Jane Amidon P’28

What initially drew your family to Pingree, and how did choosing Pingree set your child up to decide what happens next in their own journey?

Our family was drawn to Pingree for several reasons. We wanted a day vs. boarding experience, with an active community and strong sense of place. We loved Pingree’s emphasis across diverse academic areas, and its equal balance of the arts, sports, and other ways to get involved. Pingree offered a very clear map of the academic journey from core courses, electives, and H blocks to honors and advanced APEX opportunities. For a school of its size, Pingree offers a good range of options for students, and it’s been very rewarding to watch our daughter make choices about which courses, co-curriculars, clubs, and teams to invest her efforts and care into, learning and growing through the challenges and rewards of that process.

As your family stepped into this community, what surprised you most about the culture and the opportunities to shape your experience here?

There was a very strong focus on “community” throughout the Pingree admissions process, and we’ve found that it is a very real thing! From the school’s leadership through its staff and student body, there is a sense of energy and mutual responsibility around what it means to be at Pingree. There are a lot of touch points built into the daily and weekly student experience - advisory groups, class and school meetings, club and school events, highlighted games for each team, performances and exhibitions. As parents we’ve also found numerous ways to engage with the campus, meet other families, and connect with school staff. It feels like there’s a lot going on both inside and outside of the classroom–which can be hard to fit into busy lives, but we really value and appreciate how welcoming and easy it is to get involved.

How have you decided to get involved as a parent, and how has the Pingree community supported your own path alongside your child’s?

As parents we’ve prioritized attending class-level events and information sessions. We enjoy connecting socially with friends and other families at our daughter’s team games and related activities, and events sponsored by the Pingree Parent Network. I serve as a Parent Ambassador and love helping to support students and families as they explore the school throughout the admissions process. I place a lot of value in the accessibility of teachers and academic leaders, and Pingree makes that possible–as a family, we’ve been able to have really useful conversations and connections when needed.

In what ways have you seen your child take ownership of their future and decide what comes next for themselves since joining Pingree?

Starting in her freshman year, our daughter was excited to join several clubs and have an impact by helping to shape the topics, activities, and guests they engaged with. She did a 10-day summer institute after her sophomore year that she learned about through Pingree. It was an amazing experience that linked to several of her favorite courses, feeds into her clubs, and gave her insights into related college majors and career paths. We feel like she has teachers and advisors at Pingree that she really respects and they’ve been supportive, encouraging, and informative as she’s explored these pathways and made decisions about her goals and priorities.

What advice would you give to a prospective parent who is currently sitting where you once were, trying to decide what happens next for their family?

It’s important to tick off the obvious but important considerations, such as day vs. boarding, size, and location, and to feel comfortable with the logistics. Look closely at the truly unique academic and athletics/arts/activities environment that Pingree offers, energized by its real sense of community. Take advantage of all of the information sessions and visiting days–we learned a lot during the admissions process by talking with families of current students that helped us make the decision to choose Pingree!