MIDLAND MIRROR
ByJay‘26
TeaTime GrassMountainDay
Anotheryear,anotherlengthytrekupGrassMountain.This3,885foottallpeakisthecrownjewelofZacaRidge,themountainrangeto the north of Midland, and is an iconic symbol visible from almost everywhere on campus. Every year, the school gets together on one specialdaylateinthesecondsemesterandundertakestheeight-mileround-tripupanddown.Forthepastfewyears,MathematicsFaculty NhiNguyentookonegroupearlyinthemorningandtheseniorsset upstrategicsupplystationssalientlyspreadthroughthetrail,handing out goodies ranging from Juicy Fruit gummies and water refills to NatureValleybarsandNutterButtercookies.
Everyyear,rumorsaboundaboutwhenGrassMountainDaywill be. This year, certain sleuths sussed out suspicions of the Tuesday before Junior Dance Weekend, as access to the sign-out sheet for Midland’s fleet of unmarked white vans and four-wheel-drive SUVs c M
Thisyear,theweatherwaspleasantlywarm,withsomestudents arguing that the beating sun and puddles of sweat at the peak were preferabletolastyear’sclouds,wind,andfrigidtemperatures.Headof SchoolHannahNelsonreflectedonherfirsttimemakingtheclimb, saying,“Itwastough reallytough.ButIremindedmyself,‘Icando this.Ijustneedtoputonefootinfrontoftheotherandusethetools I’vegot.’Atonepoint,IrememberedIhadtrekkingpolesinmypack. OnceIstartedusingthem,thehikebecamemuchmoremanageable. Thatmomentstuckwithme notbecauseitwashard,butbecauseit remindedmethatwe’recapableoffacingchallengesifwestaysteady, stayresourceful,andkeepmovingforward.”
Itwasaharddayformany Sascha‘26,anewjunior,admitted,“I wasalittleworried,becauseIdidn'tknowifIwouldbeabletomake it up such a steep peak” But after reaching the top, he and many othersagreedthat“theviewfromthetopofGrassMountainandthe feelingofhikingawholemountain–whichI'veneverdonebefore–wascertainlyworthit”Atthetop,wewaiteduntilthewholeschool wastheretogether,andhadabriefgatheringbeforeeveryonewent theirseparateways,spreadingoutdownthetrailontheslipperywalk backtoschool Forthosewhoarrivedbackbefore5:00pm,rootbeer floatsawaited,theperfecttreattocooldownexhaustedhikersona hotafternoon
Thewholeschoolatthesummit
OntopofGrassMountain
ExperientialWeek
ByAmelie‘27
This year, the freshmen class headed out on their annual backpacking trip into the Los Padres National Forest. Due to injuries,thenumberofstudentsgoingonthetripwasdownto11,so ratherthansplittingintotwogroups,thewholeclasssetouttogether. They got dropped off at Nira, a backcountry entry point near campus,andhikeddownstreamontheManzanaCreektothe10-acre Midlandinholdingwithintheforest.Fromthere,theyexploredthe confluence of the Manzana Creek and the Sisquoc River before headingupandoverthebacksideofZacaRidgeandwalkingright backtocampus.Althoughrainfelleverydayoftheirtrip,thereviews weregoodwhenthissmallbutmightygroupof9thgradersreturned tocampus.
As usual, the sophomore class got campus to themselves for a week. Over the past two years, sophomore classes have worked on buildingabiketrailandshowerfireconstruction.Thisyear,theclass of 2027 set out with the ambitious goal of doing both things: creating a new outdoor shower fire for Upper Yard and cutting a freshbiketrailnearcampus.Thepreviousyearsofsophomoreshad gone into the week with ambition but neither group had finished their project. Willa ‘27 said, “the sophomore class did more than anyone expected us to.” This year, we somehow managed to complete both: the woodshop was alive with noise as we finished buildingandinstallingourshowerfirewallsmadeofrecycledcedar andpinepanabodecabinwood,and18studentsshoutedwithglee astheybikeddownourfreshly-builtmountainbikingtrail.
ThejuniorsheadedtoChowchilla,atownintheCentralValley, to volunteer building low-income housing. Although their week beganadaylaterthanexpectedduetoheavyrainfallandpossible flooding,theymadethebestofthetimetheyhad.Mateo‘26noted, “Itwasaveryinformativeexperience:notonlydidwegettoknow eachotherbetter,wealsogottodohands-onworkforameaningful cause.Itfeltgoodtoknowoureffortswerehelpingsomeone.”The class of 2026 learned valuable construction skills together, everythingfromproperhammerusetothephysicsofraisingawall byhand.Whentheyweren’tontheconstructionsite,theyenjoyed theleisurelylifestyleofteenagerscampinginspring:divingintothe lake near their site, cooking meals over the outdoor stove, and bathinginthespringtimesunandwildflowers.
TheSeniorscampedatTankMesa,spendingtheirdaysdoingtrail work, fixing up the site of the (now burned) senior cabin, and enjoyingthegorgeousweather Ruby‘25andAquila‘25wereboth doing trail work on campus for their senior projects, so crews of seniors helped When not working, they created a fire pit and foundationsattheoldseniorcabinsiteandworkedwithSageTrails AlliancetomaintainandimproveMidland’spublictrails Thisgroup wasn’tjustdoingmanuallabor,however Trace‘25claimedthat“the foodNhihelpeduslearntomakewasdefinitelythehighlightofthe trip.Thinkingaboutthenextmealkeptmegoingthroughthetrail work.”Whenmealtimecamearound,theywerefeastingonmeals organizedandhead-chef’dbyNhiNguyen,mathfaculty.Weeksof preparationwentintothisfood,andtheflavorsleftamomentously goodimpression.Theseniorsspentsomeoftheirlasttimetogether duringexperientialweek,enjoyingthelittlemomentswhilesleeping underthestars.
Community CakebytheOcean:JuniorDanceWeekend2025
ByEmma‘26
Juniortakeover!EveryMay,astheschoolyearcomestoanend and the seniors grow more and more distant, you can feel the excitementforgraduationbuilding Butthereisonemorehypedup event to look forwards to: Junior Dance Weekend (JDW) For a brieftwodays,thejuniorscoverallthejobsinStillman,cookmeals fortheschool,andorganizefunactivitiesfortheotherclasses
TheClassof2026beganplottingasearlyasJanuary,hopingto haveideasinplacebeforethelate-yearacademicgrind Countless meetings took place, whether in classrooms with closed blinds duringlunchorsecretgatheringsinchapeldisguisedasdisciplinary discussions Eachyear,JDWhasathemeandafaketheme,withthe realtheme(justlikethedateforGrassMountainday)oftenleaking out into the ears of lowerclassmen Hoping to throw nosy sophomoresoffthescent,thisyearthejuniorsconcoctedupafake theme, a real theme, and the secret theme Each came with an announcementatassemblyandafakerosterofactivities
First,thefakethemewasStarWars,asJDWfellonMaythe4th GuillermoandZ‘26dueleditoutonStillmanporchbeforebeing taken away by faculty children Freya and Toma as the Imperial March played in the background Next, Shae and Kevin ‘26 broughthorsestoassemblyanddueleditoutwithfingergunsto announcetherodeotheme Andfinally,justafewhourslater,the junior boys wore swimsuits to assembly to reveal the real, real theme:CakebytheOcean ThatFridaynight,thejuniorshosted the Cruising Game, altered this year to include a good squirting withwatergunsforrulebreakers.IntheCruisingGame,9th,10th, and 12th graders attempt to sneak from their living yard to the other,whilethejuniorsprowlaroundMiddleYardtocatchthem. Thegameswerefullofexcellentdisguises,radio-coordinatedsearch tactics,andalotofwetunderclassmenfleeingfromtherangeand firepowerofcheapplasticAmazonwaterblasters.
OnSaturdaymorning,everyonegottosleepin,barthejuniors whoawokeearlytocookupbreakfast:layeredyogurtparfaitsand Kevin’s amazing Nutella-filled French toast. After an hour of preparation,thewholeschooldepartedinafleetofwhitecarsand arrived at Refugio State Beach. Lunch was barbequed hot-dogs, chips,andacakedecoratingcompetition.Despitethefrigidwater, many elected to go surfing, while others sunbathed in the sand, soaking
soaking in the UV-index-level-ten rays. Departing around 4 pm, everyonegotbacktocampusfordinnerandenjoyedchickenkebabs andstrawberryshortcakecookedupbyanotherbatchofjuniors.At8 pm,the2010s-themeddancebeganandlasteduntil9:45pmcurfew, causingcleanuptobedelayeduntilthenextmorning.Overall,JDW wasahugesuccessamongthestudentsandfacultyalike,creatingmuch excitementforthefollowingyearwhenthesejuniorswouldbeseniors.
Cakedecoratingcontest
SayingGoodbyetoJoséJuanIbarra‘87
ByMiriam‘28
Whenthesunsetsbehindthemajesticmountains,withbeamsof lightshiningonthevividsoccerfield,youcanalwaysseeJoséJuan andhisdogMerostridingontheverdantgrass Justasthesunsets, aftertwenty-nineyearsofdedicationtoMidlandasafacultymember, José Juan is going to leave Midland better than he found it and continuehisworkontheSYVHighSchoolBoardofEducation
Asanalumnusoftheclassof1987,heisfamiliarwithMidland’s culture and programs, and is one of the people who has the most knowledgeofMidland Hesharesthevaluesoftheschool,andnoted “IlovethevaluesofMidland,ofworkingasacommunity”Itisthis knowledgeofMidlandthathasservedhiminbecomingclosertothe studentbodyinhismostrecentrole:DeanofStudentsandAthletic Director Heisfriendlytoeveryone,andwheneveryouwalkthrough campusandcomeacrosshim,hewillgreetyouamiably
OneofJoséJuan’sgreatestachievementsatMidlandisimproving the school’s diversity As someone who came to the US undocumented,hewastheonlyMexicanstudentduringhistimeat Midland For a time, he was the only faculty of color José Juan is determined to help diversify Midland by welcoming students and faculty with various backgrounds Talei Cody ‘15, Farm Faculty Assistant,believesthat“JoséJuanbroughtdiversitytoMidland His commitmentandconsistencyishisgreatestachievement”Duringhis time at Midland, he supported and helped ethnic and religious groups,suchastheAsianAmericanAlliance,LatinX,BlackStudent Alliance,JewCrewandmostrecently,ChristianClub
Heworkedhardtoimproveequitywithinthestudentbody He recalls that during his time as a student, there were rank systems whereseniorshadprivilegesandmoststudentsonlytalkedtopeople withintheirownclass However,afterbringingchangesandputting anendtohazing,heisproudthattherearemoreinteractionsbetween students from different grades Furthermore, he aimed to enhance belonging and inclusion within the student body through helping students participate in Student Leadership Diversity Conference as wellasDEIJ(Diversity,Equity,Inclusion,Justice)Summitprograms, where students share their culture and backgrounds with the communityviadiscussionsandworkshops Hebelievesfirmlythat, “Itisimportantforthecommunitytobemindfulofdifferencesand besensitiveculturally Iamgladthatwearehavingmoreintentional conversationsandmakingculturaladjustments”
As the Athletic Director of Midland, José Juan has also made contributionstothesportprograms HeisproudthatMidlandoffers sports that not only welcome students with different levels of experienceandphysicalabilities,butalsosportsthattheymighthave neverplayedbefore,suchasfarmsportandNaturalHorsemanship When interviewed, he confidently said, “At Midland, we develop players Ourcoachesareamazingatprovidingexperiencesthatallow studentstotapintotheirathleticism”
JoséJuan,likeafarmer,nurtureshisstudentswithcareandequity, leading generations of Midlanders to fulfill The Portrait of a Graduate, and most of all, to be better people who will succeed in theirlateradventuresincollegeandsociety
JoséJuanandhiswifeArcelia
JoséJuanatthefarm
SecretLifeofPets(atMidland)
ByJulissa‘26
AtMidlandthereisasecretwayoflife,revolvingaroundthepets thatareownedbystudentswhoresideinLowerYard.
TwodogsfromJuniorQuadracearound.Sierra,anAustralian Shepard,andSkylar,aGoldenRetriever,fightforaslimygreenball.
Maude and Shae ‘26 laugh as they reflect on how their dogs’ dynamics have changed over the years. Since the beginning of last year, Sierra and Skylar have adapted to Midland quickly and have become an integral part of the student body. Their energy and cutenessradiatestoanyonewhocomesincontactwiththem,with manybeingunabletoresisttheurgetopetthem.
AlittleAustralianCattledogwagshertailasshewaitsfortreatsthat Tess‘25hasinherhand Shetellshertorollover,andobediently,Lula rollsinthedirt,coatingherblackandwhitespeckledfur,becauseshe knows that if she follows the command, she will receive the yummy snack LulahasbeenatMidlandforthepastfouryears,makinghera four-yearsenioralongwiththeclassof2025
InSophomoreQuad,arabbitnamedLavenderandadognamed Cricketarewallmates OwnedbyAbby‘27andWilla‘27,theybring joy throughout Lower Yard as Cricket makes his rounds to get pets from whoever calls his name and Lavender enjoys roaming through Abby’scabin
Someextremelyhigh-pitchedtweetscomefrommycabin,asmy twolineolatedparakeetssitontheircolorfulswinginsidetheirbird cage GladysandFozzie,mybondedpair,havebeenatMidlandsince theendoflastyear Everyday,Ibringthemout,andIsitonmybedas Idohomework,whiletheyblowkissesinmyear
FreshproduceisgiventotherabbitAthena,asshehopsaroundthe pinkcarpetinsideVeronica‘26’sroom,makingherroundsthrough herplayspaceandtakinganapunderthedeskchair Veronica,sitting on the floor near her bunny, says, “I really enjoy having my bunny around, and she makes life at Midland easier She bites my ankles, thumpsaround,andeatsmyorchids Besidesthat,sheisthecutest andmostlovingbunnyIcouldwishfor”
AftertheirfirstyearofMidland,returningstudentshavethechance toapplyandbringtheirbelovedpetstocampus Fordogs,10%ofthe student body are able to bring those furry friends, due to space constraints,butother“extraneous”petsarealwaysconsideredoncethe prospective pet application is submitted The Lower Yarders of ‘26 have some very interesting combos of pets and encourage other students to bring their pets as well! Poppy, owned by Pyp ‘27 is the onlydog(andpet)inUpperYardandisalwaysattheassemblycircle waitingtobepetbyanystudent UpperYardseemstocurrentlylack petrepresentatives,buthopefullythatchangesoverthenextfewyears
HavingtheopportunitytohaveapetatMidlandissuchaunique experience and makes it fun to explore and do homework with (dependingonwhatpetyouhave,ofcourse!) It’ssomethingspecial that Midland fosters: an environment for the student and their companiontothrivein
MillieandAC’25,photobyGrey&EllePhotography
SeniorProject:TheLastStandofMidland
ByEmma‘26
Everyyear,theseniorsaregiventhechoicebetweenawritinga10pagepaperorcreatingaprojectthatfocusesontheirinterests This year,8studentsdecidedtoescapethepurgatoryofaseniorthesisand followedtheirpassionstocreateprojectsthataddsomethingtoour school
ThefirstseniorsdoingprojectsareSamandKielson‘25,who undertookthecreationofafleetofpaiposandaskiffintheMidland woodshop,respectively Astheresidentexpertinaquaticsandoceangoingoncampus,Samteachesmanystudentstosurfandpaipo(itis likeboogie-boardingbutwithasmallwoodenboard) Hedecidedon hisprojectbecauseofthelackofsurfcraftforstudentstolearnwith Though battling procrastination, Sam finished before his deadline andbeganpreppingforSeniorSymposium Asaproficientboater and fisher, Kielson’s passion project came from his interest in the ocean and finally building his own boat Encountering few problems,Kielsonhashopestofinishhisboat,thentestitwithhis projectadvisor,AndrewGardiner,whoisHeadoftheJobsProgram andMidland’swoodshopteacher
Switchinggearstotrailorientedprojects,RubyandAquila‘25are doingtrailworkonMidland’scampus RubyisrestoringtheGolden HorseshoetrailonMidland’sproperty Involvingfellowstudentsin herproject,Rubyhastaughtmanyalowerclassmanhowtowielda MacLeodandaPulaski,alsoacquiringlabortohelphercompleteher project in time Aquila, Midland’s mountain biking expert, has undertakenthecreationofanentirelynewbiketrailintrashcanyon
Though facing a formidable opponent, the Midland cows, Aquila finished his project and the students in mountain bike sport have beentestridingitbeforeSeniorSymposium
Artists Brodie and Morgan ‘25 chose to make a mural and mugs for their respective senior projects. Brodie began her beautification of CommonsatthebeginningofSemester2,choosingtoplacehermural inthestudentspacetobringcolortoit.Withheronlychallengebeing fendingoffinterestedstudents,Brodiecompletedhermuralandhung it in Commons. Morgan, a talented ceramic artist, decided to create individualmugsforeverystudentintheceramicsstudio.Eitherletting thestudentsdecoratetheirownmugsordesigningthemtomatchthe student, Morgan created, fired, and glazed 70 individual mugs, finishingbeforeherdeadline.
The fourth and final genre the senior projects for this year can be sortedintoismiscellaneous.SimonandTess‘25chosetomakeavideo gameandafieldguidetoMidlandtrees,respectively.Simondecidedto followhisloveofvideogamesandcreateaMidlandvideogamewith characters based on students to practice his coding ability. While encounteringmultiplechallenges,includingdroppinghiscomputerso itdidn’tfunctionproperly,Simonhasbeenworkinghardtofinishhis game before Senior Symposium. Tess, on the other side of the tech spectrum,decidedtoputherpassionforforestryandtreesintoaguide of Midland trees. Beginning with Midland’s iconic oaks, she has systematicallyloggedeverynativetreeonMidland’scampus,finishing intimetopresentherguidetostudentsatSymposium.
Aquila‘25showinghistrailwork
Sports SleepingUndertheRedwoods
ByJulissa‘26
Wavescrashagainsttherockssurroundedbycrystalbluewaterthat stretchoutbeyondthebeach It’squiteblissful,andeveryonetakesin thisbeautifulviewbeforetheyhavetoputontheirheavypacksand take on the last Outdoor Leadership (OL) backpacking trip of the season
ThesecondSpringOLtripwasledintheBigSurbackcountry,a placethatMidlandershaveneverbeforebeento Normally,thespring trips are in the Midland backcountry or around the local area However, this season was different The Big Sur trip has been a constantrumorthroughoutthegroup,untilfinallyAndrew,oneof theseason’scoaches,announcedthatitwasactuallygoingtohappen Dayoneconsistedofagoodchunkofthehikebeinguphill The sun beats down on everyone, sweat trickling down our spines and soakingourshirts,butfrequentwaterbreaksmadethistreacherous uphillbearable Theviewswereinsane,thesparklingblueoceanwas allinviewandwalkingupthetrailwaslikewalkingthroughaflower garden, the poppies popping and the lupine lush in clusters After finallyreachingthetopofthe1,000plusfeetofelevation,gigantic redwoodssurroundedthetrail Thefeelingofwalkingthroughthese giant trees was surreal, everyone admired the natural beauty of the trailandenjoyedtherelativeflatnessthatthispartofthehikehad Theredwoodswerecharredfromfiresinthepastyears,butdespite thescarring,theycontinuetothriveandsoarintothesky
Duringthehorriduphillofthefirstday,Sam‘25tooktheopportunity tosecretlypokewildflowersthroughTrace’s‘25shoesandbackpack, decorating them without his knowledge When he realized Sam was beautifyinghim,Tracespeduponhiswaytoourfirstcamptoseehis backpacksooner Samwasn’tintheoriginalOLgroup,butthistrip wasopenedtoMidlandStewardsandinaraffle,SamandAquila‘25 were chosen to go on this trip As he recalled after the trip, “It was hilariousbecauseIhadbeenattheexactspot10yearsago”Sam’sstory camefullcircle,satisfyingendinginthesameplacehebegan
Vicente Flat campsite was such a beautiful spot, redwoods surrounding everyone as they made their way down the path to a possiblespottomakecamp However,somefriendlybackpackershad alreadyclaimedthespot,whichmadeusdecidetofindamoredesirable placetomakecamp.Afteraquickrelocation,backpacksweredropped andeveryonecalledthisplacehomeforthenexttwodays.
ConePeak,thetallestcoastalpeakinthelower48states,awaitedus the next day. After re-evaluation, the group would NOT wake up at 5:30am but instead, bright and early at 6:30am instead. A little bit better.Itwasanestimatedsixmilesuphillandsixdownhill,goingback thesamewayup.Theuphillwastreacherous,butthesceneryandthe unexpected group of mules that passed the group on the road up balanceditout.
Andrewunderthegiantredwood
Thehikeupwasn’teasy,butthankstoagroupoftrailworkers,it waspossibleforthefourteenbravehikerstomakeittothetopofthe peak Theuphillfeltasifitwereneverending,thatisuntiltheold firetowerwasjustinview Everyoneraceduptofinallysitandenjoy the picturesque views of the shimmering ocean, redwoods that seemedsosmallfromuptop,andtheexpansiveLosPadresNational Forest Whatstartedasanimpossiblehikewasmadeareality,agreat accomplishment for everyone Going back down was somewhat easier,alittlehardonthekneesbutlessdemandingthanthewayup Burritos were made for dinner, such a delicious meal that was definitelyearnedafteralongdayoutonthetrail Jay‘26endedup eating five full burritos and had to take the poop kit out twice, makingeveryonelaughasheranintothewoods Sleepcameeasily foreveryoneastheysleptundertheredwoodsforthelasttime
Asolohikeawaitedthenextday,whereeverystudentwasspaced fivetotenminutesapartandcouldusethetimetoselfreflectand enjoy the hike back by themselves The fog made it feel like a wonderland, but unable to navigate or have a sense of direction Nearingtheheadofthetrail,thewavescrashingmadeitnotablethat theendwasnear TherestofthedaywasspentatSandDollarBeach withagroupusingpaiposthatweremadeintheMidlandwoodshop andexplorationsontherockybeach Itwasagloomyday,thegray cloudsactingasashelterfromthesun,butthatdidn’tstopanyone fromdoinganyfunexplorations Thatnight,gameswereplayedby the fire as the raccoons rampaged through Bella and Andrew’s campsite,oneevenfindingBella’spoopkit!
Sadly,thetripcametoanendonthefourthday,andapitstopat theelephantsealsanctuaryonthecoastof,whereverHearstCastleis, madeeveryone’sday Betsweremadeonwhichelephantsealwould win a fighting match, laughter and the barks of the seals echoing throughoutthearea
OLissuchauniqueprogramthatisofferedatMidland,awayto cultivate leadership skills and allow a space for self reflection to happen on its own This season being her first, Hayden ‘26 expressed,“MyfirstOLtripwasmyfirstevertimebackpacking,and Ihadlittletonoknowledgeoftheoutdoors Ididn’tknowhowto setupastove,asolotarporpackmypack AndafterthisOLtripI feelveryproficientintheseskills” Evenaftertwotrips,itiseasyto grow in leadership skills and there are visible effects through hard workanddeterminationintheprogram Asyearscontinuetogoby, theoutdoorprogramwillcontinuetoflourishandmakeaspacefor everyone to find their place and learn how to take leadership not onlyindoors,butintheoutdoorsaswell
Thestunningscenerywithtoweringredwoods
Soccer
ByAmelie‘27
Atthestartofthe2025soccerseason,alotremainedunknown for the Mighty Oaks Last year, nearly half of our starting team graduated Our longtime coach, Karlin, was unable to continue coachingsoccerthisyearbecausethescheduleconflictedwiththatof his club team Going into this season, the team had a lot of new players and the number of students returning to the pitch for anotheryeardwindled
WhenwereturnedfromFebruarybreakandsoccerseasonbegan, things were a bit in the air Genevieve ‘97, Spanish and History faculty,steppedintotheroleofheadcoach Genevieve’stimewiththeMidlandsoccerteamiscomingfullcircle: asastudent,sheplayedontheVarsitygirlsteamforfouryearsand captaineditforthree HerfirstjobatMidlandwasastheassistant soccer coach, a position that eventually evolved into her taking a teaching role at the school, moving on campus, and beginning to coachagainontopofherteachingload Andnowshe’sbackonthe pitch:leadingtheteamthroughwhathasbecomeaverysuccessful season
Overall,theseasonhasbeenajoyfulsuccess “It'sgreattohave talented players on our team,” said George ‘25, co-captain of the team,“andit'sevenbetterthatourteamisonethatplaystogether Thisyearhasreallyshownhowsuccessfulwecanbewhentheteam playstosupporteachother”
George said that “going into the year I thought I, and other returningteammembers,weregoingtohavetofillahugerole,but realisticallyitworkedoutverywellbecauseafairamountoftheteam did a lot of pre-season work in fundamentals, and Genevieve has beentrainingeveryonetoplaytogetherreallywell”
The team has had a remarkably high scoring season: so far their four games against Besant Hill and Oak Grove each ended in triumph by more than five goals The coaching approach this seasonhasbeenmorefocusedonteamgrowththanindividualskill, something that players appreciate Maude ‘26, another captain, remarked that “ a lot of the returning players have gone into the roles with more confidence: they pass more and are more connectedasateam Thiscreatesabunchofspacefornewstudents to explore their roles, and the rest of the team has been acknowledgingandplayingintothat”Thisyear'steamhastalented playersacrossallgrades,creatingaunifiedfrontthatcancontinue toleadMidlandSoccertovictoryinthenextfewyears
Soccerteam‘25
HeadofSchoolNote
Theendoftheschoolyearisnearlyuponus TheseniorswerejustawayatRefugio,soakingupthecoastlineandreflecting on their final days as Midland students. Back on campus, juniors stepped into leadership helping to prepare for Graduation,tidyingthecornersofcampus,andtendingtothemanysmallritualsthatmarkthecloseofaMidlandyear. Thistermhasbroughtitsshareofheatandchill,oflongdaysandsuddenbreezes.WehikedGrassMountaintogether myfirsttime! andyoualldancedinthebarnatyourSecretGardenProm.Youstudied,youstumbled(someofyouquite literallydownGrassMountain),youlaughed,andofcourse,youlearned.Thefinalstretchoftheschoolyearisalwaysabit ofarollercoaster,echoingtheunpredictabilityoflifeitself Butthere’ssomethingbeautifulaboutridingittogether I’m gratefultobeonthiswild,short,meaningfulridewithyou.Asyouheadintosummer,Ihopeyourestdeeply,playfreely, andchasealittleinspirationwhileyou’reatit.You’veearnedit.
HannahNelson,HeadofSchool
TheMidlandMirrorTeam
Editors
Writers FacultySupport
HeatherCarreiro JohnIsaacson‘94