Our Scholars

Ella Q

• Attending The Lawrenceville School (Lawrenceville, New Jersey) beginning Fall 2024

• Active duty U.S. Army family

• Currently stationed at Fort Moore, Georgia

• Has changed schools six times

• Volunteers every Saturday at church, teaching grade school children song and dance

• Participates in art classes and gymnastics

• “Attending a new school is like going on an adventure in a book and finding my way through it. Being an active duty child has made a positive impact on my life as I am able to handle stress in a positive and constructive way and overcome obstacles to continue to an exciting and successful future . . . . I want to attend a boarding school . . . which will give me an opportunity for higher education with the structure and stability of a four year educational home.”

Isla B

• Attending St. Andrew’s School (Middletown, Delaware) beginning Fall 2024

• Active duty U.S. Navy family

• Currently stationed in Stuttgart, Germany

• Has changed schools eight times

• Participates in Red Cross Club, Math Honor Society (Mu Alpha Theta), English Honor Society, Feminist Club, Newspaper Club, cross country, soccer, and lacrosse

• Volunteers as a math tutor

• “Boarding school interests me because it could give me a consistent place to return to even if my family moves again before my graduation. I would like to finish high school with the assurance that my school will remain the same. That kind of stability is something that I have not experienced in a long time.”

Michael K

• Attending Cate School (Carpinteria, California) beginning Fall 2024

• Active duty U.S. Army family

• Currently stationed near Crofton, Maryland

• Lived in eight states and changed schools five times

• Participates in Coding Club, Robotics Club, SeaPerch underwater robotics team, basketball, theater, tap and guitar

• Has volunteered at a dog sanctuary, participates in an annual Cystic Fibrosis Foundation walk, will help raise money for Special Olympics by participating in the Polar Bear Plunge, and volunteers in his community’s paper shredding project.

• “As part of a military family, I move frequently . . . I get anxious about whether the school will be a good fit for me, or if I will be able to make new friends. The move to Kansas was very difficult for me . . . I was upset knowing that everything was changing and that I could never return to my old life. When I got to Kansas . . . I focused on the positives [and] I made some great new friends. I think fondly of all the places I have lived in and know that moving has made me stronger.”

McKayla K

• Attending Cate School (Carpinteria, California) beginning Fall 2024

• Active duty U.S. Army family

• Currently stationed near Crofton, Maryland

• Lived in eight states and changed schools five times

• Participates in competitive cheer, swimming, Run Club, Girls-In-Stem Day, tap dancing, theater, and SeaPerch underwater robotics team

• Volunteers at a dog sanctuary, Operation Christmas Child, her community’s paper shredding project; and a project to place flags on veterans graves.

• “I am resilient. . . . However, I have become cautious about building deep relationships and getting too close to people because I never know when I will have to move again. For that reason, I look forward to attending boarding school, where I can finally build lasting relationships with my peers without worrying about my family’s next move.”

Maggie D

• Attending Cate School (Carpinteria, California) beginning Fall 2024

• Active duty U.S. Army family

• Currently stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas

• Has moved seven times

• Founded the Principal’s Club, where she is on the Recycling and Charity Committees; competes in fencing; coaches the Elementary School Chess Team; and plays guitar

• Volunteers as a Girl Scout, and is a registered and certified babysitter for the US Army Child and Youth Services

• “Throughout my journey . . . I have learned to be resilient and adaptable. I have also discovered the importance of gratitude. On the rollercoaster of life, there have been plenty of highs and lows, but the thrill of the ride always keeps me coming back for more adventures.”

Toby N

• Attends St. Andrew’s School (Middletown, Delaware)

• Active duty U.S. Navy family

• Currently stationed in Annapolis, Maryland

• Participates in football, baseball, orchestra, chamber music, and photography

• “I have been attending boarding school for the past two years and it has completely changed my life. It is completely different because you are always with your friends and teachers, so you get to know them outside of a learning setting. Living with and around friends really strengthen the bonds you build with each other.”

Jamie S

• Attends Tilton School (Tilton, New Hampshire)

• Active duty U.S. Army family

• Currently stationed in Smith, Hawaii

• Competes in cross country; represented Tilton School at the American Math Competition; founded the Tilton School Mock Trial Team; participates in community service, theater, and studio arts

• “In two months at Tilton School, I have been supported beyond belief, and am deeply engaged and connected with the vibrant community and coursework presented to me. Living on campus has provided me with a continuous and contiguous education without changing teachers, locations, social circles, opportunities, and much more. I am able to fully dedicate myself to activities on campus with less fear that I will be preemptively uprooted from the connections that I have made.”

Sonia B

• Attending Mercersburg Academy (Mercersburg, Pennsylvania) beginning Fall 2024

• Active duty U.S. Army family

• Currently stationed in Tampa, Florida

• Has moved twice

• Participates in ice skating and National Junior Honor Society; volunteers at various nonprofits

• Volunteers as a Girl Scout, and is a registered and certified babysitter for the US Army Child and Youth Services

• “One thing about being a military child that has almost always stuck out to me is the fact that my friends have never had to look at the things around them and know that it's all temporary. I do, and I have. I have been scared to make solid connections with the people and environment around me because I know I will have to leave it all before I am ready to. I believe boarding school will provide me with experiences I wouldn't get elsewhere, and that it will give me more opportunities to succeed in the future.”

2022 Cohort

Lorelei P

• Attending Madeira School (McLean, Virginia) beginning Fall 2022

• Active duty U.S. Army family

• Currently stationed in West Point, New York

• Has moved to five new locations, changing schools four times

• Competes in cross country, track and basketball

• Interested in History, STEM subjects, community service and flying

• “I admire my father’s service and all the work he has put into it. Even though it has made some things harder for my family, I know he is always working towards a good cause.”

Jael G

• Attending The Lawrenceville School (Princeton, New Jersey) beginning Fall 2022

• Active U. S. Army family

• Currently living in Mays Landing, New Jersey

• Member of Student Council and National Junior Honor Society

• Participates in soccer, karate, volleyball, track and field, choir and drama

• Does volunteer work through faith-based organizations and community service projects

• “I feel grateful for my parents military service and also greatly appreciate their sacrifice. Not only my dad’s service for the country but also my mom’s patience and willpower even when my dad is away. “

Henry S

• Attending Fountain Valley School (Colorado Springs, Colorado) beginning Fall 2022

• Currently stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia

• Active duty U.S. Army family

• Has moved to eight new homes, changing schools seven times

• Interested in technology, cybersecurity, history, and writing.

• Enjoys board games, video games, and reading dystopian fiction

• “I have attended nine different schools in the last twelve years… I don’t live in a place for longer than three years, and so never build a connection to them. It is difficult to attempt making new friends, as it often feels the energy required is too much for a temporary friendship… I am interested in attending boarding school because for at least a few years, I will be in a stable environment. If I stay in one place for my whole high school life, I might be able to make friends and keep them for a while.”

Amelon R

• Attending St. George’s School (Newport, Rhode Island) beginning Fall 2022

• Dual active duty U.S. Navy family

• Currently stationed in Norfolk, Virginia; moving to Japan

• Competes in national and international sailing events

• Interests include Marine Science, painting, traveling, field hockey, skiing, snow boarding and surfing

• “My parents will be stationed overseas during my Sophomore and Junior Years.  Orion introduced me to boarding schools I never thought to look at. Until last year, I never thought boarding school was an option for my family and me.  I was worried about changing schools twice in the middle of high school.  Instead, I found a place that feels like home with incredible challenges and support… I love challenges. I am looking forward being immersed in challenges academically, physically, and mentally.  This boarding school experience will prepare me for the rest of life.”

Harrison V

• Attended The Lawrenceville School (Princeton, New Jersey) beginning Fall 2022

• Active duty U. S. Air Force family

• Currently stationed in Japan

• Has moved and changed schools seven times

• Interests include History, Science, lacrosse, football and golf

• “It is difficult moving across the world every two years. Every move is a little different and some are harder than others. Leaving friends behind is one of the obvious hardships about moving and changing schools. But there are also these little ones too, like making new sports teams, changes in the academic curriculum, and adapting to a completely new school… Being a military child requires a lot of adapting to new situations. Boarding school will allow me to stabilize for the next three years and finish high school without having to move again. It will provide me with opportunities I don’t have right now while living overseas. Boarding school will also help me prepare to transition from high school to being independent and on my own in college.”

Jackson W

• Attended Fountain Valley School (Colorado Springs, CO) in Fall 2021

• Dual Active Duty Army Family

• Currently stationed in Northern Virginia, moving to Arizona

• Bibliophile, often reading 10 books per week

• Interests include Tae Kwon Do, Tennis, Golf, Cross-country, Book Club, Mathematics, Engineering

• “I’ve lived in many different places and the longest I have lived in a single place is four years, so it is hard to keep in touch with old friends. … A reward that I have experienced is being able to see the world and have wonderful and unique experiences in seventeen different countries and regions. … I am interested in attending boarding school because … I want to make friends, be challenged, get prepared for college and later life, and finally to be a part of the wonderful boarding school community.”