Gratitude from the students at the end of Year 11 (2018-2019)
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Bryce Marmolijo and I am from Ojai, California. Sadly, this will be my third and final year of attending The Link School. I have been so extremely grateful for all of the opportunities that I have been given to grow and learn in ways I never would have imagined. When I first arrived at Link I was extremely shy; I wouldn’t really do much of anything. Now I find myself taking more opportunities to do new and interesting things. It’s quite difficult for me to comprehend how much I have changed in the past few years.
Out of all my time here at Link, I think one of the best things that I have learned is just how to be more open about things. I had never really been open about things, so that led to bad communication skills. Through good guidance from close friends and staff members, I have been able to get past that barrier of shyness and proceed to figure out who I am. The community changes each year, but when your closest friends leave, you get even more opportunities to make more of those close relationships. I think that is one of the best things that Link has to offer, making bonds that are stronger than most, and that last for as long as they do.
If I had not made the choice to come to this school while standing on the side of a mountain, I don’t think that I would be in a very good place at this time. I am very thankful for this opportunity that I was given to spend the majority of my high school time. The experiences that I have been given are priceless, and I will never forget them or the people I met here. Link holds many great memories for me.
Mahalo,
Bryce Marmolijo
Dear sponsor,
Hi, my name is Brian Burr. I was born in Colombia and I was adopted 8 years ago. I lived in New Jersey with my two dads and my brother, who also came to Link this year. My family has moved to LA, California which I’m really excited about. This is my 4th year at The Link School and I have loved every moment I have been here because of the people I have met. I have learned to love them and I would trust them with my life.
I do many things here such as mountain biking, climbing, kayaking, and snowboarding. This year we went biking in Utah, which was so much fun. We also went on a river trip where we learned how to save people by taking a Swiftwater Rescue course. I also really like how we have classes outside and on trips where we get to see the things we have been learning in class. This year, we went to Colombia for our international trip and I got to show my friends the town where I grew up and all the kinds of fruits, places, and foods, that I loved when I lived there.
Link has 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 when I’m climbing because sometimes it’s really scary to be so high. Not a bad scared but a good scared. I also loved the people who work here. They have taken me places I only dreamt of, and they have expanded my horizons and given me so much confidence to do so many things.
This year I learned how to take care of some of my fears that I had. I did this by pushing myself. I learned that there are many people I can rely on, and they want to help me with every step. Link has given me the opportunity to try so many things and if I didn’t like it there where so many others to try.
I’m so happy that I choose to come here because it has opened so many doors for my future. I met people that I will always want to be close to. Thank you so, so, so much for giving me the opportunity to come to Link.
Love
Brian Burr
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Avery Holshouser. I am a senior here at The Link School. I am from Seattle, Washington, but I am originally from Newport Beach, California. I have moved many times around the country, and have met very different people. I have three incredible siblings. One is in Scotland for university, and the two others are back at home. My mother, Desmond Holiday, is the most influential person in my life and the reason I am here at Link today.
Earlier this year I sort of began to realize how blessed the Link community was, but I didn’t yet understand its depth. In the beginning I enjoyed almost only the academics, but slowly, as I became closer with my peers, I started to enjoy every activity because of the people. I have always been a person that cares a lot for the people around me, but Link is different. With just under a year of being here, the Link community is family to me. Never have I been completely surrounded by purely loving people. The support in this community is unreal. Even if it’s not 100% obvious all the time, every single person in this community appreciates and loves the others. To be a part of something that beautiful is worth the temporary goodbye to your other family members.
To be a part of this community makes every hard thing seem easy and every chore worth it. The staff are always there for the students. Whether it’s to give great movie recommendations, rescue you in a kayak through a rapid, save you delicious leftovers, sit with you on your bathroom while you’re sick, let you break into their Lucky Charm stash, or help you through really tough times, staff is always there. How can a student see that and not learn from it? I’ve learned what a good leader is by watching the people in this community. James is the greatest role model for not only students, but staff. Seeing a man motivated by love and always working to spread that is incredible. He’s constantly doing his best for improvement. He does things like personally asking the students how they would improve the school and still makes time for baking post-finals cookies. I have learned so much from him and I know other students have as well.
There really are so many things I have learned this year. I’ve learned how to push myself. I pushed myself to come to Link because I knew I was missing something. And yes, learning how to stay organized, and do all these crazy activities was useful, but not as useful as the learning about love. Having spiritual prep every morning was insightful, and important. But actually seeing and feeling the methods of love working every day in front of me was the most significant. It would be hard for me to move on next year and not want to demonstrate everything I have learned from the Link community. I’ve learned to act on love with kindness.
Sincerely,
Avery Holshouser
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Santiago Doutrich. This year was my second year at Link and I am now currently a junior. Throughout my whole life, I’ve been traveling to different countries due to my dad’s job. Currently, my family is in Abu Dhabi. I have visited them last winter break but I don’t really consider myself from there. All of my life I have been very active but Link truly introduced me to the new activities in the outdoors. I consider Link as one of my homes, and I am very thankful to be here. Before coming to Link my grades were averaging at B’s and now they’ve moved up to A’s.
Since coming here, I have really been enthusiastic about biking, skiing, and especially climbing. Every Monday we have the opportunity to do some sort of outdoor activity. At first, we did biking when the weather permitted it. This is very beneficial since I have loved mountain biking ever since I did the biking program at Adventure Unlimited Ranches and it is a very active sport that really pushes me in my athletics but especially in trusting my skill.
When I first came to Link, skiing wasn’t really one of my favorite activities but as time passed I have learned to really enjoy the rush and excitement that the activity gives me. It is a really great time to be with my friends as we challenge the slopes together. Finally, my favorite activity at Link has been climbing. Like Skiing, climbing was an activity that wasn’t very fun for me at first and I didn’t really like it. Somehow, that idea changed in my mind and I have ended up loving the sport. I see climbing as this art of perfection to complete the route without falling and it really makes me enjoy the experience. I love climbing with my friends because we all work together to figure out how to achieve the task ahead. With climbing, I have also taken the time to work on my lead climbing which is much scarier, but in my opinion, really fun. Academic wise, I have decided to take two extra classes to challenge myself academically. The classes have made my schedule busy but I really love the books that I have been reading in my independent English class.
Link has really developed into an important piece of my life. This past year I felt like I really got close with the community since I spent the whole year at the school. As of now, Link means family to me. It is hard to be far away from my actual family but I always feel like I have my own place in the Link community. I am really grateful for the skills that the school has given me, but I’m especially grateful for the people. I have been able to experience what Link has to give.
With gratitude,
Santiago
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Joseph Burr and I am 16 years old. I was adopted from Colombia and now I live in California. I am a freshman and it is my first year at The Link School. My big brother also goes to this school and his name is Brian. I love to play basketball and have been able to do that here with Bobby. At The Link School, I have been climbing, skiing and also to Utah for mountain biking and Swiftwater Rescue training. This semester I have been in Ceramics class with Bryce. We also got to go to Colombia.
I am grateful for my parents and for my brother because they are the best I can ask for and they helped me to get here. I’m also grateful for the teachers for pushing me past the limits I thought I had. What I enjoy about Link is how everyone is so nice to each other and how I am grateful for everyone in this school for how they help me.
Link means to me that you can learned things that others teachers did not explain well and how everyone can help you with things that you are having trouble with, and I am really grateful for everyone who gave me an opportunity here and helped me with my schoolwork, which was very difficult before.
Thank you – Joe
Dear Sponsor,
My Name is Becky and I was born in South Africa but moved to Australia. I came to Link at the start of my grade 10 year. I really appreciate the natural environment and living in it, and I love all animals very much. I love learning new things and growing by experiences and challenges.
My mother has always helped me through my life to stick with playing the viola as well and now I am pretty good at playing and have succeeded in my exams on viola too. This is one challenge in my life that has helped me grow. I always try to give my best at everything I do and I never give up on something.
I have found myself sticking with Spanish and being very excited to learn new things this year. I really appreciate all of the learning we do here at Link and am grateful for the experiences on trips I have gone through. I believe Link has really helped me grow as a student and as a person.
This year I’ve learnt many skills for biking, kayaking, rock climbing, snowboarding, rappelling, and many more skills. At link I have had so many opportunities to express my curiosity and positive mindset in so many different ways, for example this week I spontaneously learnt how to hard-shell kayak for the first time in my life on our Desolation Canyon river trip. Even though the situation probably may have seemed inconvenient for me to kayak on our trip without ever having done that before, the staff allowed me to express my curiosity in giving it a go and enjoying it very much.
I don’t know how to express in words how much Link has showed me and how greatly I have benefited from the community I live with here. I have made unforgettable friendships with everyone and experienced hard and fun times with everyone. I feel like a sister to everyone and they feel like my family. I never would have thought of how touched my life would be at the start of this year. I really feel accepted, appreciated and loved at Link, and for that I am very grateful.
I really appreciate your sponsorships for Link that enabled me to become the strong, persistent and caring person I am today. Although I am still working on becoming an even better person than I am now, the amazing opportunity that you have given me means more to me than you can ever imagine, so thank you so much.
Sincerely,
Becky
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Eric Trevor-Roberts and I am from St. Louis, Missouri. Before I came to The Link School, I was active in my Boy Scout Troop. While I was in the troop, I was able to grow as a Christian Scientist because we were all Christian Scientists. I was able to learn many life lessons and skills that are very valuable to me and I still use them every day. While I was in my Troop in St. Louis, I was able to be a staff member of the Boy Scouts of America National Youth Leadership Training. While teaching this course I was able to further develop my leadership skills, which has helped me a lot. I also was able to attend the 2017 National Scout Jamboree. This is an experience that I will never forget because I was able to meet fellow Scouts from my area, and from around the country. One day I want to go and be a Troop leader for a National or World Scout Jamboree.
The past two years I have been enjoying mountain biking, kayaking, group games, and rowing the oar boat. I was also able to snowboard which is something that I have always wanted to do, and being here at Link made that possible. I was also able to learn how to operate Link’s backhoe, which I enjoyed a lot. The group games have been a fun way to bond with each other and being competitive. This year I have taken Pre-Calc, English, Science, Spanish, US foreign policy in Latin America, American Government, and Spiritual Lit. I have enjoyed these classes as I have been able to gain a deeper understanding in each of these subjects.
As I am finishing my last year at Link, I am reflecting on all of the opportunities and growth that Link has given me. I have been able to further understand who I am as a person, improve upon my skills and become a better friend. I also learned while being here at Link that we are a family that supports each other even when the times are hard. I found that this was very impactful because when you are in a close community you know about what each person does, who annoys you, and what has been impactful to you. I am realizing that I am going to deeply miss this community and thank you so much for giving me the opportunity for me to experience this.
Sincerely,
Eric Trevor-Roberts
Dear Sponsor(s)
My name is Kelvin, I’m 18, this is my senior year, and this is also my 4th year here at Link. I live in Michigan, in a town called Three Oaks. Before I came to Link I like building with the toys I have at home and still have. I like to build cars, trucks, and planes out of my Legos, and I still do. I often go mountain biking on local trails, trails that are within a 45-minute drive. I also go sailing on Lake Michigan with a Hobie Catamaran my grandpa owns.
What have I been doing here at Link? I enjoy all of the activities here; mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking, snowboarding, ice climbing, boot hockey, and more. My favorite outdoor activity is mountain biking. I bought a mountain bike from the local bike shop in Buena Vista. I’ve been learning lots of skills with mountain biking and I’ve been building upon my previous skills. In my academics I’ve been doing really well. I’ve definitely grown since my first year. A class that has stood out to me is the Monday night class second semester. The class is Spiritual Literature. I feel like I have grown a lot in my spiritual understanding in that class. I have had really good and fun teachers here all four years at The Link School.
Being here at Link means a lot to me. The experiences I get to have here are one of a kind. The experiences here have shaped who I am now. I feel like it is a big privilege to come to Link, and I realize it so much more than I did in my past years. If it weren’t for the staff here this school wouldn’t be the same. All of the staff here gives lots of support to all of the students; they all want everyone to succeed in their classes and in life. When I graduate at the end of this school year I would not be able to do it without sponsors like you and everyone at Link. I will miss everyone.
Thank you – Kelvin
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Grace Benson. This year I am a junior at Link. I have grown up in Buena Vista and first came to Link for my freshmen year. I am so grateful that I have been able to attend Link and participate in activities that I would not have the chance to otherwise. This is my third year at Link, and I have grown so much by attending school here. I have grown in my appreciation and enjoyment of outdoor sports, and in my ability to succeed at these sports.
Through my three years here, however on and off my attendance was, I have pushed myself to try things that I wouldn’t have been comfortable trying elsewhere and met people that I would never have met if it weren’t for The Link School. I am so grateful to have gotten to attend Link and expand both my outdoor and spiritual understanding. Link has allowed me to feel more comfortable in my ability to step outside of my comfort zone and in myself. While at Link, I have been able to explore different outdoor sports, like rafting and climbing, and strengthen my abilities in these sports. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend Link and continually push myself past my perceived limits, and to grow.
Love,
Grace
Gratitude from the students in the middle of Year 11 (2018-2019)
Dear sponsor,
I have been a student here at Link since my sophomore year. My name is Beka Petersen and I have lived here in Buena Vista for most of my life, but coming to Link, I have learned so much about myself that I have not 
seen before. I have always been a person that has enjoyed outside activities, especially participating in anything sport related. Even though I did not grow up doing well with my academics, Link has shown me how important it is and has taught me to enjoy learning instead of always seeing it as something forced upon me. I am truly grateful for all of the teaching moments I’ve had at Link.
Having been here for three years, I keep thinking I will know what to expect from Link. But I don’t at all. Every year, it brings me closer to a new friend, shows me how teachers are always willing to help the students, and new activities that I have never tried before or have even thought about. This year is my senior year, my final year to put in everything that I can to help and to enjoy being here before I head off to my next chapter in life. Though there have been struggles with that, it shows me that I have people here that care for me and want to help me. Unlike most people that you ask about their high school years and they reply, “I don’t remember much,” I know that this will not be the case with any student here. I have seen every person grow in such an outstanding way. We are all stepping outside our comfort levels whether it be in either academics or with an activity.
Link has been a huge stepping stone in helping me to grow up and being able to use Christian Science in my everyday routine. Looking back at everything that I have done, there are things I could never picture myself being able to do, but has also taught me to care for others. I think that this is an important step going into life, being able to care for strangers, even, and to go into life with an open mind. With these two things, I have met staff and peers that have helped me through all of my problems this year and have guided me through those moments with Christian Science. With having an open mind, I do not ever like turning down a challenge or a new adventure that Link has to offer me. As well as with academics, this has helped me to seek further achievements and push myself. I could never be able to put into perfect wording how amazed I am at how a high school could be possibly the biggest turning point in a teenager’s life. I have seen this with others as well as myself.
Thank you greatly,
Beka Petersen
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Avery Holshouser. I am a senior here at The Link School. I am from Seattle, Washington, but I am originally from Newport Beach, California. I have moved many times around the country, 6 in total, and have met very different people. I have three incredible siblings. One is in Scotland for university, and the two others are back at home. My mother, Desmond Holiday, is the most influential person in my life and the reason I am here at Link today.
I have been kept very busy at this crazy school! Academic wise, I have been thriving. Being in small classes, with relevant content is much easier for me than being in 60 people classes learning how to regurgitate an outdated textbook. I have all A’s as of right now and plan on maintaining these grades. I am also taking Honors Algebra 2, and Honors English. All of my teachers here are very supportive and passionate about their subjects. There are also many opportunities here at Link to discover one’s own passion. There are so many trips, events, and activities that the staff take time out of their day to support. At the beginning of this year I absolutely hated biking, until I found myself biking Slickrock with students here and absolutely loving it. Without being challenged by incredible leaders like James and Bobby, I would have never discovered this liking for biking! Everyday there is something planned for the purpose of fun.
Spiritually, this has been an adventure for me. Before Link I had little to no experience with Christian Science. Learning a great new perspective has been an interesting journey. I came into this school with an open mind and have learned to think of things a little differently.
One thing about me that has not changed, and probably never will, is my passion and commitment to art. Here at Link, I’ve decided to revolve my Senior Project around that and am going to create a mural to live on at Link.
Being here at Link has meant a lot to me. Having so many people genuinely believe in me has given me an incredible amount of hope for myself and for everyone else being cared for at this school. Without this opportunity I might have been locking myself in some Mercer Island room with my self-deprecating thoughts, instead of deciding to adventure and find myself a little more. I am incredibly grateful for living and learning with such amazing people like Natalie, it seems like she is made out of pure sunshine and intelligence. Bobby, is the most wise and peaceful man I have ever met. Ben is always great to be around with his overflowing positivity and appreciation. Emily keeps me going! James is the most reliable and also the greatest man I have ever met. Every staff member here is great in their own way. I am very lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people.
Thank you for your support!
Avery
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Andrew Staley. I grew up in California for my first 12 years. A few years back, I moved to Illinois to attend Principia for a year and a half. I then moved back to California for the rest of my ninth-grade year. This is when I decided to move to Colorado to attend The Link School where I can grow and learn much more about the outdoors.
At The Link School, we have traveled to many places to learn in the outdoors. We have biked, skied, and climbed indoors and outdoors. Most of the activities have pushed me to grow outside of my comfort zone.
I enjoy being here because you can express freedom and happiness. I get so much individual support from my teachers, and this is something I’ve never experienced. They have helped me be a better student and grow each day. I love the kindness that is given back to us and the helping community.
With sincere gratitude,
Andrew Staley
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Leif, I am from Missouri, and I live on a farm with eight dogs.
I grew up in the Ozarks playing in the forest, climbing trees, hunting, and working with horses. I lived with my mom and dad. My older brothers and sisters would come to the farm from time to time to visit. I grew up not having too much schooling, although I did homeschool for a while. Then I tried out Principia around 4th and 5th grade. I went back to homeschooling but that wasn’t working out so I thought The Link School would be a good and new way to learn.
I’ve learned new skills at Link like how to be a student in general and how to be a better leader and succeed in the “real world.” I have learned a lot from the programs like biking, climbing, and backpacking, and we do Science and English on shorter week long trips. When we go on abroad trips we might have a bigger variety of classes. We learn a ton about Christian Science, we listen to stories and every Monday Bobby teaches us and guides us through the lesson. Thursdays we do our own lesson study where we might read from the lesson or write in our jurnal. For academics, we learn with other age groups instead of being in a public school where we would only be with our own age group. We have six classes which all usually take about an hour a day. I’ve never done high school math and in one semester I went from a 5th to an 8th grade level.
I’m very grateful for the different learning ways. This is a big reason I wanted to join the school. I can’t get over the beautiful trips that we get to go on and all of them having their own “theme” like a biking trip or a rafting trip or maybe a climbing or hiking trip.
Thank you again, Leif Arthur
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Santiago Doutrich. I came to Link midway through my sophomore year and I am now a Junior. My family has been with the Foreign Service for all of my life which means I travel a lot. Currently, my family is living in Abu Dhabi and they came from the Latin American country of Nicaragua. I haven’t visited my family in Abu Dhabi yet, so I don’t really consider myself from there. All of my life I have been very active in sports but Link truly introduced me to the new activities in the outdoors. I consider Link as one of my homes and I am very thankful to be here. My grades have improved a lot since being here. Before I was averaging B’s and now they’ve moved up to A’s. I have decided to take two extra classes to challenge myself. I also would like to graduate a semester early because a desire for independence has been creeping up for me for years now.
Here at Link, I have many options on what to do. Since coming here, I have really been enthusiastic about biking, skiing, and especially climbing. Every Monday we have the opportunity to do some sort of outdoor activity. At first, we did biking when the weather permitted. This was very fun since I have loved mountain biking ever since I did the biking program at Adventure Unlimited Ranches. Biking is a very active sport that really pushed me in my athletics but especially in my trust. When there is enough snow in the mountains, we have the chance to leave school early on Fridays and ski for the rest of the day. Until coming to Link, skiing wasn’t really one of my favorite activities but since coming here, I have enjoyed the rush and excitement that the activity gives to me. It is a really great time to be with my friends and challenge the slopes together. My favorite activity at Link has been climbing. At first, climbing was an activity that wasn’t very fun to me and I didn’t really like it. Somehow, that idea changed in my mind and now I love the sport. I view it as this art of perfection to complete the route without falling and it really makes me love it. I love climbing with my friends because we all work together to figure out how to achieve a really difficult task. With climbing, I have also taken the time to work on my lead climbing, which is much scarier but, in my opinion, really fun.
Link has truly changed me. It has allowed me to become a different person and has introduced me to new activities that I have absolutely fallen in love with. At Link, I have met people that I hope I can remember forever. The friends I have made here have been some of the best parts of my time here, though it has not been a full year yet. The teachers are very supportive and engaging since they always take their time to make you happy. I really just love how much Link has made a home for me that I know I can always come back to. I really am thankful for the chance I have been given to come here. Thank you all.
With gratitude,
Santiago
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Kelvin, I’m 18, I’m a senior, and this is my 4th year here at Link. I live in Michigan in a town called Three Oaks. Before I came to Link I liked building with Legos. I like to build cars, trucks, and planes out of my Legos at home. I often go mountain biking on local trails that are within a 45-minute drive. I also go sailing on Lake Michigan with a Hobie Catamaran my grandpa owns.
What have I been doing here at Link? At Link I enjoy all of the activities here: mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking, snowboarding, ice climbing, boot hockey, and more. My favorite outdoor activity is mountain biking. I recently bought a mountain bike from the local bike shop in Buena Vista. I’ve been learning lots of skills with mountain biking and I’ve been building upon my previous skills. In my academics I’ve been doing really well. I’ve definitely grown since my first year. My favorite class this year is Math class. I have a really good and fun teacher this year as well.
Being here at Link means a lot to me. The experiences I get to have here are one-of-a-kind. The experiences here have shaped who I am now. I feel like it is a big privilege to come to Link so much more than my past years. If it weren’t for the staff here this school wouldn’t be the same. All of the staff here gives lots of support to all of the students; they want everyone to succeed in their classes and in life.
Kelvin
Dear sponsor,
Hi, my name is Brian Burr. I was born in Colombia and I was adopted seven years ago. I lived in New Jersey with my two dads and my brother, but this year my family has moved to California. I’m really excited to go and see them. This is my 4th year at The Link School and I have loved every moment I have been here because I have met people that I have learned to love and I would trust them with my life.
I do many things here such as mountain biking, climbing, kayaking, and snowboarding. My favorite things are climbing, snowboarding and mountain biking. This year we went biking in Utah, which was so much fun. We also went on a river trip where we learn how to save people. I also really like how we get taught by going outside and seeing the things we have been learning in class and then see them on our trips. This year, we are going to Colombia for our international trip and I can’t wait to show my friends the town where I grew up and to get to show them all the kinds of fruits, places, foods, that I loved when I lived there.
It has been meaningful to me because I met many friends that I’m going to have for the rest of my life. I have also been using Christian Science to work through challenges especially when I’m climbing because sometimes it is really scary to be so high up. It is not a bad scared, but a good scared. I also love the people who work here at school. They take me places I only dream of and they have expanded my horizons. They also have given me such confidence to do so many things. Thank you so, so, so much for giving me the opportunity to come here.
Love, Brian Burr
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Joseph Burr and I am 16-years-old. I was adopted from Colombia and now I live in California. I am a Freshman and it is my first year at The Link School. My big brother also goes to this school and his name is Brian. I love to play basketball and have been able to do that here with Bobby.
At The Link School, I have been climbing and skiing. We also went to Utah for mountain biking and Swiftwater Rescue training. This semester I have been in ceramics class with Bryce. We also have been preparing to go to Colombia. In the Spring, I will be exploring becoming a chef.
I am grateful for my parents and for my brother because they are the best I can ask for and they helped me to get here. I’m also grateful for the teachers for pushing me past the limits I thought I had.
Thank you so much for helping me be here too, Joseph Burr
Dear Sponsor,
My name is Eric Trevor-Roberts and I am from St. Louis, Missouri. Before I came to The Link School, I was active in my Boy Scout Troop. While I was in the troop, I was able to grow as a Christian Scientist because we were all Christian Scientists. I was able to learn many life lessons and skills that are very valuable to me and I still use them every day. While I was in my Troop in St. Louis I was able to be a staff member of the Boy Scouts of America National Youth Leadership Training. While teaching this course I was able to develop my leadership skills, which has helped me a lot. I also was able to attend the 2017 National Scout Jamboree. This is an experience that I will never forget because I was able to meet fellow Scouts from my area, and from around the country. One day I want to go and be a Troop leader for a National or World Scout Jamboree.
I am a Senior this year at Link, and I am very grateful for everything that we are able to do. This year, I have been learning how to weld because this has always interested me. I have gotten a lot better than when I first started. I am also working on restoring a 1985 Toyota 4Runner. I am still trying to determine if rebuilding the engine or replacing the engine would be best. This semester I have been taking Spanish (I did take this last year but I didn’t fully understand what was taught), English, Integrated Science, Precalc, and US foreign policy in Latin America. I have been enjoying these classes and I have been learning a lot from each one. I have also been able to spiritually grow as a person during Sunday School and during the morning lesson studies.
Being able to be at Link for a second year has meant a lot because I have been able to continue my growth on life skills, deepening my understanding of spirituality, and growing as a person. I am grateful to have the opportunity to come to Link and to learn and to try new things that I wouldn’t have back in St. Louis. Thank you for helping me grow as a person and for helping me develop new skills.
Sincerely, Eric Trevor-Roberts
Dear Sponsor,
I am Bryce Marmolijo from Ojai, California. This will be my third and final year at Link. I came from a pretty regular high school, (after jumping around from several different schools) but things weren’t working out too well in several ways. I was not motivated to do anything there, and everything seemed so repetitive that I lost interest. So, when I was presented with the opportunity to go to a school that was in a completely different area than I had ever been, in a different state, and with fewer than 20 people, I was definitely a bit hesitant, but the idea of going somewhere so outlandish and new overcame that nervousness. Within a week, I was out here in beautiful Colorado. It was a little worrying that all the activities that I liked and were used too, like surfing, bodyboarding, and skating were gone, but I soon learned that I would get sucked into many more fun activities.
My favorite things here at Link are definitely the activities that we get to do, especially snowboarding and mountain biking. One common thing that all (or most) the activities out here offer is that opportunity to go get lost on purpose, go get lost in thought or soul, but being able to really live in nature. It offers a great thinking place to sort issues out, take a break, or to do it just to do it. But it’s exactly what I needed – a place to let my mind rest, because living in the city that’s not even that big, things are always moving and it’s always bustling. The move out here was a great change of pace for me.
Something else I really enjoy are the international trips we get to go on. Even if they don’t go the smoothest in traveling there (in the last 2 years we have had significant flight schedule challenges), the experience is always worth the wait. Being able to be embraced by the culture of a place you don’t completely know is so thrilling and adventurous. I enjoy those trips so much that I want to go travel somewhere even further than South America after I graduate. It sort of lit this hidden passion to go somewhere where you don’t always know what’s going to happen.
Being able to come back here to Link for my last year of high school is an amazing opportunity and I’ll try my best to make the most of it, even when times are low. It’s especially at those times when we’re at our low, when we are able to grow the most. I think that’s what I’m most grateful for here at Link. The community that we build is definitely not a perfect one by any means, but we are always here for each other when we need it. The future does seem daunting, but with all the support we have here I’m sure I’ll be fine and go in a good direction.
With gratitude, Bryce Marmolijo – Aloha
Dear Sponsor,
My Name is Becky and I was born in South Africa but moved to Australia right after I was born. I began school here at the start of this year in grade 10. I love Animals and being outdoors. I have two cats that I love very much and rode horses back in Australia. I’m learning to be an artist and love to make things with my hands. My mother has always helped me through my life to stick with playing the viola, and now I am pretty good at playing and have succeeded in my exams on viola too.
At Link I have been learning a lot in my academics, especially in Science and in Spanish. I really am enjoying expanding my knowledge on all the challenging factors of speaking Spanish and learning so many things like the parts of birds and volcanoes and even El Niño. At link I have had so many opportunities to express my curiosity and positive mindset in so many different activities and adventures. I’ve learned how to snowboard, and how to rock climb better, even how to climb ice for the first time. Link has enabled me to see so many different, beautiful views, and animals, and mountains, and fields – it’s just amazing what is out there.
I recently had an accident horseback riding when I fell of my horse twice in a row. It was very painful, and I was scared that I was seriously injured. As soon as I told the staff, they all surrounded me with love and spiritual guidance. I was so relieved to know that I wasn’t going through this alone. I prayed with the practitioner of the month who helped me get the right mindset about having a healing. Link teaches me in all ways how to include God in my day and I truly think this has helped me with healing from this injury.
The project opportunities at link are never ending. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but when I got here I immediately found two amazing things that I could do in my project time. Ride beautiful horses and learn the guitar. It’s so much fun and has given me skill in riding that I never thought I would ever get to have. And it has made me grow stronger in my spiritual understanding.
I am grateful for the activities that we experience here, learning so many new skills. It is so enjoyable being in the community. Having the loving sense that people bring to every moment of the day is really inspiring.
I really appreciate your sponsorships for Link to enable me to experience all these wonderful things in my life. I love this opportunity that you have given me and my peers to be able to truly express ourselves. It means more than you can ever imagine to me, so thank you.
Sincerely, Becky
