CRMS's Life-Altering Impact on 3 Generations of Parzyboks

Bill Parzybok ‘61

Last June, my grandson, Charles England ‘22, became the sixth member of our family to graduate from Colorado Rocky Mountain School. Those that have graduated include me, my brother Steve Parzybok ‘63, my cousin Kevin Sink ‘78, my nephews Wyatt CurrlinParzybok ‘89 and Hayes Parzbok’99, and my grandson Charles ‘22. As you can imagine, we have a long and positive association with the school. I visited with all of them (except my brother Steve, who passed away in 1999) regarding the impact CRMS had on them. There are strong common themes among all of us.

There is uniform consensus among us that CRMS was a positive life-altering experience that has impacted each of us. It was challenging in many ways but viewed as the best years of our lives - a time of growth, learning, and self-knowledge. As one family member said, “We were pushed to the limits of human strength and mental toughness.” Academic life was just as demanding as climbing mountains and rugged wilderness trips. There was instilled in all of us an insatiable love of nature and the great outdoors. Mt. Sopris throughout the seasons and the sound and beauty of the Crystal River are indelible memories. The Wilderness trips were true learning experiences that challenged our perseverance and enhanced many character-building qualities.

Responsibility, self-discipline, self-reliance, and accountability were common themes, along with the importance of teamwork and a sense of community. The school culture embraced the strong values of kindness and respect in all our interactions.

Family members often mention how we grew our independence to think for ourselves and our leadership skills. We appreciate the physical work, like maintaining ditches, tending gardens, repairing trails, and building structures. One great memory for me was being on work crew that made the bricks for the iconic Adobe art building…talk about memories. We learned that work won’t kill us but will make us stronger physically and mentally.

Last, and certainly not least, is the impact of the faculty and the academic program on our growth. There is nothing quite like the faculty member who brought topics to life and helped guide us through difficult subjects while challenging us to always do our best. We all have stories of the positive impact one or more faculty members had on us.

Colorado Rocky Mountain School is in our DNA and will always be.