The Boarding Experience

By Conor McCarthy ’27

Imagine leaving almost everything you have known behind to attend a boarding school you barely know anything about. In all honesty, this is a situation that many Hebron Academy students have been through. In most of those instances, the school is a lot further away from their home than four hours, and a lot of the time, there is a whole different language being spoken. Still, the boarding experience was a big change for me, even though I had the comfort of my home just a short drive away. While the switch to living away from home was unsettling at first, it has ended up being a great experience that has impacted my life significantly, taught me a multitude of lessons, and has led to countless memories made throughout the year.

Living in a dorm for the first time has impacted many different parts of my life. I quickly realized that I needed to be more responsible, as my parents were no longer able to help me with daily tasks or even simple things like waking up to my alarm in the morning. There is also the aspect of making new friends. I was not used to this as I had been close with the same people for over ten years before coming here. Living in a dorm also makes it easier to hang out with friends, as they are all your neighbors. These different pieces of life are important to me and are probably the biggest things that have changed since arriving at Hebron.

Being at Hebron has taught me to always appreciate and take advantage of new opportunities. I was very indecisive when choosing to go to boarding school. I knew that it was an incredible opportunity and that I should not take it for granted, but I felt so comfortable where I was that I was not sure if it was the right move. Looking back, I am glad that the decision to attend boarding school was made, and I have learned to always pursue every opportunity that comes my way.

There are some downsides to living in a dormitory, such as a lack of personal space, no home-cooked meals, and seeing too much of Jeremy Lavoie. But generally speaking, the independence and the amount of time spent with my friends here is unmatched. I would recommend trying boarding to most people I know, whether it is in high school or college. The good most definitely outweighs the bad, and I would not trade it for regular schooling in any scenario.

Throughout the year, there have been a lot of memorable moments, but a few in particular stick out. Playing guitar by the fire after homecoming with tens of others, all the away football games and the sixhour bus trips to get there, and especially the movie nights that take place on the weekends in my room with some of my closest friends here. There are, of course, plenty more memories that I have made here, and I know that they will continue to stack up in the future.

Though boarding school was a major change and living in a dorm is different than anything I have ever known, I would not ask to have it any other way. My first year as a boarding student has been great, and I am excited to see what the future holds.

Pictured: Kiernan King '26, Brody Levering '27, Jeremy Lavoie '26, and Conor McCarthy '27 Photography credit: Mary Sweeney