Returning Home: A Letter from the Head of School

I am delighted by these developments, but I am not surprised. The professional and personal growth I experienced at HMI as a young teacher eclipsed any other period in my adult life. Just as HMI accomplishes life-changing growth in our students in a short few months, the school itself achieves an accelerated developmental timeline, improving iteratively each semester, expedition, academic block, and program. I know of no other school that has come so far in such a short time: from yurts and a couple barely-finished buildings to a modern campus that over half our employees call home; from a plot of vacant land in a boom-bust mining town to one of Lake County’s largest private employers; and from a wild start-up idea by two far-too-young founders, to an industry leader and exemplar in outdoor and experiential education. We’ve come a long way.

And yet, so much is the same, in precisely the ways I would hope. Central to all we do is HMI’s laser-focused mission: community, wilderness, and academics (my paraphrase). We employ the most skilled, dedicated, and empathetic people I know. We strive to ensure every student feels a deep sense of belonging within our community. We run, ski, and chop wood. We dance in the kitchen. We scramble brownies and regularly burn hash browns. The students sing Taylor Swift (though more Midnight than Fearless, these days…) We start each semester with “the rock,” and end with Full Circle. These parts are familiar, and reinforce my sense that my move–2,000 miles in length and 10,000’ in elevation gain–isn’t an adventure, nor an expedition; it’s a homecoming.