Gratitude from the students at the end of Year 10 (2017-2018)
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Callyn & I’m from Virginia. I came to Link for many reasons but one of the biggest was because I didn’t want to go to my public high school because it was not appealing, but I got so much more than a better freshman year of high school out of Link, and I have you to thank for that. At Link I have made friends that care about me and want to see me even though I live across the country. I have learned life skills and learned more about how I might want to live when I get older or even when I go back home.
In our science class, we have been learning about sustainable living, and I would love to bring that home with me. At Link, as you know, we do many outdoor, fun, amazing things. I have learned how to kayak, bike, and climb and I’m so glad that I got a chance to do those things.
It has meant so much to me to be here; I have learned so many things that will help me through life. While at Link we are supposed to gain experience, and I have experienced so many things that I will never forget. So thank you for helping me get here.
Dear Sponsor,
Hi, my name is Brian Burr. I was born in Colombia and I was adopted seven years ago. I am now from New Jersey with my two dads and my brother. This is my third year at The Link School.
I do many things here such as mountain biking, climbing, kayaking, snowboarding. This year I was able to guide a multi pitch rock climb which extended my experience by so much. We also went on a river trip on the Green River. I also really like how we get to have aspects of our classes in the field and seeing the things we have been learning in class and then experiencing them on our trips.
It’s have been meaningful to me because I met many friends that I’m going to have for life. I have also been using Christian Science to work through challenges especially in climbing because sometimes all it takes is a change of thought to change everything about the climb.
Love,
Brian
Dear Sponsor,
I am Santiago Doutrich. My family has been in the Foreign Service for all my life, which means that I have been traveling for my whole life. I have lived in over seven countries in my life, and I really enjoy the travel. I am part Mexican and have a very strong Mexican family on my mom’s side. I really enjoy the outdoors and I have been going to Adventure Unlimited for almost 10 years. This camp really introduced me to The Link School, and it caught my eye because of its outdoor programs.
This semester, I have been doing very well academically, probably better than any other school I’ve been at. I have had straight A’s and really like the pace that the school teaches us. I feel like in my science class I have really learned a lot about sustainability, which is a lifestyle that interests me.
As for activities, Link has really grown my interest in rock climbing. I enjoy the sport since I feel like I’m constantly solving a puzzle. I also really enjoy the trips that Link has since it is a chance for me to explore new places with people that I care about. The projects at Link are helpful because Link allows certain time each week to work on a project that means a lot to you. This year I worked on learning Arabic.
Spiritually, I feel like I really have been able to grow in Link because all of our activities are oriented around our religion.
Link has truly meant a lot to me since it has, in some ways, created a new home for me in which I feel like I can settle down. In Link, I have been able to do activities that have a lot of meaning to me. I have been able to do these activities with real ease due to The Link School and I am really grateful for it. The Link School has really helped me become the complete person that I’ve always wanted to be.
Thank you for the support,
Santiago
Dear Sponsor,
I am Bryce Marmolijo and I am from California where I went to a normal high school for my freshman year, and it wasn’t fun whatsoever. It felt bland and repetitive, so I sought out something different and that happened to be Link. All of the activities we do here I never thought were possible for me, like mountain biking, kayaking, snowboarding, and hiking. But going through my first year of Link I learned that most anything is possible.
With it being my second year at Link I had already grown immensely from the year before, but that previous growth just opened up a whole new world for me to move in. Everything is so much more enjoyable now, compared to before when I was much more shy and unwilling, but that’s exactly what I have been working at this year. Learning to not be afraid of what I do not know, and to ask more of myself and give the good I have is what I have focused on.
Something else that I have been working on this year in my project time is I decided to do something that I really enjoyed and that was ceramics. I had a lot of fun playing around with different materials and techniques creating different and unique pieces, I hope to further my ceramic skills next year.
Being at The Link School means a lot to me. Being able to be in a community where you have the ability to be so creative and free with what you do is something that not many people get to have. I cannot express fully how grateful I am to be here. It really is an amazing place. It has impacted me so much in a way that it has helped me get closer to myself, and it has let me start to become who I am meant to be. Thank you so much for offering me this opportunity to be at this amazing place and I hope to be back here again next year and finish high school here.
Mahalo, Bryce
Hello! My name is Lia Senser and this was my first year at The Link School. I am from a small town in Nebraska. It was very hard for me to come to Link because I have lived in Nebraska my entire life. I had gone to school with the same people since pre-school and I had had the same friends since kindergarten. Coming to Link was a huge decision for me. However, I knew from going to Adventure Unlimited every summer just how much I loved the mountains and the town of Buena Vista. I also loved trying new things, going new places, and challenging myself daily.
Since coming to Link, I have been absolutely loving it. I have been introduced to tons of new activities like rock climbing, mountain biking, bouldering, kayaking, rafting, and backpacking. I have really fallen in love with all of these activities, especially rock climbing. I tried tons of different sports, clubs, and activities back in Nebraska but I could never really get into them. Here at Link, things are totally different. I get so excited about all of the different things we do and I have found sports that I’m really passionate about.
The Link School has truly given me a lot. I will leave this year a different, more inspired and more confident person. I have learned how to push myself and how to conquer fears. I feel more secure in my spirituality and in who I am. However, what has impacted me the most is the people I’ve met. I feel closer to my friends at Link than I ever have to my friends before – we’ve been through so much together. I am truly blessed to be able to spend every day surrounded by people that I want to be more like. The staff are amazing role models and have been amazing friends. The community of Link made by the people in it inspires greatness in all of us. Thank you so much for your support so that this community can exist and so that I can be a part of it.
Thank you,
Lia Senser
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Rina Naylor and I’m a senior here at Link. I’m not much of an outdoors person but I’ve greatly enjoyed the activities we get to participate in at The Link School. At the time of writing this, we’ve just got back from our last trip of the year. We drove down to Utah to kayak and ducky on the Green River. I learned a lot while on the river as I had never captained a ducky on my own before. On our last day we returned to Buena Vista and ran Brown’s Canyon which felt like a wonderful full circle as I hadn’t run that section for almost two years and it’s my favorite section that I’ve ever run.
These last two months I’ve also been working hard on my senior project of learning how to draw a certain style of art. It’s been difficult as all that I know has been self-taught, however Link provides a great environment for independent study.
I’ve learned tons about other subjects, activities and about myself while I’ve attended The Link School and my time here has been valuable. I appreciate the opportunity to come out to a school based in beautiful Colorado pulled away from the busy city environments I’m used to. This school has been a fantastic place to focus on academics and inner reflection as I prepare to move forward along the stepping stones that may shape my adult life. The staff here are wonderful as well as they’re always willing to sit down and talk without about your hopes and dreams and worries, and know when to give advice and when to just listen. While I’ve only spent a year here, it has impacted me greatly.
What I truly love most about this school is the focus on Christian Science. Before coming here, I was struggling to bring more CS practice into my daily life, and I wanted to make it a larger part of my life than it was. Being here has provided that for me and I plan to continuously use Christian Science in everything I do. Especially as I take off for Principia College next year.
Thank you for helping this school continue to run. This place means a lot to me and I hope that many others can find value in this place in the future too.
Gratefully,
Rina Naylor
Dear Sponsor,
I am Gunnar Barrett, a junior in high school from Bend, Oregon. I previously have attended public school until coming to Link. I love anything outdoors, hiking, biking, skiing, slack-lining fly fishing, camping etc.
At Link I have been taking all the core classes I need to graduate high school. My favorite classes have been Science, English, Spanish, and History. In all these classes this year I’ve grown exponentially learning more than I ever have and enjoying these classes immensely. For projects that I’ve done, I have built a bed for my truck-bed for car camping purposes, and I have built an oil can ukulele that I am going to teach myself to play on my drive back to Oregon and as well as into the summer. I have been doing lots of pottery and learning how to make narrow-necked pieces, a skill at which I didn’t have prior to coming to Link. And last but not least, I have been slack-lining, working on my balance for other activities such as climbing, skiing and just for the fun of the sport.
Before coming to Link I was not a Christian Scientist, but now I am experiencing healing through God. I have grown immensely spiritually this semester by surrounding myself with people who are incredibly supportive and willing to help me in any way possible. This has allowed me to learn how to be healed spiritually and express Divine Love in any way possible. Before coming here, I was seeking spiritually, but didn’t fully get to work on it. After coming here I’ve been able to find my highest self through God. I appreciate being here because of every opportunity that is given for us to be the best we possibly can. I have learned more than I ever have in academics and about myself than I ever have.
Thanks!
-Gunnar
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Ben. This is my second year at The Link School. I am a Senior and love to fly fish and I enjoy sketching fish. My goal is to become a fly fishing guide and to share what I love with others.
One of the things that I particularly enjoyed at Link this year was our trip to Oklahoma and Texas to study the dust bowl. I have also been doing my senior project which was to take a trip to Harvard lakes and fly fish and camp on my own to learn more independence and self-reliance. The thing that made my experience so enjoyable this year was how flexible the time was so that I could work on it.
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to go here.
Dear sponsor,
My name is Eric Trevor-Roberts and I am from St. Louis, Missouri and I am a junior this year. Before I came to Link I was very involved with Boy Scouts. With this atmosphere it really helped me grow as a person and when problems arise on trips. I am an Eagle Scout and on my path to Eagle I learned a lot of the skills that we learn and use here at Link.
What I have been doing this semester is Spanish 1, Algebra II, English, Science, History and Dust Bowl. On the past river trip, I found that I really love kayaking. I am wanting to get better at this next year and learn more about rivers and what to look out for so that I could maybe become a guide one day. This semester I have been learning how to drive manual transmission car and I have been doing well. I am having to be more patient when releasing the clutch out so that I don’t stall. I also built a book shelf for the staff room and that was a good learning experience. Form this experience I learned more about carpentry which I found I like quite a bit.
Being here this year at Link has meant a lot to me because I am able to do what I love and learn new skills that I didn’t have before. I have grown as a person spiritually and mentally. I have grown spiritually by reading the lesson every week, taking in what are we are listening to in the podcast on Wednesday’s. I find these podcasts very inspiring because I think about some things spiritually in a different way than I was. I appreciate being here because of having school and doing trips in a Christian Science community which I find is helpful for me. I also appreciate all of the experiences that I have had this year and how I have had many opportunities to grow as a person and grow spiritually. Thank you so much for helping me have the opportunity to come to Link this year.
Sincerely.
Eric Trevor-Roberts
Dear Sponsor
Hi, I’m Kelvin, I’m 17 years old. I am a junior this year at school. This is my third year at Link. I live in Three Oaks, Michigan. My favorite sport to do before I came to Link was mountain biking. Since I’ve come to Link my mountain biking skill have only grown. My academics before Link weren’t that great. I was homeschooled and didn’t see the need for anything that had to do with academics. Now I really enjoy math and science, and Spanish, history, and English are slowly catching up.
This school year has been so much fun. I am growing in spiritual ways, and my academics are coming along nicely. I love all of the expeditions, and my personal project is going awesomely. My treehouse project has gone very well this year. I am making lots of progress on the roof and walls of the treehouse. I’ve added a trap door and a table in the treehouse and they have both proven very useful.
My spiritual understanding has grown. I’m beginning to understand the lesson a lot better and I’m reading the lesson, bible, and Science and Health a lot more this year. In my academics, math has surprisingly been the easiest class so far. It’s easy to understand and all I have to do is memorize an equation and plug in the numbers. Science has been a blast to learn about, I am enjoying to learn all about our mountain ecology and being sustainable. Spanish has been fun to use in the other countries – I like it when I can put the stuff I learn into practice. With history, I just like learning new information and my history teacher has helped me a lot with taking notes. English has been a good challenge for me this year I have been pushed in ways that felt weird to me like even though I don’t want to do the work all that much it has taught me to do the work that is assigned to me whether I like it or not.
The most meaningful things that have happened to me here at Link are how I’ve been growing academically, spiritually, and physically. The staff here at school are amazing. The staff have pushed me in so many ways here. I’d like to thank you for everything you given to us to help us grow in ways that I would have never thought of. Thank you.
Sincerely, Kelvin
Dear Sponsor,
My name is India Espeset. I am from Santa Fe, New Mexico. When I am home I live with my mom, 2 cats, and a dog. I love to climb, white-water canoe, and play the guitar (very badly). This is my third and final year at The Link School.
This has been a good last semester at Link. We focused on poetry in our English class, and got to create anthologies. In Science we studied sustainable housing, and then visited a sustainable home out in Crestone, Colorado. In our class on the Dust Bowl, we have been studying and discussing the effects, both environmental and social, of the Dust Bowl. We traveled out to the heart of where the Dust Bowl was and we visited museums and talked with locals about their family’s experience during that time.
Our Programs have been amazing. Peru was honestly the coolest place I have been to, and probably will ever have been to. We spent a month traveling through and around Cusco, exploring the culture, environment, and history. Our academics during this time were particularly exciting. In English we discussed reading literature in different environments and how that can affect how you read and understand it. In science we researched for our papers. I explored the cultural and scientific history behind native religions in Peru.
Spiritually this has been a wonderful year for me at Link. My Sunday School teacher is amazing, and provided insightful input to all of our questions and discussions on Christian Science. This year my excitement to study Christian Science has exploded. I have had so many healings, and read so many testimonies, and have started to truly understand what Christian Science is all about.
Link School has changed my life. I know I would be a completely different person without this school. I have met people that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I have experienced things I would never have even dreamed of. I never would have known about Christian Science without this place, and I am ridiculously grateful for my opportunity to attend here.
Crazy Sincerely,
India
Gratitude from the students in the middle of Year 10 (2017-2018)
Dear Sponsor,
The first semester of my second year at Link, there have been some rough times. We have all managed to work together as a school family to get through it though. Like I said, everyone here is very supportive and we support one another no matter what may be happening. The Link School community is truly a blessing. I have always prayed for this type of environment to be able to grow and now that I have it, I know this is where I belong. I have been able to take Christian Science into my everyday routine and to use it whenever I need it. The people here have shared many things that have helped me. I don’t think these things will ever escape my mind either. They have all been very valuable in my life and I feel comfortable enough to be able to help other people as well.
For my academics, I have been learning more and more every year. Here at Link all of the teachers are wanting to help every student be the best they can in school. Which is also something that wasn’t very easy to accomplish at a public school. Last year at Link, I did better than I ever thought I would in school and was able to see what I was capable of. This year, it isn’t even over yet, I have been able to take what I learned last year and expand my knowledge even more. I have never thought that I would be doing this well in academics. It has also been unbelievable to take what I have learned in my classes and use that out in the field. With every trip the school goes on, we are able to bring what we learned in class and use that out in the real world. Our last couple of trips, we have been working on Science and English. Being able to use the different types of writing methods and reading short stories outside of the classroom is a feeling that I will always enjoy. It gives me a chance to write with a free spirit, while in class.
Altogether, I am beyond grateful for all of the things you have done for me in order for me to go to this school. I have grown as a person and been able to push myself. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without Link and your help.
Beka Petersen
Dear Donor,
In school this year I have learned a lot in English. I have become a better writer, continued learning correct grammar, and getting better at writing papers. Before I got here this year I didn’t really like Spanish and when I first started this semester I was like “I am not going to do well” but I have started to like Spanish and I am doing pretty well. History is different for me this year because my Freshman and Sophomore years I went to public school and had gotten a new history teacher each semester. Here, we have history two nights a week and we make our own text book which I think is really cool and not everyone is able to do this so it is nice that we are able to make our own textbook.
One of the things that I liked this semester is learning how to snow board. It has been fun to learn how to snow board and I am still working on being stable going down the slope. I am excited for the rest of the ski days because I will get to practice more and next year maybe teach someone how to snowboard
Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity for me to go to school here.
Sincerely,
Eric Trevor-Roberts
Dear Sponsor,
This semester at school has been a blast. I love my math teacher. She is always so helpful and supports me when I need help. My science class is probably my favorite class here. I like learning about the physical world and how many connections everything has to everything else. I’ve made so many friends here at school, I’m almost always happy here. My favorite outdoor activities here at school are mountain biking, whitewater kayaking, and snowboarding. Mountain biking is what I can do the most here at Link and while being here at Link my mountain biking skills have improved a ton. I can now bike our mountain bike trail called Cupcake in under 24 minutes. I can bomb the jumps, rocks, and downhill courses.
Kayaking is another school activity I love doing. My experience in kayaking at home is on flat-ish water in Lake Michigan. I like to challenge myself in kayaking, getting good at learning to roll back up, taking on bigger whitewater, practicing maneuvering in tight spaces, and most of all have fun. And snowboarding… it’s just fun. I like practicing to push my comfort zone out more, going faster, sliding across flatter and more level terrain, and again having fun.
The most meaningful things that have happened to me here at Link are; growing academically, spiritually, and physically. The staff here at school are amazing. The staff have pushed me in so many ways here and they work to help us grow in ways that I would have never thought of. Thank you for making this possible.
Love Kelvin
Dear Sponsor,
The thing that I love that makes The Link School so life changing for me is that you become so close to the people around you. I never had that in public school. Another thing that I love is that you become so close to the teachers. They want nothing but for me to succeed, and that is something special. That is the best thing anyone could ever give me.
Love, Benji
Dear Sponsor,
And I am so glad I came! Every day is a new challenge for me. This school pushes me in thought and action to be the best possible version of myself. To someone on the outside, what we do here might seem like too much, but to me anything seems possible when I know that I have the amazing Link School staff here to support me. Every day I am inspired to do more and be better.
Since I’ve come here I’ve felt more trusting in God and based on that, more confident in my abilities. I get to do activities that actually interest me like rock climbing, mountain biking, and horseback riding. I tried just about every activity back home that my old school offered but I never felt passionate about any of it. I also love my classes here, especially Spanish and English. I am in Spanish III and it’s my favorite class. I would like to study Spanish in college and this school has given me the greatest Spanish program. I have learned more this semester than in my last two years of Spanish combined. It’s also so exciting that I will be able to live in Peru for three weeks to practice my Spanish-speaking skills with native speakers.
I had no real interest when I went to school back in Nebraska. I was very uninspired for life. This school has really changed me. I am interested in everything and want to learn about everything! The Link school has undoubtedly impacted the course of my life, and none of this would have been possible without your support. If it weren’t for your help I would have never been able to even consider this school. Thank you.
With love,
Lia Senser
Dear Sponsor,
I am so grateful that I have been able to experience this semester and bond with so many people that if I met in any other circumstance I wouldn’t know them as much as I do here. This community has not only shown me how to be more confident in who I am but also to be more confident in everything that I do. I have struggled with a belief of being terrified of heights for as long as I can remember, I’ve just always been afraid of being up high and I limited myself to what I could do because of this fear. Throughout the semester the group went rock climbing and I never raised my hand to go until one time when it was an option again and a thought popped into my head to raise my hand and give it a shot. When I got to the place I was terrified but I gave it my all and I almost reached the top of the cliff. This is only one experience out of numerous other ones.
I have struggled with my academics more so than any other year I have been going to school because I have always thought that I wanted to go to an Ivy League college. I was pressured to think that an Ivy League college was something that I wanted because my mother always said that if I went to an Ivy League college than all of my dreams would come true. I have been hiding the fact that I want to go to the University of San Diego for years and in addition to hiding it from my mother I needed to hide it from myself so that’s exactly what I did.
During the last few months of the semester I tried to pick up my grades but I didn’t accomplish picking up my grades as much as I wanted to. Even though I didn’t try my hardest I focused more and I got better grades in my science class than ever before. I cannot say thank you enough for giving so each one of these amazing individuals, that I get to socialize with on a daily basis and that I have seen grow so much, can come here and be a part of this incredible life changing experience. I have learned so much of who I am and I have learned so much about all these other incredible people that I will never forget this moment in my life. Again, thank you so much for being willing to give so everyone in this community can have an opportunity to learn who they are in this world and what they are meant to become.
Sincerely, Rachel Skutt.
Dear Sponsor,
Thank you again,
Rina Naylor
Dear Sponsor,
There have been a couple of events this semester, that have taught me to me value several things: community, spirituality, friends, and my civil rights class. It has been a strongly spiritual semester. I have grown in Christian Science and as a person. You may know that line from the Bible, “Hold fast that which is good”? Bobby showed me this at the end of last year. It is one of the most important lessons I have learned here. When you hold fast that which is good, everything in your life starts to be only good.
James Orlet is teaching a Civil Rights elective every Monday night and it is my most favorite class in the history of school. We covered the history of Civil Rights in America from 1880 to 1980. This is seriously the most fascinating subject ever! For our final James asked us a single question “Identify the value of equality, and explain how it benefits or would benefit society”. That’s some serious thinking. I loved this class because it made me think outside of what history has told me. Not everything was black and white. In fact, nothing was black and white, it was mostly a grey area. Link has taught me so much, but it has especially taught me how to be an independent thinker and person.
Thank you, India
Dear sponsor,
I also would like to mention how I have grown spiritually. I always thought that people said to just” love more”, and they just were saying the words. But I have learned that people mean it and it does work (I have had practice). I thought before I came here, that if you just ignored the problem that it would go away. In some cases that is true, but it never really fixes the problem. I found out here that if you work out the problem and put effort into that, the problem will be resolved. All this learning would not be possible without you thank you so much.
Callyn
Dear Sponsor,
A few things have come up this year, some uncontrollable, and one was completely my mistake. The first thing that happened was my fault and resulted in me having to go home for a while. Coming back to Link after that incident, I thought everyone would see me for the one mistake I made, but it wasn’t that at all. It was everybody just loving and caring about me. It was a great reminder of what the Link community is all about. Then there are some other issues going on back at home, and the exact same thing happened: everyone is caring and just praying for the best, which I think really exemplifies a key part of our community.
Our international trip that is coming up soon in January is something I was super excited to go to because when my sister went to Link when the main lodge wasn’t even built yet. She told me that the international trip was one of her most favorite things about going to Link. After jeopardizing my chance to go there, it really made me think again, made me take a step back for a while and just took that time to be eternally grateful for being given the chance to grow, see, experience, and live as much as I have.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to grow once again.
Bryce Marmolijo
Dear Sponsor,
The Christian Science approach to school is a wonderful part of the curriculum. Throughout the years I have strived to improve myself in many ways, athletics, academics, as well as self. I have grown spiritually so much the past few years. I had a bit of a regression in my ability to resist temptation, but being at Link has allowed me to work on that issue, and resolve it without being resented.
Being at The Link School has allowed me to pursue climbing, mountain biking, and white water kayaking in a very serious way. I have the chance this next year to race varsity for mountain biking, and without being here, that would simply not be possible.
This year the academics here have been captivating to say the least. We have been learning things that are pertinent today. For example: in history class we have been studying American history. We have also been looking at current events. Bill (our history teacher) has been able to show us the parallels between history and how we repeat it daily in the news.
I have also enjoyed English as we explore writing essays and taking on topics that challenge us to think beyond our normal realm of thought. I have especially enjoyed writing poetry and short stories.
The academic portion during our expeditions have captivated me as well. So far in English the topics we explore have been very open ended. I have been able to express myself and my interests in a way that I haven’t had the chance to before.
The Link School has been a huge part of my life in the past two and a half years. I have been able to take advantage of all the ways staff can help, whether it be academic, spiritual, or physical challenges there is help at every turn. The student atmosphere is also very helpful. As a group of thirteen students, we become family away from home. We support each other and are striving to be a comfort to one another.
My time at Link is something I will remember for a long time. The people I have met will never be forgotten, and the growth I have made will make me a better person forever.
With love and gratitude,
Mathias Fanta
Dear Sponsor,
Grace Benson