too. When I asked Mel what their favorite was, they said “Ice cream! Apparently that’s a fowle only thing! Also all the dorm faculty are so sweet that I miss them so much whenever I leave.” While we were on the topic of leaving, I asked Mel if they miss living in the dorm whenever Mercersburg has a break and everyone goes home. “Absolutely!! I miss annoying my friends and having my freedom. I miss living with my teachers and playing with all the dorm animals. Don’t miss the food, though.” (I can agree with them on that one. I am NOT a fan of the food) I also asked Mel what they thought about the age ranges of people living in Fowle Hall. “It works pretty well! The freshman can be kind of annoying in large doses. I also think the 9 and 10th grade range can be really isolating to people who have to live in Fowle for a longer period of time.” We talked a little about class sizes and this is what Mel had to say about that: “I love small classes. I’m Deaf, and being in a small room with few people let’s me focus more. Sometimes being in a class with people you dislike can be awful, but you’re all just trying to pass.” Being able to interview Mel and learn more about their experiences at Mercersburg was very interesting and eye opening to me.
Catherine Orders '23
To start our interview off, I aksed Catherine Orders, class of ‘23, how she would describe herself. She told me: “I’m a student at Mercersburg Academy. I’m originally from Charleston, West Virginia. At Mercersburg my performance group activity is dance.” I was really interested in learning more about Catherine’s experience living in Fowle hall, so I asked her about her favorite memory that had occurred there. “I love spending weekends sharing pints of ice cream and watching movies with my friends in the dorm.” I told Catherine that I was super interested in learning more about life as a boarding school student, and asked her what something was about living in a dorm at a boarding school that you did not not expect before coming to the academy. “I was not prepared to share a bathroom with so many other people. I do however really enjoy living in a bigger dorm because I get to know so many other people.” I was curious, so I asked her whether or not she misses school when we go home on a break. She told me that she really misses getting to see here beest friends everyday whenever she isn’t at school. While we were on this topic, I asked her if living in a dorm with her friends benefits her in anyway. “I expected to be very overwhelmed, but I have found that after getting used to a balance it is super fun.I think that it is sometimes distracting being surrounded by people all of the time, but other times it is nice to feel motivated by the all of the support around me in the dorm.” I completely understand and agree with Catherine on that one. Living with your besr friends can be both a blessing and a curse.
Along with getting to live with your best friends at boarding school, you also live on the same campus as a lot of your teachers. Catherine and I discussed how she felt about this dynamic. “Having the option to see teachers during study hours or a hep period is very helpful for me.”, she tole me. We also got to talking about the small class sizes that are usually no bigger than 15 people and she said: “I think this is an ideal class size because I’m able to get more attention and help from teachers when I need it.”
To start our interview off, I aksed Catherine Orders, class of ‘23, how she would describe herself. She told me: “I’m a student at Mercersburg Academy. I’m originally from Charleston, West Virginia. At Mercersburg my performance group activity is dance.” I was really interested in learning more about Catherine’s experience living in Fowle hall, so I asked her about her favorite memory that had occurred there. “I love spending weekends sharing pints of ice cream and watching movies with my friends in the dorm.” I told Catherine that I was super interested in learning more about life as a boarding school student, and asked her what something was about living in a dorm at a boarding school that you did not not expect before coming to the academy. “I was not prepared to share a bathroom with so many other people. I do however really enjoy living in a bigger dorm because I get to know so many other people.” I was curious, so I asked her whether or not she misses school when we go home on a break. She told me that she really misses getting to see here beest friends everyday whenever she isn’t at school. While we were on this topic, I asked her if living in a dorm with her friends benefits her in anyway. “I expected to be very overwhelmed, but I have found that after getting used to a balance it is super fun.I think that it is sometimes distracting being surrounded by people all of the time, but other times it is nice to feel motivated by the all of the support around me in the dorm.” I completely understand and agree with Catherine on that one. Living with your besr friends can be both a blessing and a curse.
Along with getting to live with your best friends at boarding school, you also live on the same campus as a lot of your teachers. Catherine and I discussed how she felt about this dynamic. “Having the option to see teachers during study hours or a hep period is very helpful for me.”, she tole me. We also got to talking about the small class sizes that are usually no bigger than 15 people and she said: “I think this is an ideal class size because I’m able to get more attention and help from teachers when I need it.”