Mercersburg Academy - Review #11

I definitely think the kind of relationship that students build with faculty at Mercersburg is one of the most precious assists of Mercersburg. Teachers are your coaches, advisers and friends that discuss with you your academic and personal matters. I remember going to a faculty on duty in my dorm, Tippets, to ask for math help, and then the teacher called another faculty in Keil, saying that he might be more helpful. I went to Keil, stayed there until 11pm getting help from a physics teacher I have never spoken to before, and then returning back to my dorm. The teacher on duty in Keil, of course, called Tippetts before I left Keil and after to make sure I arrived safely. As an international student, I felt that the whole faculty was always there to help me feel at home.

Mercersburg is not just my high school but is like my hometown. As an international students, I got close to a day student friend, and that really allowed me to see Mercesrburg as an area that is full of people that care about the school and its students. I met my lifelong friends and mentors here. It was my first time in the United States, and Mercersburg was such an open and welcoming place that immediately pulled me in its circle, helped me be a part of this school and this town and this country.

Go to boarding school!

I loved my friends and teachers. I had never studied in the State before, but in Mercesrburg I felt safe. I felt safe to be myself around my teachers and friends, so that they would know me and accept me as who I am. They let me take risks by providing me with a safe environment and wholehearted support. Whatever I did, I knew that if something didn't turn out the way I wanted, I could go to my family, who were my friends and teachers in Mercersburg, to learn that I am loved and trusted. Teachers had faith in me and friends had love for me, and I only returned everything that I received from them. Then, without any effort, I had already become my friend's sister and my teacher's mentee. There is nothing to describe Mercesrburg for me, just like I cannot describe exactly how much my family means to me. Mercesrburg is where I spent the most precious time of my life with the best people that know me the best. I would not be able to dream of my future and be ready to take risks if I hadn't learned from Mercersburg first that it is safe to get out of my safe zone and show people what I believe and what I am passionate about. Mercersburg has taught me that I have with me so many people and memories that support and sustain my life, beyond the time spent there, and that I always have a place to call home wherever I am.

I appreciated the availability of resources and accessibility of outside help offered by the faculty. Teachers in Mercersburg came to me first, when they thought I needed extra help, and that allowed me to feel more confident to get the necessary help, understand the material, and move forward. I wasn't afraid to tell any of my teachers that I was confused, because I knew that they would do whatever it took to help me understand the material. This naturally helped me build a close relationship with the teachers and let them know my academic strengths and weaknesses. Not only were the resources available, but they were also widely advertised to the students so that students would know exactly what to do to get the most out of a class. From peers to teachers, everyone was motivating one another to ask questions and be active to get to the answers.

I loved MOE. Mercersburg utilizes its absolutely amazing campus to the fullest. Athletics was a part of Mercersburg life. The moment you are done with classes, you realize that you have an amazing fields and a gym that simply wait for students to come and use, whenever they wish. The campus utilities are unparalleled in its efficiency and beauty. MOE is only possible because there is the Mercersburg campus with its barn, fields and tracks. Then there are the Mercersburg students and faculty who use the campus like it's their home, like it's their neighborhood. The proximity of Mercersburg to mountains and lakes also diversified the athletic experiences, especially when the visiting teams are not often varied. MOE broadened the range of athletic utilities Mercersburg offers to something way beyond its already extensive campus, and with Mercersburg coaches who run and sweat along with you, among you, you feel like you just had a nice workout with your pals after every practice.

I loved Burgin. The painting room was always impressive. Mr. Flowers opened the painting room that, in itself, breeds sensitivity to art and creativity. The whole environment of Burgin has this air of creativity that liberates any ideas students have on stage, on canvas, and on the computer.

I liked the close connection between faculty advisers and students in each club or organization. Mercersburg had the most open, talented and fun teachers to be in charge of school publications. I loved the liberty given to students in reporting and writing News articles even though the news came out weekly. There was not established rule that must be followed. Each week's issue was an exhibition of Mercersrburg students' creativity in its most honest form. And teachers knew that. They were there to guide the students without getting in their way to express their ideas and find out what matters to them the most as a school body.

I liked dorm life itself. Living in a dorm with friends is definitely one of the most unique experiences of Mercersburg because it is the people of Mercesburg that really make your life here amazing. You live with people from worlds apart living next door to you. They become your best friends and without even trying, you are already building networks with people from all over the world. That is really the fantastic idea because Mercesrburg, in such a small physical place, makes you build lifelong connections as best as you can, by focusing on a small population of future leaders that can depend on each other. This small population living together in a small space will build such strong bonds with each other that Mercersburg remains their lifelong friend and family.

I liked the diversity of food and the school's attempt to be health-conscious. The school had a great salad bar. The cafeteria always had fresh fruits open to students.

I liked the closeness of school with the town business. The town is also a part of Mercersburg life. Mercersburg does not really end in its physical campus, but extends to the town Mercesrburg, so you get attached to the whole neighborhood. The waiters and owners of restaurants in town even know you, so Mercerburg really becomes your hometown.

I loved that students live together to be more like family rather than friends.