Voices of New Hampton is a storytelling series at New Hampton School which showcases the real stories and reflections of students and faculty. This fall’s topic centered on finding a home at New Hampton, and Director of Counseling Ms. Siciliano reminded the audience of how each person’s journey to belonging is different but resonates with us all as we create community through shared experiences, acts of kindness, and stories shared.
Avery shared her sense of feeling stuck at her prior school in Denver, and expressed that the idea of change was intriguing. Thankfully, she soon found New Hampton School. But even on the verge of arriving on campus for her sophomore year, she worried about the move. “I felt like I had been waiting to go here for my whole life.”
Mr. Cahoon shared a lifelong journey of finding new communities of belonging, from his school days to college and theatre companies, to his career at Pinkerton Academy where his daughter and family called home for many years. He shared how he found his way to New Hampton School and the Director of Theatre role, and while here, accepted the challenge of becoming Academic Dean. Each step had a purpose and was in thanks to remaining open and curious and asking questions of himself. He implored everyone to check in with themselves, to ask “now what?” and find the courage to take action on opportunities when they find their “what”.
”You can be the one to ask the questions. You can be the change by waking every day, taking stock of where you are, and asking ‘now what?’. What can I do to become the best version of myself? What can I do to help someone else who needs me? What can I do to make this school and this community a better place? I promise you that you will find yourself at points in your life where asking yourself ‘now what’ will be a sincere act of bravery.”
Emma expressed that finding her home on campus came through the moments that everyone shared together from spike ball to hanging at the turf and time with her team. Distance from her home offered her perspective on how she had outgrown the small town community she once grew up in, and appreciate the feeling of being seen at New Hampton. “It was like a breath of fresh air.”
Luna described her childhood growing up on New Hampton School’s campus, expressing that her home wasn’t just a home—it was a whole campus that was her entire world. But as she grew and entered high school, her home felt different and began to shift. She learned that her dad was leaving New Hampton during the spring of her sophomore year, and she began to process how this would change her relationship to the campus as the family moved to a new home. Now as a day student, Luna found her way back to belonging over time through her connections here in the community. “Now as a senior I understand that home is not fixed, it’s not permanent. It’s a collection of memories and moments and the people who shape who we are.”
Thank you to our speakers Avery ’27, Emma ’27, Luna ’26, and Mr. Cahoon for your thoughtful reflections on home and belonging. Images from the evening are available on Flickr, and you can rewatch the event on NHS Live.
