Student Interviews About YES!
Our reporters took to the halls to interview students about their previous experiences with the YES program. With such an abundant amount of YES program options, we were able to hear opinions from students in various grades. We had 5 students who told us about various activities and their experiences. Here are some first-hand accounts from the students themselves...
By: Dylan Welwood
I interviewed a freshman who took the Hiking and Jazz Band YES programs last year. On his hiking trips, he went to places like Lowell Lake, White Rock, Bald Mountain, and many more. He said, “Hiking is great for those who are new to New England to get to know the history as well as the area. In the Jazz Band, he enjoyed playing jazz with friends and getting to know other students. Overall, the YES program helped him build new skill sets, like collaboration and teamwork with the Jazz program, and just simply gaining strength and endurance from Hiking, as well as gaining new friends and overall knowledge.
By: Anna Bennett
The first person I interviewed was Jaida Greeley. She is a sophomore and has been a part of the Quilting and French Trip YES programs in previous years. In her first YES program year, she participated in quilting, where you make a quilt and bring home the finished product!
Jaida said quilting was overall, “...a good experience, and doing it with my friends made it much more fun.” Before making a quilt, Jaida had very little previous sewing experience, and making a quilt was a big project. Jaida said that using the sewing machine took a lot of patience, especially when she had to undo her work because she made a mistake. However, she had a strong support system of staff and volunteers who taught her all of the steps. Because of this, she thinks that the Quilting YES program was a beneficial opportunity that proved her perseverance, and she learned a lot of new sewing skills along with bringing home a handmade quilt.
Last year during the YES program Jaida went on the French trip. The trip was 8 days long, and they stayed in Paris, Normandy, and London. Jaida says the days were full of activities. Some of the most notable experiences included seeing the Eiffel Tower, going to the Louvre art museum, touring the sites where D-Day happened, walking through WWII memorials, and watching the guard change outside Buckingham Palace. Jaida says standing under the Eiffel Tower was one of her favorite parts, “It was very surreal." Jaida also enjoyed hearing from the many tour guides they had throughout the trip. She says “It was cool to hear from people who lived in the cities we visited. I enjoyed listening to their point of view.” In conclusion, Jaida said it was a great opportunity, and she got tons of amazing photos.
By: Anna Bennett
Ian Bernier was another person that I interviewed. He is an avid rock climber, and shared with me his experiences taking part in the Outdoor Rock Climbing YES program. This program is led by Mr. Garvin, Mr. Bate, and Mr. M. He participated in this program for the past two years. Ian says he thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It allowed him “plenty of time to work on new skills as well as have some downtime to hang out with friends and relax outside.”
Ian said the program had fairly structured days, but it allowed him to be very independent. He said, “I really appreciated the opportunity to challenge myself while knowing I was safe.” Ian was able to improve his confidence, skills, and knowledge about outdoor rock climbing. He said he’ll likely do this program for every year of YES because he loves it so much as it allows him to face challenges while having an experience you never forget.
By: Arlo Schilling
I talked to a sophomore named Caden Spittle who has taken the Cooking YES program for the previous 3 years. This class is taught by Mrs. Brennan and Mr. Malaby, who teach kids how to make healthy food. They cook a variety of dishes from around the world, learning about each dish's culture, and of course, getting to eat after! My interviewee said he learned how to make dumplings which were his favorite! Not only do they learn how to make healthy food but learn about healthy living as well. Caden says they went on hikes in the morning to stay active and learned about the relationship between the food they eat and how it impacts their bodies. My interviewee has very much enjoyed his previous three years of this YES program and says the only downtimes were when the food was cooking.
By: Arlo Schilling
I also interviewed Ella Coleman, who in the previous year participated in the fishing and canoeing YES program led by Mr. Bennett. This adventurous option consisted of fishing, canoeing, hiking, paddle boarding, swimming, and more! My interviewee said she traveled to various water bodies such as Echo Lake, Lowell Lake, and the Connecticut River. The kids explored, and swam, finding aquatic life like mussel shells and water lilies! They made sand castles and got the opportunity to try new water sports. Even when the weather wasn't the greatest, they found many ways to have fun. My interviewee would recommend this YES program especially to students who like fishing! The fishers of the group caught many fish such as pickerel, bass, and sunfish! Ella says that she had fun and that she would do it again!
