As our Spring 2025 Semester students begin the bittersweet countdown to their final days on Eleuthera, they reflect on some of the most profound moments in their experience. 

Twenty-one days ago, all 53 students returned to campus after three exhilarating, challenging weeks of Down Island Trips (DITs) and eight-day kayak excursions. On DIT, they camped on Eleuthera’s famous Preacher’s Cave and Queen’s Bath beaches; and explored the settlements of Governor’s Harbour, Gregory Town, Spanish Wells and Harbour Island. They met and interviewed Bahamians, tourists, farmers, shopkeepers, and hospitality folk, and gathered information about Bahamian iconography and the effects of climate change on small island communities. 

On their kayak expeditions, some groups managed to paddle forty miles around Cape Eleuthera, and every student underwent a 48-hour solo. It’s safe to say, much of the Spring 2025 cohort has been beyond thrilled to be back in their bunks, with many—some for the first time—referring to campus as “home.”

After everyone indulged in a much-welcomed, cold navy shower and got a good night’s rest in sand-free sheets, programming went straight back to its usual pace. Students had “querencia,” during which they took intentional alone time somewhere along the Cape, went out on “explo,” a grouped freedom past the edges of The Island School’s campus, and attended a special Saturday night activity of Junior Junkanoo fun in Governor’s Harbour. Though some things, like their packed schedules, never change, one notable shift did occur: a stronger, student-wide sense of gratitude, not just for this place, but also for each other.

In an effort to delve into their newfound appreciation for the little things, multiple students were interviewed on what aspects of the program have had the biggest impact on their experiences here thus far. After this time away from campus, almost everyone responded the same way: with a reflection on community and its relationship to the self. 

When asked about connections they have built outside of Semester, student Maeve Upton’s hand specifically (and metaphorically) shot up. Her relationship with Merlene (also known as “Mooch”), a long time member of The Island School’s kitchen team, has largely informed her time here. The kitchen has the biggest, most important job on campus: every single day, the eight people that make up the department feed over 100 community members breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Though the team is remarkably self-sufficient, they always appreciate any efforts to help out. One day, Maeve wandered through the silver door connecting the dining hall to the kitchen, and she has never looked back. She says ”[her] work in the kitchen has given [her] purpose,” and that “[her] connection with Mooch is special.” Mooch was beyond touched to hear Maeve’s testimony, placing her hands on her heart and calling Miss Upton “[her] girl.”

Many students have also connected with the leaders of the scuba program, Alex and Blair Robertson. Matty Manning and Koa Opper love saying hi to them around campus and discussing scuba-specific techniques, such as buoyancy. 

Ani Griffiths often chats them up about their next big move—they’re heading back to Jackson, Tennessee, Alex’s hometown, to be closer to family. The entire community is going to miss them tremendously.

Rhys Brooks has bonded with the pair, too, as they have encouraged him in his diving career, which has spanned years and had some more complicated moments. In fact, Rhys thanked them in a creative writing piece that focused on his scuba journey, stating, “I felt empowered by the community around me, with a special spotlight on Alex…s]he instilled trust in me in our dives and recognized my scuba experience, [letting me] dive 20 feet above the group [to fit within my] restrictions.”

A lot of the students’ most rewarding moments so far have to do with one of the most highly-anticipated milestones of each semester: “solo.” 

This rite of passage is a distinctly unique aspect of the Semester program, and it is often considered the most difficult undertaking students come into the term knowing they will face when they accept their spot. “Solo” entails two days alone on a beach with just a tarp, a bug net, and a small bag of provisions. Student Sadie Kelley came forward as one of those proudest of completing the feat. She explained that she is always surrounded by friends and family in her home state of Utah and that 48 hours alone on a beach is not something she ever wanted to undergo. She related the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to her daily mantra, “I can do hard things,” which is something every Semester student, throughout The Island School’s 25 years, has learned about themselves during their 100 days on Eleuthera. 

Sadie also linked her “solo” experience to her understanding of herself and how she relates to others, specifically within The Island School community. She explained that those two days “refueled [her] social battery and gave [her] a fresh start.” She also said they impacted her appreciation of this place and its kin—“it made [her] take the people around [her] less for granted, because, not being around people that [she] wasn’t even fully aware are a part of [her] community was actually really difficult, and then [she] realized that [she is] part of this community, and so are they.” In particular, she missed her fellow Tree Housers Lila Plenge and Remi Helms. 

The students’ relationships with themselves and those around them are what make The Island School a unique place to live, study and explore. Here, they grow their sense of self alongside their commitment to others; they count on each other for physical and emotional support, and in turn, they improve their own abilities to physically and emotionally support everyone else. That is what intentional community is all about, fostering an atmosphere of teamwork and cohesive interdependence that is mutually beneficial, and that is what this Island School class has done. 

This past week, our students got the chance to show off their new “home” to their parents, grandparents, siblings, and even a few friends during Family Weekend. They helped integrate their loved ones into the Island School community through AMX activities, such as the classic Runswim and the singular hop off High Rock, and taught them how to “dish crew” and “egg dance” without the help of faculty. 

Now, this circle is just that much bigger and that much better, having had these loved ones here, learning from their students and leaving with a deeper understanding of this place.

Cheers to the last twenty-one days–Spring 25 is determined to lift each other up and make the most of every day that they have left!