Meet the Class of 2024

Grace has been at HVS since Grade 4. She is planning on taking a gap year to work and travel before continuing her education. Right now, she is contemplating pursuing a career with the FBI Human Trafficking Task Force.

What do you feel has been a defining experience for you in your time here?

I’d say the Nonviolence block with Mr. Ping and Mr. Scannell. It caused me to change the way I think and is what made me interested in working in the human trafficking task force of the FBI.

How do you think we as a community can positively impact the world around us as we move into the future?

I think it’s important to look at not only our physical impact on the world but also at our mindset. We need to be able to adapt and not just follow trends. I think have less technology in the school helps keep it a truthful place.

Sage has been at HVS since kindergarten. He is already a trained EMT and will attend college to pursue a career in law enforcement where he hopes he can make a positive difference as either a state trooper or environmental officer.

What do you feel has been a defining experience for you in your time here?
The class trips and plays because they were all times we were able to connect with each other as a class and have fun. The class has changed a lot over the years, and it’s always been a good group.

How do you think we as a community can positively impact the world around us as we move into the future?
I think emphasizing helping and listening and creating a space for people to share their opinion. We have a lot of discussion based classes where we have the ability to talk about everything. We discuss every religion and perspective and are able to form our own beliefs.

Tiger has been at HVS since kindergarten. He plans on going to college to study environmental science or chemical engineering before getting a job and having a family.

What do you feel has been a defining experience for you in your time here?

Mr. Müller’s History through Art Block was beautiful. One day we were studying Beethoven in the Loft and the light was coming through the stained glass window up there, and he played Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony while giving a speech about love, suffering, and Buddhism. He also did the same with Mozart’s Requiem, talking about life and death.

How do you think we as a community can positively impact the world around us as we move into the future?

I know this isn’t something just about our school, but it would be great to create safer roadways or paths to make it easier to bike to school.

Eli joined HVS in Grade 2. He plans on taking a gap year to travel and work before studying the arts at Massachusetts College of Art and Design or Monserrat College of Art.

What do you feel has been a defining experience for you in your time here?
For me, it’s all the art classes. I really enjoyed weaving, illustration, forging, and sculpture.

How do you think we as a community can positively impact the world around us as we move into the future?
I think it’s important to become even more eco-friendly and emphasize local food more through the lunch program.

Rosabel has attended HVS for all of high school. She plans on pursuing a degree in acting at either Bard College, Bennington University, or NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

What do you feel has been a defining experience for you in your time here?
I love my class so much as well as my teachers. They have so much knowledge for all they do. I really grew and found my voice at HVS. I never really liked school before; now I love it!

How do you think we as a community can positively impact the world around us as we move into the future?
I believe that HVS is such an oasis within the chaos of the world around us. I believe that HVS should share its beauty with the world by really welcoming people here to learn and explore the farm, biodynamic agriculture, and the holistic way of learning. Also including students in making the Net Positive goal happen, I believe, would be very powerful.

Keira has been at HVS since Grade 6. She plans on building on her love of science by studying forensic science at Husson University or one of the community colleges while continuing to travel, dance, and do photography in her free time.

What do you feel has been a defining experience for you in your time here?
The Grade 11 trip to the South, our senior trip to Spain, and my senior project really taught me so much about myself. For my project, I taught myself concert photography, and it’s something I never would have done otherwise because I’m not very artistic. It helped me express myself in a different way.

How do you think we as a community can positively impact the world around us as we move into the future?
I think how we teach young kids is really impactful. They get a more pure view of the world, and we keep them innocent for longer.

Shea has been at HVS since Grade 10. After graduation, he plans on entering the workforce.

What do you feel has been a defining experience for you in your time here?
For me it was the philosophy class with Ms. Kenyon called Asking Better Questions.

How do you think we as a community can positively impact the world around us as we move into the future?
I think focusing on keeping the community as a community is important because without it, Hawthorne Valley wouldn’t be what it is.

Roan has been at HVS since Grade 10. He plans to attend Temple University in the fall to study mechanical engineering.

What do you feel has been a defining experience for you in your time here?
My senior project of building a robotic arm really helped me figure out what I want to do in the future.

How do you think we as a community can positively impact the world around us as we move into the future?
I think we should spread awareness of climate change and ways to have less carbon emissions. Maybe if others see us doing what is good for the environment, they will do it too.

Mateo has been at HVS since Grade 10. He plans on attending UAlbany to study computer science.

What do you feel has been a defining class for you in your time here?
All the Main Lessons and art blocks. At my last school, we moved quickly through topics, and here we have the time to learn and digest the subjects.

How do you think we as a community can positively impact the world around us as we move into the future?
I think local food production is important, and a lot of that already happens here. Adding more renewable energy to campus would also be good.

Tor has been at HVS since Grade 10. After taking a gap year to travel—hopefully to Japan or Amsterdam—he plans to study fine or studio arts.

What do you feel has been a defining experience for you in your time here?
My senior trip to Spain was amazing. The cuisine was fantastic and so was the architecture and history there.

How do you think we as a community can positively impact the world around us as we move into the future?
I think developing healthy communication is important. I think that people don’t listen enough, and communication—particularly non-violent communication—is key to a healthy society.