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A Note on Excel at Amherst College
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Patrick Noyes
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Each year, at Putney's annual retreat in September, my colleagues give me curious looks when I announce my desire to direct the Excel at Amherst College program.
With all of Putney's international destinations and global connections, why not go to India? Why not Peru? The truth is, while I have created programs in Malawi, South Africa, Argentina, and El Salvador, and have led trips to China and Spain, a summer with Excel on the campus of Amherst College is equally, if not more, exciting to me. Here's why:
It's NOT SUMMER SCHOOL and it's not summer camp. Each year at Excel Amherst, students who love Architecture or Fashion Design or Psychology connect with each other without the pressure of grades, tests, and quizzes, and the results are stunning. Excel students write and act out hilarious skits at coffeehouse, read moving essays during Final Night, and perform original songs during Community Meeting. This level of student involvement and creativity is only possible with the right doses of freedom, opportunity, and structure.
The Excel Amherst COMMUNITY comes from all over the States and the world. Elena (from Spain) teaches Imani (from New Jersey) how to make a tortilla espaņola. Natasha (from Los Angeles) explains how one day she will rise to become general manager of the L.A. Lakers. Guido and Tomasso (from Italy) play DJ and rock out to a mashed-up opera. And I come away from each summer having witnessed the formation of a vibrant global network of friends and future leaders.
Excel's OUTSTANDING INSTRUCTORS are involved in the entire program. Paul lives in Alaska and has his own film production company. Rob studied architecture at Brown, sings a cappella, and now works for Google in San Francisco. Amber has exhibited her work in Italy, Russia, Canada, and all over the U.S. When I sit in on the seminars they teach, join them for a hike in the Berkshires, or bounce new ideas off of them for the Boston weekend, I am reminded that Excel instructors are here for the same reasons I am. They love each summer's possibilities, and they are dedicated to the mission of making it all happen in collaboration with Excel students.
So far, I have directed three sessions of the Excel at Amherst College program and, while I will be staying in Vermont this summer to help coordinate logistics for over 30 international Putney programs, my heart will be 45 miles down the road, in Amherst, MA.
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Excel at Amherst College Through Photos
Students and parents interested in Excel at Amherst College often ask what we do outside of our seminars. In response to the inquiry, we've put together this captioned slideshow that features just a taste of all the adventures and activities you can engage in this summer. Click here to check it out.
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Featured Alumni: An Interview with Moises Estrada
Moises Estrada spent last summer on Excel at Amherst College. A student at South San Francisco High School, he came east for the summer with a specific focus: Fashion and Design. Under the direction of instructors Mammi-Ama Ofori and Rob Warner, his passions took flight. Now in the final semester of his senior year of high school, Moises has been accepted into an impressive collection of Arts and Design programs. He will be attending California College of the Arts. Click here to read our interview with Moises.
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