Student Comments
Molly (Texas, US)
Gap year student between October, 2006 and March, 2007
High school seemed like punishment. I was stuck in a fenced cinderblock structure slightly resembling a prison completely removed from nature. My full potential was not being realized there. I felt ignored in school. I was focused on what was becoming of our natural world, not the latest trend or new gossip. I was surrounded by “wanna-be” cowboys - stereotypical Texans whose morals were really screwed up. I was going to a psychologist trying to figure out what was wrong with me- why didn't I connect well with the people around me? Unlike most kids, who hate sharing their secrets with a doctor, I loved those visits. By a stroke of luck I got a like-minded friend. With her help and advice I graduated from high school a year early to escape the environment I hated..
To sell the radical idea of graduating early to my parents I had to plan something productive during my gap year. I researched environmental programs with no luck. I was just about to give up when my educational counselor forwarded my parents the name International School for Earth Studies “ISES”. I remember the conversation at the dinner table that night. My parents were promoting the idea with me and I was shaking my head “no”. I told them “You're missing something, there's got to be a catch”. My dad told me if I didn't go he would be glad to take my place. After talking to Geoffrey a few times I was convinced that ISES was a great place to start my environmental journey. I wasn't comfortable with a full semester all at one time because I had an issue with homesickness. The first time I went to ISES it was for three weeks to check it out.
Upon my arrival the Cushing family wanted me to tell them everything about myself. I candidly told them about my discomfort level away from home. By the time my mom left the next day, I already felt that I was another Cushing daughter. At the Cushing's school my thoughts did not include missing home. As the days unfolded, we had a blast. So many memories will stick with me forever; the first time I held a baby raccoon, riding on Bracken (their 29- year old horse) singing duets of “In the Jungle” with Janna Lee and Corie Jo at the top of our lungs to scare the bears away. I remember racing into the lake when it was pitch black, swimming with Mishka the fawn in the painfully cold water. Carting for my first time with the sled dogs. Hiking, canoeing, learning homeopathic-first aid, and taking a trip to Cambridge to see friends who owned a private “free-roaming” zoo were just a few of the eye opening adventures. These were just some of the experiences in just the first trip.
Nearing the end of my first three weeks, I didn't want to go home; believe me not wanting to go home was a first for me. I knew I would be back in two weeks, after I finished my college applications. Two weeks away from this vastly different world was very difficult.
The second session was even better than the first, if that's possible. I got to learn more with the sled dogs. We trained the dogs every other day, but cleaned kennels and fed them everyday. I am definitely a dog person. I gained a sense of responsibility caring for horses for years, but caring for a team of sled dogs was something different I always wanted to do. Working with the dogs was an experience I would have never had if not for ISES . Kirk taught me about cooperating with a large pack of dogs by treating them like a wolf pack, not just pets. It was a truly amazing experience. Derek helped me gained the trust of his hawk, Lakota, who awarded me the honor of holding her on my fist while walking up and down the road. Apparently only a few other people had held her at that time. Now the bird program has really lifted off.
I went a third time during the cold winter season ready to go dog-sledding. This session was different because I was no longer the only student, I joined a group of three new students. We all became lifelong friends. All ten of us did some crazy and amazing things that I would have never done elsewhere, it is so much fun. I took two courses in the winter- Animals & Literature and Digital Photography. As it was winter I received an introduction to hockey, a sport I had never thought twice about. Geoffrey took us to see the Ottawa Senators. We met the team face to face, watched practice and went on a tour of the facility. Our meeting with the Senators was really exciting especially since they are in the Stanley Cup finals. Particularly in the winter, I honed my animal care skills. Jo Ellen and I spent countless hours researching and applying the correct diet for dogs and cats. The only thing I regret about the winter is not spending more time with Koda, the black bear cub.
Throughout my time at ISES I became more spiritually aware. My understanding became clearer as I left ISES each time to go to a place where the energy was not as strong as in the Cushing's home. ISES gave me a much needed push to connect with nature. I have finally begun to listen to what mother earth has to teach me.
Geoffrey helped me realize the dreams that I perceive as impossible can be actually be made a reality. His tightly knit family is a great experience of its own. As I became part of it, I realized there are still things I wanted to tweak to make own my life worthwhile. You cannot leave ISES without seeing the ripple effect you'll make on the world.