Winterim in Review

Winterim 2022 By the Numbers

Often, when Sarah Grace Vallejo travels, she reaches a point in the trip where she feels ready to go back home and sleep in her own bed. But during her Winterim 2022 trip to the American Southwest, she never felt that way. “I never got to a point where I felt content with leaving,” she said. “My last few days in Phoenix were both wonderful and somber, and I felt saddened at the thought of leaving such an incredible place with all of the incredible people that I got to travel with. I tried so many new foods, met so many interesting people, and grew closer with my Winterim travel buddies. It was truly an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life.” For Harpeth Hall students, Winterim serves as a personally defining opportunity. Since 1973, the unique three-week experience each January has enabled students to develop wonder in learning, independence of thought, honor in action, and joy in community. Alumnae say again and again that Winterim set the path for their future passions and professional pursuits. This year was no exception. On campus, students in 9th and 10th grades pushed beyond the bounds of the traditional curriculum with classes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, neuroscience, cinematic idealism, and more. Students in 11th and 12th grades forged their own paths by engaging in internships, independent study, or academic travel that took them from the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. to operating rooms of a local animal hospital, and on expedition to some of the nation’s most awe-inspiring and historic destinations. These experiences provided opportunities to develop new interests, visit unfamiliar places, explore potential careers, and create memories for a lifetime.

127

Student internships across the country and the globe from Austin to Uganda

71

On-campus course offerings

18

Independent study projects, including sustainable fashion, video game development, and more

17

Adjunct teachers from Vanderbilt and Belmont universities, Cumberland River Compact, and Paducah School of Art & Design/Yeiser Art Center

4

Academic travel trips with more than 70 students experiencing the American Southwest, California life, Florida and the Keys, and an Outward Bound trip to Joshua Tree National Park

Winterim gave me the opportunity to start figuring out how to really handle myself in the world. I gained the humility to be okay not knowing exactly how to get where I needed to go and the confidence to figure it out. I reveled in the opportunity to meet new people, learn their stories, and empathize with them to understand more about the world.

— Sabrina Russell ’22, Crowley Cottrell landscape architecture intern

While I knew I was going to have a good experience, . . . I was surprised by how much the organizations we worked with cared about our learning and how much education I got from them. . . . I was also surprised to find how strong and tough I was. This gave me confidence in myself in going to college.

The three goals that I established for myself during this three-week period helped me develop into an intern who was well educated on both Tennessee policy as well as policy writing and who could talk to any person in the office without it being awkward or intimidated. . . . I was able to intelligently discuss issues with my coworkers and become a better listener as well. . . . This experience helped me realize my potential as a political science student to research and make change in our government, whether it be a think tank in downtown Nashville or on Capitol Hill.

— Ava Sjursen ’23, Sycamore Institute intern

Traveling to California was the best decision I could have made for myself this year. . . .This trip opened my eyes to a sector of the country I had never been to or learned about before, and I loved the experience I had. . . .There was such a vast amount of experiences for us to indulge in, and I feel like I really learned about myself and my values through this trip. . . . This particular trip helped me find value in myself and show me what I appreciate in life. I loved the constantly changing environment, the immense number of small businesses, and the unique people we so often saw in California.