During their time at The Island School, students are often reminded of the concept of legacy. What is a legacy? How do you want to be remembered? How can you make an impact that will be felt long after you leave this place? 

For anyone who has stepped foot in the kitchen this fall, there is no doubt: George Jensen left behind an incredible legacy at The Island School, especially in the Dish Pit.

During his time here, George completed 200 dish crews, which is no small feat. To our knowledge, it’s the most dish crews that one single student has completed in Island School history. 

The chunky, murky water. The still, humid air on a hot day. The sour cream smearing the plates after Taco Tuesday. Those realities are enough to make most students want to spend as little time in the Dish Pit as possible, maybe even avoid it at all costs, but not George. 

Growth Through Adversity: Finding Courage in Dish Water 

Believe it or not, before coming to The Island School, George hated doing dishes. 

At home, his routine consisted of clearing a dish and letting the dishwasher take it from there. With no dishwasher at The Island School, George had to form a new routine. 

“I was consistently required to brave the chunky, murky water for often a single fork, or sift through the back sink for a wire brush,” shared George in his Demonstration of Learning (DOL) at the end of the semester. 

As he also stated in his DOL, “a true courageous person does something despite fear.” 

So, on his fourteenth day at The Island School, George set his mind to something: he would complete every single dish crew for the rest of the semester. Little did George know the lessons he would learn or the impact his Dish Crew endeavors would have on the larger community. 

Courage, Perseverance, and Commitment 

Completing 200 Dish Crew shifts took far more than a wire brush and a tolerance for touching soggy food. It took courage, perseverance, commitment, and leadership. 

“In my mind, persistence is doing something hard and doing your fullest so that you are proud of the result,” George explained in his DOL. 

Examples of George’s persistence showed up in the Dish Pit and beyond, like scrubbing the macarioni pan until it shines, or finally making it to his campsite on the 8-Day kayak expedition after hours of paddling.

And of course, it took perseverance. As George would say, perseverance is feeling like you want to quit, but continuing to power through. 

At dish crew number fifty, George felt burnt out. He wanted to take a day off, but it was his advisory’s Dish Crew day, and he had made a commitment. If he was going to try for 200, he couldn’t quit. George said it was one of the hardest days in the Dish Pit, and one of his hardest days at The Island School, but he showed up and persevered. 

“Commitment is being so dedicated to something that you can’t pull away from it as much as you may want to.” George shared in his DOL. There is no doubt that he demonstrated this in the dish pit. By his second-to-last night on campus, George completed his 200 Dish Crews, cementing his legacy not only in the Dish Pit but in Island School history. 

Lessons Beyond the Dish Pit 

The lessons George learned in the Dish Pit showed up in all areas of his Island School experience. 

Solo was a rough spot for George, but he committed to silence—no turning back. He persevered through the Half Marathon, finishing the race and even encouraging others who were struggling along the way, despite feeling like he wanted to quit at times. At the start of the semester, he was hesitant to step into leadership roles, but was thrown back into it on a kayak, and rose to the occasion. 

One of George’s defining moments came when Ozzie, who oversees the Dish Pit, stopped by to say he had to go, and trusted George to run it on his own. In that moment, George felt like he mattered; he was seen. 

During his last querencia, George reflected, “Everything here has been here long before me and will be here long after I’m gone. I’m insignificant unless I do something about it.”

 It’s safe to say he did something about it.

The Impact of Showing Up  

Through his time spent in the Dish Pit, George has shown us what it means to show up for your community. 

Even on the days he felt exhausted or overwhelmed, George rolled up his sleeves (often touching soggy chunks of leftover food) to ensure the kitchen had clean pots and pans to cook in, and that we had clean bowls, cups, and plates for the next meal. His attitude, consistency, and perseverance set an example for his peers and for generations of students to come. 

While George probably scrubbed more mac and cheese pans than we can fathom, we don’t just remember him for his amazing cleaning abilities. We remember him for the way he stepped up, showed up for our community, and led by example. 

His phrase “Dish Crew Dogs” will continue to echo in the Dish Pit as new groups of students learn to love Dish Crew. 

George, we are so proud of all you have accomplished and the positive legacy you have left behind! Don’t forget to keep the momentum going back at home!