The Athenian School

Wow

The boarding school was established in 1965 by a Yale Law School graduate who was also a vice president of the Ford Foundation at the time. She is located in the beautiful valley east of San Francisco, the campus covers an area of ​​75 acres. On average there are only 16 students in each class. The rigorous school motto and diverse student sources make this school popular among international students. International boarding students come from 14 different countries including China.

Great place to park if you want to bike up Mt Diablo.

Challenging cross country course. Apparently academics are a challenge too.

I attended both the Athenian middle and upper school – seven years – and I loved every minute of it. In college I remember hearing the high school horror stories of my peers, and thinking that I had nothing to contribute. I had Morning Meeting instead of Home Room. Many classes were held outside in full view of the rolling hills of Mt. Diablo instead of dark, concrete classrooms. On my daily march to drama, I walked past a Peace Pole rather than a metal detector.

Athenian’s rigorous academics prepared me well for the small liberal arts college I attended after high school. I was not afraid of the looming ten-page paper. One of the most important skills that Athenian taught me was how to self-manage and self-motivate. I had confidence in my skills as a scholar, and I knew how to manage my time. I ran cross-country all through high school and then added winter and spring track to the docket in college. A year-round athlete with three-hour daily practices, and I still managed to graduate summa cum laude AND have a social life. Athenian taught me to be dedicated to my team, efficient in my studies, and deeply invested in my relationships.

Athenian is not just a school; it is a community of passionate and caring individuals - of all ages. In the seventh grade my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and the entire middle school organized for meals to be brought to our house for months and months. In suburbia where we knew little about the neighbors who shared our streets and stop signs, the Athenian community became my family’s safety net. The bonds of that community have never been broken. I am still close with friends and teachers I met while at Athenian. I make at least one annual pilgrimage to California’s Bay Area to scamper through the hills with old friends.

I struggled with the Athenian Wilderness Experience (AWE) as did all students. It is not meant to coddle you – but rather, empower you. I sprained both my ankles the first week, and yes, it hurt. There were long, cold nights in the desert, when the sun sank below the canyons leaving us in sub-zero temperatures, huddling together for warmth. Yes, I still laugh when I think about the food that the boys ate on the trail: sardines, mustard, squeezable butter, peanut butter and jelly sandwiched between two pieces of military-issue hardtack (think flour-frisbee). But the patrol leaders were well-trained wilderness guides, and they knew how to walk the line between discomfort and danger. They always intervened before things got out of hand. We were high schoolers after all! What’s more, AWE only fostered in me a love for the wilderness. I am now an experienced “Fast and Light” backpacker. I have traveled all over the US and the world crossing freezing rivers, endless mountain passes, and climbing peaks to behold the vast wonders hidden in the remaining pristine corners of this earth.

I am now a post-doctoral research scientist in the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Although, I spend most of my time living in Kenya and Tanzania studying how to simultaneously ensure environmental sustainability, poverty alleviation, and food security in sub-Saharan Africa. I love the challenge of my job, the dedication of my colleagues, and the relationships I know have with families on the other side of the world. I would not be here without Athenian – the skills, the curiosity, and the confidence that my seven years there instilled in my heart.