Salem Academy Students Reflect On Life Changing Experiences

Salem Academy provides a rigorous college preparatory curriculum and has a diverse student body filled with eagerness to learn more about the world both inside and outside the classroom. In addition to students from around the country, international students come from Austria, Dominica, Germany, Hungary and Ukraine and one domestic student immigrated from South Africa about three years ago.

Many Academy students their time before classes started in true Salem fashion—leading, exploring and growing.

Enjoy just a few highlights of Salem Academy girls who shared their experiences:

LOLA LARSEN

Lola Larsen A’25 had the opportunity to travel to Spain and Portugal for six weeks to partake in a Spanish Immersion School. The program included 60 hours of Spanish classes in addition to daily activities. In addition to improving her language skills, Lola had the opportunity to meet students from all over the world and even learned how to cook paella. “After 3 weeks in Málaga, full of Spanish courses, adventures and newly found friendships, my parents joined me, and we headed to Granada, Madrid, Toledo and Barcelona,” Lola said. “I was able to check off many bucket list sites, but my favorites had to be walking through the Alhambra and stepping inside Gaudí’s La Segrada Família. After five weeks, I said goodbye to Spanish and hello to Portuguese. We traveled to Porto, Portugal, then made our way along the coast to Lisbon, stopping in Aveiro, Nazaré and Óbidos. Once my six weeks were complete, I packed up my bags and said goodbye to Europe (for now)!”

DESTINY HALE

Senior Destiny Hale A’23 did an amazing job at the Coolidge Cup, a national invitational speech and debate tournament sponsored by the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation, before classes started and made it to the top 16 out of 77 competitors. The Coolidge Cup takes place in President Coolidge’s historic hometown of Plymouth, Vermont each year during the week of the Fourth of July.

This is Destiny’s second year attending the Coolidge Cup competition. Competition was particularly strong this year, and multiple judges said that Destiny performed “brilliantly” with poise and grace. A four-year boarding student from Jefferson, Georgia, Destiny serves as House Council President and is a stand-out on the fencing and debate teams.

ELLE THARINGTON AND LILLIAN LAWRENCE

The Academy’s Girl Up chapter has organized an annual school supplies drive since 2018 (except for one year due to the pandemic). In addition to helping local students, Academy students have also sent funds and supplies to girls’ schools in Haiti and Nepal. In May, Girl Up collected donations to benefit students in the Winston-Salem Forsyth County school system. This summer, Academy students Elle Tharington A’25 and Lillian Lawrence A’25 helped deliver school supplies to Old Town Elementary School in Winston-Salem.

KARMA THOMAS

Karma Thomas A’24, a new 11^th grade student at the Academy, participated in an incredible program at the University of Rochester before the start of the school year. “When I signed up for the Rochester Explorations into Pathology three-week summer intensive program, I expected it to be an amazing learning and connection building opportunity. I had no idea it also would be so much fun,” Karma said. “We stayed in the dorms on campus and ate in the student dining hall. The counselors had many activities to choose from after class. We spent three weeks on the med school campus (located within a hospital), learning from some of their top pathologists. Each day we had new lessons and guest speakers. We heard from Forensic Pathologists, Microbiologists, Immunologists, and so many more. Not only did we get to learn from medical school professors, but they also became our mentors as well.” Karma presented a Capstone Project at the end of the program on Acetaminophen Induced Liver Injury. “The opportunity to spend three weeks studying pathology solidified my career path as a forensic pathologist and introduced me to a great group of friends,” she said.

 

ELIZABETH WHEELER

Before school started back this fall, Elizabeth A’24 went on an amazing four-week adventure to Ecuador, the Amazon Rainforest and the Galapagos Islands. She traveled with Broadreach, an organization that hosts high school summer programs that offer challenge and adventure while gaining real world perspectives. This program allowed Elizabeth to earn both college credits and community service hours.

During her travels, Elizabeth had the chance to work alongside biologists and conservationists exploring the tropical ecosystems and the ecological foundations of the rich biodiversity of the region. Coursework included studying animal and plant biodiversity as well as cultural approaches to conservation. Elizabeth particularly enjoyed the giant tortoises, rainforests, monkeys, parrots, volcanoes and sea lions. “I got to see so many beautiful things along with very rare animals,” Elizabeth said. “I’m so lucky I was able to have this educational opportunity. I learned so much and had an amazing time.” What an incredible experience—and one without electricity, internet or plumbing!

 

Whether traveling abroad, participating in world-class competitions, being immersed in intensive programs or other amazing experiences, Salem Academy students are leaders who embrace the world around them and contribute to it with ambition, enthusiasm and inspiration for others.