Dear Sponsors of The Link School,
Twice a year, we ask students to write a letter of appreciation and gratitude to our donors. Students are excited to reflect on their growth and share it with you. We hope you enjoy these heartfelt letters.
Have a wonderful New Year!
Much Love,
The Link School
Dear sponsor,
My name is Josh. I am from St. Louis Missouri, and this is my third and final year here at Link. I am a senior and I came to Link my sophomore year. I would like to express my deepest gratitude for your support, in allowing me to have the opportunity to attend Link. I have grown in so many ways since I came here my sophomore year.
Link has helped me see that there is so much more to life than an individual originally thinks. I really feel that I have broadened my view on the world, and that I have been able to see people for who they are as spiritual creations of God. Link has also shown me how to work harder on the things that need to get done and prioritize the important tasks before the fun and personal ones. I have gained wonderful and strong friendships and have made connections with the staff that will continue on throughout my life. Since coming to Link, my life has made a total 180. I no longer buy into the negative suggestions that others and I used to think were true about me. I now fully buy into the true Godlike idea and creation that I am.
Link has really benefited my life and all of the others who are here as well. It is truly a beautiful thing to see. To me the three most important parts of Link are the family atmosphere that is created among the people here, the spiritual growth and closer understanding of God, and the mental growth that everyone has when they are here. I think there is so much to be gained by everyone who attends Link, and so much for people to give. You get what you give. Again, thank you for making this a possible opportunity for me and all the students. It is a cool feeling knowing that there are people out there who want to make a difference for other people in their lives.
Thank you,
Sincerely – Josh
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Heath. I am a 16-year-old boy who goes to The Link School. I am creative, funny, and interesting. This is my second year of high school and my second year at The Link School. I grew up at Link because my dad is the director. I have been around Link since I was little, doing things like having dinner and hanging out with the student group. I like to work on different projects like woodworking, metalworking, building, and art.
The Link School is important to me because of the community and the friendships. I love my friendships at Link because you get to learn so much about each other. You get to be with each other every day, goof off together, be around each other all the time, and you might even be roommates together.
The trips are another important part about The Link School. The trips are important because of how fun they are and the skills you get to learn when you’re on trips. My favorite trip this semester was the Lost Wonder Hut trip. I loved that trip because of how peaceful it was, and I loved the hut we got to stay in. I also love that it is a service trip and we get to make it a better place.
Another important thing about Link is that students get to learn all sorts of skills for life. We learn to keep our rooms clean and how to live in dorms with each other like college students do. We also learn how to connect with people, how to cook food, how to do laundry, and how to find time for the things you need to get done like homework.
This semester, I have grown spiritually by becoming more connected with God in different ways. I feel connected with God when I’m in the backcountry. In school, I can see everyone’s connection with God being expressed everywhere. There is so much peace, joy, and beauty everywhere here.
Thank you so much. You do a lot for Link’s community, and you do a lot to keep the school up and running, which does a lot for kids who otherwise might not get this type of opportunity.
Thank you so much, Heath
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Rosalee, and this is my second year at the Link school. I have been going to the summer camp, Adventure Unlimited, for ten years now, and that is where I fell in love with being outside. I came to Link because I wanted to explore my interest in rock climbing, kayaking, skiing, and other outdoor activities. I have stayed at Link because in that exploration, I fell in love with Christian Science, this community, and all things Link School.
At Link, I have been pushed to grow in the most beautiful way. One of my favorite experiences of growth is through mountain biking. In my first year, I joined the mountain biking team because my cousin recommended it. I hated it. I could not understand at all why or how people enjoyed mountain biking. When the season ended, I didn’t feel like I had made any progress with biking and I was convinced it just wasn’t for me. This fall, for some reason unbeknownst to me, I joined the team again. This time around, I knew I would hate it, but I challenged myself to try to figure out why anyone would like it. I found out why very quickly. Mountain biking is challenging and so rewarding. At Link, I have learned the beauty of the challenge. Now I absolutely love mountain biking.
This year, I have been faced with many difficult things in my life away from school. I have turned to the staff at Link for spiritual guidance. This community has taught me the healing power of God. I didn’t realize how much peace, joy, and happiness could come from deepening my relationship to God and finding answers through Christian Science. I think the biggest things that I’ve learned are forgiveness and grace. Humanly, it is very hard to forgive others for hurting you. But being at Link, I have learned time and time again that forgiveness is so natural for God. Grace, or unearned Love, is one of the greatest gifts you can give and receive. This school embeds grace into everything we do.
I am infinitely grateful that I am at this school. It sounds cliche, but I don’t know who I would be without it. Link has taught me about a Love that extends to every soul, cares about every heart, and listens to every voice. Being at Link asks you to push yourself to be the highest version of you. Asking us to do that is the greatest gift they can give us.
Thank you so much for helping me be at this school,
Rosalee
Dear Sponsors,
My name is Isaac, I come from the beautiful mountains of Buena Vista. I live locally, close by the Buena Vista High School. I love skiing and I work as a ski instructor at Monarch Mountain. The reason that I am an instructor is because of The Link School. I love learning, and I love making people happy when they ski. I am a kind person and every day that I come into my classes I grow as a student and as a person. I am a quiet person, but Link has made me a happier person. This is my senior year at Link, and I am very sad to leave it. This place is my new home. I promise that I will cry when I leave Link. I hope that I can join Link again or/and bring my kids to Link for the same opportunity.
At Link, I love skiing, kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking, and all the other fun activities that we get to experience. My favorite activity at Link is skiing. I get to exercise and enjoy myself on the slopes. I see everyone becoming lighter and more positive every time we go skiing. Trips are also important to me because they give me a tiny rest from academic stress. When I first came to Link, I had many migraines, but the importance of being a Christian Scientist made me realize the true reality of life. Even though I wasn’t a Christian Scientist back then, I was still a good person, but I became so bright because of Christian Science.
Being spiritual has brightened my life. I want to live with Christian Science for the rest of my life. Every time I am stressed, I know that God is there patting my back to let me know that He is there and that He feels me. My migraines were healed through Christian Science, and I love working on being spiritual. I have grown so much thanks to the founders, the donors and the staff of The Link School. My home is with God and it will never leave me. The Link School will never leave my soul nor my spirit. Link is part of me because of every student that temporarily lives here is my family. They treat me like I am their brother. I don’t want to leave Link, and I will visit as much as I can.
Thank you so much for reading this letter. I hope you are having a great year and I wish you the very best.
From Isaac
Dear Sponsors,
My name is Leon. I am currently a junior at The Link School. I have lived in Massachusettts for the past 10 years of my life. Before I came to Link, I went to a large public high school. I never really liked school before I came here. At my old school, there were 2100 kids, I never felt truly seen.
This year at Link was the first time I felt truly recognized by my teachers and classmates. The full and busy schedule might seem like a burden or challenge for others; however, it really helps me. The constant things to do and people to be with, have helped and supported me a lot. My grades have risen, my quality of life is better, and I am happier. The people here are amazing, especially the staff. Whenever I am having a tough time in class, they are there for me. Wherever I don’t get a subject, they are there for me.
I have grown more physically and mentally here than I have anywhere else, whether that be boating, climbing, running, biking, or skiing. This place has taught me how to overcome challenges and obstacles. Before this year, I had never climbed, boated, skied, or mountain biked; everything I have done this year has been new. Trying all these new things has helped me in my life in ways I could have never imagined. I love learning new things now, I am open to trying things that I never would have tried before.
Christian Science has always been part of my life. I have been going to Sunday School since I was born. I have always considered myself a Christian Scientist. I never could have imagined the true power of God or Christian Science before I came here. I have always been terrified of heights, anything over 10-15 feet, made me nervous. After coming to Link, I knew I would have to overcome that fear in order to climb and have a good time. Once I knew I got accepted, I started to pray. I knew that I was a perfect reflection of God, and I could not be hurt under His protection. Working with this, I prayed for the few weeks up until the September trip. In Moab, we went climbing at Wall Street. I was terrified. I knew there was no way that I would be injured because of God and the staff around me. The progress was slow; I would be able to get up 20 feet before being scared to move any further. On the second climbing day of the trip, I topped my first climb. Coming down off the climb, I knew I would never be scared of the height again, and to this day, fear has never been a factor of me not getting up a climb. The constant spiritual support here at The Link School has allowed me to overcome mental battles I never thought I would surpass. I am eternally grateful for the spiritual help and guidance that this school provides.
I am eternally grateful for all the help I received getting here and for you helping make it possible.
Thank you, Leon
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Casius. I am from Buena Vista Colorado; I have lived in the valley my entire life. I absolutely love sports and the outdoors. This fall I played football for the Buena Vista Demons. I got to reunite with people I hadn’t seen in years and learn how to put 100% into everything I do. We made it all the way to the state championship with a perfect record. Unfortunately, we couldn’t secure the state title but overall, it was such a fun season, and it taught me so much. Now that the season is over, I have moved my focus towards skiing. At Link we have an amazing ski program. Every Friday we pack out ski bags and head up to our little mountain and ski for about 2 to 3 hours. We have groups with all different levels of skiers, but it really doesn’t matter because everyone is there to learn and take advantage of this amazing opportunity we have as a school. That has been my favorite part of Link.
This year the most important thing to me is trying to become the best version of myself. I want to be someone who is really approachable to anyone. I’ve been trying to emulate my dad who is such a perfect role model because he’s exactly what I want to become. He’s stoic and strong but also so light and loving. He is so humble but has the skills and knowledge to back him up in any situation. That has been the most important thing to me recently.
Link is always pushing me to be as spiritual as possible in all aspects of life, and all that work pays off. All the students this year have either strengthened their relationship to God, or they have discovered Christian Science for the first time and have really taken hold of it. To me, seeing people become closer to God is always the spiritual highlight. Without you these people (including me), would have a harder time discovering their relationship to God and living life to the fullest.
Sincerely, Casius
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Aberlyn. I am a junior and I live next door to Link at Adventure Unlimited Ranches. Because of living at and attending AU Ranches regularly, I grew up with a love for the outdoors and a love for Christian Science. Before Link, I went to a public school in Buena Vista, CO where I mainly focused on singing, dancing and theatre. Because of this focus, I was left little time to do the outdoor activities I love so much. But now, coming to Link, I can happily do both!
One of my favorite parts about Link is how much it forces me to grow. Every day I learn new things about the curriculum or even about myself. The trips always push me out of my comfort zone and by the end of them, I feel I have grown so much! One time I really felt this growth was during our October trip when we experienced some serious weather changes. It had rained all night during one of our overnight river trip, and was starting to flood into our tents. Because we were completely self-supported, and in the middle of nowhere, we couldn’t just drive somewhere dry, we had to keep boating until our final take out. I am not a huge camper, so with this new hardship I was feeling pretty frustrated at our situation. That being said, I was able to quickly pull myself from this frustration because everybody was working so hard to keep spirits high. On the river we played games and ended up just laughing most of the way to the takeout. The day ended up being super fun, and one of my favorite days of the whole trip! This experience really taught me how important it is to be positive and focus on all the good in every situation.
Another thing I love about Link, is the community. Here, I feel so supported by staff in everything I do especially when I am being pushed to work even harder. Because of this support, I also have an amazing community of friends. We all love spending time together and truly make that a priority. Whether we are baking in the kitchen, watching a movie downstairs, learning in class, or having a snowball fight, we are always having fun!
Being at Link has also driven me to focus more on Christian Science. I have learned how to implement it into my everyday life through our lesson studies in the morning, and just constantly being reminded of God’s Love and protection. Coming to Link this year also helped me work through a wonderful healing. Over the summer, I had fallen pretty hard on my arm while climbing and was very fearful about what that meant for my coming to Link this year and my use of that arm in the future. After my fall I had prayed on my own for a few months, and by the time the school year started my arm had made huge progress. When I got to Link, I soon realized that while progress was good, I wasn’t completely better and I truly wanted to have a full and complete healing. My teachers and parents encouraged me to reach out to a practitioner for some extra support, and I am so glad that I did. A few weeks ago, I was climbing and doing some gymnastics type movements in the rock gym while we were there. Suddenly, I realized that I had been putting my full weight on my arm (which I hadn’t done for many months) and felt no pain! I felt all my fear about my arm evaporate and I haven’t felt any pain in that arm since. I am so so grateful for this healing and for Link for inspiring me to keep learning and to keep reaching out to God.
This last semester at Link has truly been life changing. I have grown so much socially, academically, in my knowledge of the outdoors, and spiritually. I am so grateful for this opportunity and for your generosity that made it happen!
Thank you so much, Aberlyn
Dear Sponsor,
Hi, my name is Gaby! I’m a freshman here at Link. I’m from Chicago, I’ve gone to huge public schools for my entire life, so being here is a big change. Public schools in Chicago are not the best influence. Which is why I came to Link!
My three core values have always been the same, even when I was little. My favorite has always been adventure. I loved to play outside, biking, swinging, jumping in mud, running in the lake, I was everywhere. At Link, I’ve advanced my adventuring skills to climbing, mountain biking, boating, camping, and even adventuring academically, which I didn’t know was possible.
When I was in Chicago, I always felt like nobody could understand me, like even if I were to go into insane detail, they would always just give me the same answer, ‘just be happy’. That didn’t help. I just wanted someone to understand me. Today I know that nobody will be able to fully understand me because no one went through exactly what I went through. Except for one thing. God. I learned that like 4 months ago, which is not a long time. So now whenever I feel a bad thought come, I pray, and usually it works! When it doesn’t, I feel comfortable enough to go to a teacher, a peer, my mom, and even a friend back at home. Coming to school here saved me.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for helping all my peers and me have the opportunity to adventure and learn here at Link.
Love, Gaby!
Dear sponsor,
My name is Darwin, I’m from Santa Barbara, California. I love to play on the beach, and I love all ocean life. It has been a challenge being in such a new environment here at The Link School, but I have learned to love so many new things.
When I first came to Link, I didn’t know what to expect, but within the very first week I began to find myself learning to be curious about so many new things. I began to find myself loving the people here and the community so much, and I found that everyone wanted to support me and they really cared.
The first time we went rock climbing as a group, I began to cry. It was all just so new for me! When I was sitting on top of that wall, one of the boys who had been climbing next to me looked at me and said, “Don’t worry Darwin, we all believe that you can do it”. That stuck with me throughout the rest of the semester and will stick with me. That boys words of encouragement helped me get me to do so many things that I never thought that I would ever be able to do. Later in the fall, I was getting on a mountain bike for the first time, and I began to cry. This time there was someone else telling me to do it. I had never gotten to talk to her a lot, but I always thought that she was nice and pretty cool, so when she stood next to me and told me, “It’s ok. Things take time”, it meant a lot. So many people here at Link have believed in me. Now, I have found myself speeding down steep hills on a mountain bike without even thinking about it and speeding up the climbing walls without any fear of what was above or below me. I love The Link School so much because I always feel so much love and I trust everyone here so much. Everyone at this school feels like a part of my family. Whenever I think of the end of the year, when all of the senior’s graduate, I begin to cry. I know that they’re moving into a new territory of growth just like The Link School has been a new territory of growth for me but I will miss them. I have found that everyone here is just like a puzzle piece and if any of us are missing, the beautiful picture is incomplete.
Whenever anyone asks about my religion, I tell them that I am a Christian Scientist. I used to have trouble explaining Christian Science but after attending Link, I have a new answer. I believe CS is to be offering kindness even when you have none given to you. It’s just like the sun, shining with all its might and never receiving any other light other than its own.
Link has taught me so much about who I am, what I love and how to love. I hope that so many more students in the future get to enjoy it here as much as I have.
Love, Darwin
Dear sponsor,
My name is Jazmine, I’m a junior at The Link School and I’m from Denver. I came from many Catholic schools and many public ones before I came to The Link School. Until this year I never really felt intrigued by school. I had a hard time feeling my teachers truly cared about me, it just felt like they were doing a job. At the many schools I’ve attended in my 16 years, I never found one where I felt like I truly belonged – until this year. I’ve only attended The Link School for about 4 months and in those 4 months The Link School has had more impact on my life than the 16 years of other schools I’ve attended. I learned how to love the ugly, the pretty and the unpredictable, not only about myself but about the world around me. In many other schools I attended, I was just another number, just another name the teacher had to memorize. From the first day at The Link School, I knew I was more than a name, I was immediately loved and cared for. The staff and students cared about what I thought and my dreams and goals – I was no longer just a number.
I began to be comfortable being uncomfortable. I have learned to love being in a wet suit that is soaking or being in a tent with so much water the fish were jealous. When we are in hard situations we learn so much about ourselves.
It has become beyond important to have genuine connections with people and not only learn their name but learn who they are. Christian Science is a great way of doing that. With every story I was told about healings, I learned that not only are we healing physical parts but mental ones too and that has truly healed me. It has become important for me to gain more knowledge about Christian Science to help me understand the true meaning that God heals all. Throughout my time at Link, I’ve enjoyed many things including rock climbing. It challenges me to challenge my fear, to feel the breath air at the the top of a climb and feel like nothing matters but the beautiful rock that surrounds you. I also fell in love with biking. Telling each other silly stories on a long tiring bike ride in the desert showed me how to listen to a different story than the one my body was telling me.
Throughout my life, I grew up Catholic. I grew up sleeping during church and never truly understanding or caring about religion. I just saw it as another chore until I went to a Christian Science camp for the first time. When I walked through those camp doors, I was greeted with smiles that touched the soul and kindness that was indescribable. On the first Sunday I attend church, I felt something in my 12-year-old mind that I have never felt before and that was unconditional love. With every hymn we sang, the more I understood that God was all love and for the first time I didn’t fall asleep during the service. I listened and I took in every word I heard. I learned that God isn’t a scary figure but someone who guides you. I went home and took the rest of my family to a Christian Science church and from that day on I didn’t only change my own life, but everyone’s life around me. Christian Science summer camp led me to The Link School. This school forever changed my understanding of life. I learned that religion is not something to fear but something to love to live.
With so much gratitude, thank you for giving me the opportunity to experience so many great things with the best, most caring staff I have ever met.
Thank you so much, Jazmine
Dear Sponsor,
One of my dreams in life has always been going to a school which does activities outdoors and practices Christian Science. And now here I am in a school in the mountains which does outdoor activities, practices Christian Science, and so much more! I was born and raised in a town in Germany in the south of Munich called Schäftlarn. My entire life I went to a public school. We do not live far from the mountains which is why one of my favorite places on earth are mountains. We do sports activities all year long there. We go skiing, hiking, biking and a lot more. I developed a strong passion for these outdoor activities. I was raised in Christian Science and still use it in my daily life. My dad is French, my mom is German and I studied English from the third grade on. I have a big chance to be trilingual, and I am on my way to become quadrilingual with Spanish! I planned for a long time to go to an English-speaking country for my junior year, but I also wanted to be in a community where I felt comfortable and study Christian Science. In my sophomore year I heard of the Link School, and it sounded like heaven. It is everything I love in one school!
Before I came here, I was nervous that things were going to be hard, for example being away from my family for one year or finding friends. But the very first day I arrived here I knew that this was not going to be the case. Everybody was so loving and friendly and already after a few days I had the feeling of a big family. I found so many good new friends over the months.
Already after one week of school we left for our first trip. Immediately on this trip I knew that this school was perfect for me. We climbed in Moab at Wallstreet – one of the most amazing climbing spots I have ever been to – I haven’t rock climbed much but since that day I love it.
Biking is one of my favorite activities at Link. I went mountain biking for our project time for the first few months and then we also biked on the October Trip which was very awesome. On the October Trip, we went on an overnight boating trip as well which was challenging because it rained a lot, but it was a unique experience which I am going to remember for the rest of my life.
One of the reasons I came to Link is the skiing program. I am so grateful that we have the opportunity to practice my favorite sport every weekend in winter!
The daily life at Link is also awesome. The staff – Residential assistants, teachers, and everybody else – are so loving and caring. Whenever we need to talk to somebody, we can always go to a staff member.
Subjects get taught at Link like nowhere else. Because the classes are so small it is possible for teachers to teach every student based on their skill level. Especially for me, because I am German, I get a lot of help with English.
Unfortunately, I would need weeks and an entire book to write everything wonderful about Link but the most important point for me is Christian Science.
In Germany we have CS-camps and my favorite thing about these camps is this spiritual atmosphere where everybody has their thoughts in the same direction. I hoped I would face this atmosphere at Link as well. And luckily, I do.
We have extraordinary conversations together in Sunday school, in the morning during spiritual prep, but also just in our daily life. Link helped me to be so much more confident in my spiritual thoughts.
So, what more can I say, Link is just like a dream coming true. I cannot put into words how grateful I am that I was accepted at this school and that it is financially possible for me to be here. Without your financial support there would have been no chance that I could be at this school. You changed my life in a good way and open gates for my future life in many ways such as confidence, English speaking skills and Love. I am so grateful that you sacrifice your own possessions to improve other people’s lives. I really appreciate your selflessness.
Warm Greetings,
Linou
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Savannah. I am an eleventh grader at The Link School. I live about 40 minutes west of Minneapolis, Minnesota, in a very small town called Mound. But that’s not really me. Honestly? I’m still trying to figure out what makes me, me. Before coming to Link, I was in a public school. I didn’t have many friends, and the ones I did have were not good people to be around. I was struggling. I felt alone. At school I fell in love with playing lacrosse and was working really hard at it. I played it off and on through junior high and high school but then I lost that chance because I got caught up in so many of the wrong things. I lost the joy I’d once had in running (I made varsity my first time ever doing cross country and track). I started to find other things that helped me that I could enjoy, like journaling. But just because I’ve gone through all of this, just because I have a few things that I like, is that really me? I’m not sure. And that’s what Link is helping me discover.
Before coming to Link, I had what felt like a constant battle with depression and almost didn’t even come to Link because of it. That realization is what really helped me, and I started working with a practitioner every single day. This is a healing in progress, but I am so grateful because everyone here has been so kind to me and this whole group is just amazing to be around. I love how no matter how I feel on any given day, people always ask if I’m okay and someone always makes me laugh. On the days when it’s hard for me to even get out of bed, I just try to remember how much there is to look forward to every day at Link. There are so many wonderful people and opportunities here. I have started to embrace the “weird” things about me, because I started to realize that everyone is a little weird. I have also realized that everyone is needed in their own way. One way that I’ve started to see this is on Link’s trips. While we were on the boating portion of the October trip, it started pouring rain so much that we had to go back to school. We were all kind of cranky because everything got wet and we were all cold. No matter how bad it felt at that moment, we all had to work together to get our camp all packed up, the boats back in the river, and get about thirteen miles downriver to where we could meet the van. I remember how significant this moment was because at that moment, one of my friends and I just started laughing and jumping in puddles. It’s moments like this that I am especially grateful for.
I think that one of the most important lessons Link has taught me is to look for the little things to be grateful for. Some of my favorite memories from Link are: late night talks with my roommate, snowball fights between classes, jumping in the snow right after getting back from Wednesday night church without any snow gear, and nighttime talks by the fire while we’re on trips. I love getting to bond with everyone, especially on trips, but in everyday life too.
Link has helped me gain more trust in God, too. Being surrounded by Christian Science has helped me see past things like material pain and to see what is pure and perfect. Activities that we do, like climbing, have taught me to persevere and to have faith in God and in those around me. I had a couple really cool healings this year, which has also helped build this faith in Him. One was at the very start of the year, I was playing soccer and hurt my ankle and it was really painful to walk on. I called my practitioner right away, and after a little while it was still sore but by the next day I was completely fine. The first thought that came to me when this was going on was “I walk with love along the way,” and I felt so protected. Then when we were on the October trip, I had a pretty hard fall and was really nervous because my wrist started to really hurt. I wasn’t very receptive at first and I was still in a lot of pain, but by a few days later, I was basically back to normal.
I am so grateful to everyone here for helping me open my thoughts and for sharing beautiful messages with me. I am also beyond grateful for all the opportunities to grow academically, spiritually, physically, and in all my relationships. Thank you for the opportunity to grow and gain so many new memories. Happy Holidays!
Sincerely, Savannah
Dear Sponsors,
My name is Gabriel. I was born in Memphis, Tennessee. I moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho, during the summer of 2020. I went with my mother (Dalila), father (David), and brother (Daniel). At that time, I was in a strange stage in my life. The time between being a child and a teenager. I had one good friend from my time in Memphis. At this moment, I had not had the best time in life. Don’t be mistaken, I had two parents who loved me very much, I always had food, and my family was able to take vacations. But the ache of not being around people and in a place that wasn’t nourishing to me was strong. I grew up fishing, biking, camping, and doing other outdoor activities. But Memphis had nothing for me, and I was fortunate enough for my mom to notice that and move to someplace else. So, we went to Idaho Falls. I was enrolled in a Montessori school, which also wasn’t the best fit. But I do have to be grateful for the new scenery, though, it’s a beautiful place. The Montessori school probably also wasn’t the best, but I met some friends who helped me grow. I was there for sixth and seventh grade. For eighth grade, I went to a public middle school, which was the paradigm for my life today. On October 3, 2023, I lost my father. I made many mistakes during the time after that, ones I regret more than others, but now I look back on them with not as much regret. I regret some things because of the damage I might have done to other people, but where would I be if I didn’t make those mistakes and learn the lessons? Now, I can’t imagine my life any other way. I think that those mistakes were made for a reason. For high school, my mother didn’t want me to go to another public high school, so she prayed. And was shown The Link School. Now here I am. My life has been irrevocably changed for the better. I am the closest to God I’ve ever been. I love life. I love everyone, even the people who wronged me. I’m dating a girl here who I love very much, and she loves me. I want to experience things and live. I want to live. I’ve laughed and cried and loved. I believe I’ve grown exponentially and learned so much, so this is where I stand.
I love the spirit of Link. I love how there are so many things you can access and learn about. The campus is in such a beautiful place. I also like how many things there are to work on and grow. The most important thing to me here is direction. During the summer, I felt a bit lost. I didn’t have anyone to guide me. But here you have responsibility and duty for keeping your room clean, being kind to your fellow man, and things like that. Obviously, you do those things at home, but here you’re not alone, not on your own, something that comforts me greatly and I value a lot. I feel like I get lost when I’m not here. I have guidance from God and excellent role models here.
This year, especially right now, is by far the closest I’ve been connected to God in my life. Recently, I’ve been noticing all of the beautiful God-given gifts I have, and the most significant thing is how beautiful and good life is here. I’ve noticed in my own thoughts; I’ve gained an urge to love more and to heal. I feel I’ve healed from past issues through the solitude and calmness at Link. Right this moment, as I’m writing this, I just noticed my own change in thought. These past few months, I’ve felt overwhelmed and on edge. But in the last hour I’ve been writing this, I feel very calm, I feel love, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the year. I also have been noticing a lot more of my own healings and changes in thought than I ever had before, like just now. Dear sponsors, I thank God every day that I’m here. I could never see myself anywhere else. Even though I will probably never know who you are, I will always be grateful to you. Your generosity has irrevocably changed hundreds of people’s lives, people who will go on to do great things, and I’m so grateful to be here and part of God’s plan. You help people and the world.
Thank you -Gabriel
Dear Sponsor,
I would just start by saying I apologize for the length, I understand nobody has infinite time and if you skip this one no one will ever know. But I hope you take this time and learn what I have learned from this place I call my home, where I live with the most family people I’ve ever met. So, no hard feelings if you skip it but I can promise you it won’t be a waste of your time. Thank you and go ahead.
I would love to ask, “who are you?” but that is not the question, the real question at hand is “who am I”. The person who wrote this is a real person sitting at a computer waiting for the next couple paragraphs to come through so I can express my gratitude AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. But this person identifies and introduces himself to others as The Mighty Jace Hupperich. This happens to be Jace’s 1st full year at Link. Last year I came into the school mid-semester because they had a spot open. But before I had secured my spot at The Link School with explosive love, I went to my local public high school. Due to the many things bringing me down and not knowing how to handle it because I was a dumb kid. When I got home, I would be waiting for school to start again. Then when I got to school, I couldn’t wait to escape this prison of anxiety, immaturity, and hate and head home for the day. Moral of the story I hated everything, I played videogames to avoid it all but over time it just got worse and worse.
When I first arrived at Link, it was mid-semester. I remember vividly sitting in my bed thinking things will get better, things will be comfortable enough to enjoy in no time. But I had no idea what kind of blessing I had just accidentally accepted.
As time went on, I realized that this was the best decision of my life, I had found love, from everyone, I had never been around so much real love in my life. I quickly signed myself to be a part of the boy’s friend group and tried to fit in the best I could, and everyone just matched me. I found love, happiness, 2x love, and kindness left and right. I couldn’t comprehend what kind of treasure I had stumbled on.
But now it’s time! I can finally express my gratitude. People say money can’t buy happiness, but what they don’t say is money can’t buy happiness for other people. They don’t say that because it’s not true. You can view your donations as donations, or you can view them as gifts of happiness. Link is my favorite place on earth because of who’s in charge, the fact it’s not a community of 400+, the people, the love, the active care for one and another, the humor, all the extraordinarily wonderful role models here, and so much more that would just make this paper months longer than it has to be. I found myself at the Link. I’ve learned so much from academics, and from just watching people interact, from watching my principal strive for greatness in difficult times, for flexibility, and understanding each other. I will forever remember Link for the love I’ve met and felt, for the peace I’ve found, for the feelings and emotions I regained, for the way it taught me to make the decision tomorrow I would make rather than the decision I would’ve made yesterday. If The Link School was a flower I would cry, because the amount of beauty in this school could never be placed on a letter or confined in anything other than infinity, which is God. God is the only thing limiting this school, which is great because he doesn’t limit anything, God is INFINITE.
Through all the wonderful things Link does, service time on Wednesdays is my favorite. I find happiness and peace in helping others when the time is right, and on Wednesdays I get to do EXACTLY THAT. The trips we take are one of my favorite things about life, seeing everyone enjoy everything is a sight to see if you ever get the opportunity. Things that I’ve experienced here I hesitate to say you could experience in other places as well. There is so much here that I don’t think anyone could replicate no matter how much they try, because Link is a puzzle, everyone brings a puzzle piece from different places around the world and no puzzle shape is the same or similar to another yet, it still fits perfectly and composes the most beautiful work of art I have ever witnessed in the front row. The other thing I love about Link is that you can impact it, it’s a small group and if people see you do an act of kindness or something helpful there’s a chance it touches their heart, and to touch others hearts as well they might continue doing the same act you did to help uplift others. I love that so much, that you can do something so small in a community with just a couple people and have such a big impact. If the community was any bigger it would just go straight over their heads. Link will forever hold a place in my heart due to all that I’ve stated above, and it will also forever maintain a spot in my mind because of how much I’ve learned and expanded spiritually.
How I got here was God’s plan in the finest and I could never be more grateful for anything than him guiding me here. Every morning, we are led through lesson study which is probably great for so many people who are starting their day out with some spiritual guidance. For me though I’m just trying to make it up the stairs without tripping, I don’t pick up that much from morning spiritual study. But I don’t need that to further strengthen my view of God. God is in everything all the time everywhere, and I see that so much on my normal day to day. I also often indulge in my own spiritual study when the time comes around. Church is so special because I’m not only there with other people but I’m there with my classmates, who are also my friends! Every day as I slowly drift into the night expedition through dreams I thank God for all he’s given me. Not to mention the people he’s given me. James is probably one of the wisest people I’ve ever met. I often come to him on trips when we get some free time and just ask him some questions. He has had such a full life and with that comes so much experience and knowledge, he is always understanding and gives advice when necessary. I truly don’t think that if I had all the time in the world, I could design a community with better staff and student relationships. At public schools the teachers are paid to be your friends. Here not only are they paid to be your friends, they are your friends. Who knew I would ever make such a strong connection with a woman who’s 10 years older than me, with a man who is 24 years older than me, and someone who is 50+ years older than me, to say the least. All the staff here have had full lives such as James, but full lives of Christian Science and intelligence. These people are Christian Scientist legends, they have expanded their thought to let in more intelligence, and it shows. Out of my whole life all the staff here hold the top 15 spots easily. They are not only smart but also know what they are talking about and can answer pretty much any spiritual question you throw at them. Due to the fact that I have a loving community behind my back, I have a boatload of spiritual genius behind my back, and because of all the knowledge I gain from just seeing these people interact day to day. Here at Link, I’ve learned more than I have in my whole life, here at Link I found the home I never had, here at Link is where love treated me best, and here at Link the community is beautifully woven in an unbelievable infinite knot, so it is fitting that it is the school’s logo.
But anyways thanks for reading me ramble on about the blessing you’ve made possible. The key takeaway is that you can buy happiness for others. And for that I will ever be incredibly grateful for you for my entire life. It makes me sad that since I’m here I can’t be helping you out there with whatever I can. I am not sure what I will be able to do to help but if you ever think of anything you do not hesitate to call, I can pray for you, I can try and tutor any person who is in a lower math than me on weekends over the phone, I can do anything you need, as long as I’m not leaving The Link School. If I had the world to give, it would be yours.
Thank you SO MUCH!
Love, Jace
