Interview With Bart Bronk '96 What was your most memorable moment at CFS? Commencement … where you kneel down on the chapel rail and the Headmaster and Chaplain individually bless each of you and send you off into the world. I remember sitting there with 26 guys and remembering everything you all have been through during your time at Church Farm was really emotional.
What values from Church Farm are still with you today? I think the most important value that Church Farm implemented for me 31 years ago was discipline. I was a kid with a lot of talent but not a real idea of how to execute and use that talent. Self-discipline and the ability to manage my own world, make decisions, be independent, have personal agency and then having at that point a largely male faculty in those days hold me accountable for my talent I’d say personal discipline and accountability were the two biggest values I took away. Then the third, I think you mentioned it, was brotherhood. To live, collaborate with and experience joy with other boys from all over the country was a magical experience that couldn’t be replicated in my local school. Coming together with different brothers and learning to get along, building those relationships in a boarding setting, are the most important friendships I’ve ever made.
If you could tell your younger self anything about the opportunities in CFS, what would it be? I would say to cherish every moment. My six years went by really fast and for the first few years, I didn’t know if I was in the right place … I might have missed some memories early on because of that but when I was sitting there in the chapel that is when I knew my time in CFS was over. I’ll never live life as simply as I did when I was there… If I could watch a movie of all my experiences I would because the memories were all so great and it was such a special time in my life. Try to be present at the moment but also have that distance to say “this is pretty cool, this is something that is going to be with me forever."
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