Vol. XCVI Midland School Los Olivos
California
October 2026
Number 1
Tea Time By Amelie ‘27
Dan Susman Takes the Helm
Since he first stepped into the role of interim Head of School last May, Dan Susman has been a force for the students. When I asked Dan how he feels about his new role as the utmost leader of Midland, he told me that his connection to this place started literally from the ground up, and this is another chance for him to connect to this community and its students. Hired fresh out of Harvard Grad School for Education back in 2017, Dan joined our community as a science teacher and Outdoor Educator. In the past 10 years, he has walked hundreds of miles of trail alongside students, deeply examined the local flora and fauna, and become a role model for many. Whether sleeping on the unforgiving ground after a long day of backpacking or showing up to work period ready to go, Dan has made it clear that he doesn’t just want to teach the students, he wants to learn, grow, and work right alongside them. Now, as he steps into the role of interim Head of School for the 2026-2027 year, Dan has the opportunity to engrave this attitude into the systems of this place. “My biggest goal is to make every student, faculty, family, alum, feel like they have a place here at Midland.” Dan told me in an interview, “every decision I am making is centered around making sure all of our community finds their place and feels like they belong here.”
Dan Susman addresses the community
Marcela ‘27, Amelie ‘27 & Dan Susman Backpack in the Sierra Nevada
In many ways, Dan has stayed for a decade because he found his own place in this community. He mentioned that a main motivation for his work is past students who call him up to share how impactful their Midland education was. Old advisees and outdoor leaders frequently reach out to share how Midland taught them resilience, work ethic and community. The stories are much the same when Alums return for Thanksgiving. This impact that Midland can have, Dan says, is what motivates him both on campus and off campus as he tries to recruit the next generation. Though Dan’s new role doesn’t guarantee as much face-to-face instruction time with students, he made it clear that he hopes to be as present as possible for this community. In fact, his biggest fear stepping into this role is that he will not be able to be the supporter that this community needs. You’ll see Dan’s door in Main House open most of the time, and he’s promised me he’ll be getting out with students on some Hardluck and Backpacking trips this year. Dan sees this role as an opportunity to connect with our community even more than before, and as the year begins to ramp up, he reflects that he can already see the puzzle pieces of this community merging together just how they belong. 1
Land
Bringing Back Orientation Camping Trips By Amelie ‘27 After nearly two decades without them, we once again began the school year with grade level camping trips. Students arrived on campus, moved in, and then we piled into suburbans & vans and hit the California coast. The freshman class got to know the Santa Barbara area while camping at Refugio State Beach. The sophomore class headed to Morro Bay, where they were awed by a posse of Sea Otters. The Junior class also went north, staying at Montaño de Oro State Park. The seniors seemed to be chasing the surf: we headed south to Leo Carillo State Park near Malibu, where the swell was giant!
11th graders rest in the shade
Levi ‘27 triumphs the surf
All summer long, Dean of Students Taylor Replane, Health Director Mallory McPherson-Wehan, Outdoor Program Manager Andrew Gardiner, and interim Head of School Dan Susman worked to plan our orientation trips. The goal of the week was to integrate new students into the Midland community, smooth the transition from summer free time to the bustle of Midland, and foster belonging for each and every student. The trips were just this: a great chance to slow down, have fun, and get to know each other. The 9th graders spent hours in the water, and though a palm tree dropped some debris on their picnic tables, they came out unscathed with some good stories to tell. The 10th graders went to the Morro Bay Natural History Museum and returned to campus overflowing with facts about the sea otters they adored. The 11th graders also got quite the nature show: a deer swam in a cove with them, baby bobcats peeked out of the brush, and racoons showed no fear.
The 12th graders spent their week glued to the water. Armed with surfboards and paipos, we danced across the large waves. Though we spent a fortune on aloe at the overpriced camp store, the seniors maximized being at the beach despite powerful waves and burnt skin. When we got back to campus, it was clear how well knit our community was. New students felt like old friends—in fact, four new students were elected to Student Council, which has not happened in my years here. The camping trips showed how quickly our community can morph and mold to match the new faces that join it. Though our sunburns faded, our friendships remain strong.
The Freshman Class poses at Refugio Beach
2
A Loweryard Hardluck Tradition By Miriam ‘28 As a new year rolls around at our 2,860 acre outdoor school, it would be impertinent to assume that there won’t be many Hardlucks: overnight camping trips on the property. This year, Loweryard rockstar stewards Amelie ‘27, Marcela ‘27 and I continue to pass on the torch of tradition: an all-Loweryard Hardluck. After enjoying dinner, Trip Shed was packed with excitement and chortles of laughter as the Loweryarders prepared to begin our expedition into the property. On our way, we sent greetings to the horses and were amazed at the beautiful sunset. Though the group was initially heading to the Res, an impromptu decision was made by the stewards for a more cozy and novel outdoor experience—staying the night at the Ap, a traditional house of the Chumash people who once lived on Midland’s land, that was built during MIDterms in 2026. With chit-chats and giggles, the Loweryarders arrived at the Ap. The group settled within, forming a circle around the floor. A candle was lit in the middle, its flickers drawing everyone’s attention. As the night loomed in, the stewards started to carry on another tradition of the Loweryard hardluck: making potato chips from scratch. Amelie ‘27 passed on to the group her secret recipe for the crispiest potato chips: (recipe redacted by Editor).
Potatoes ready to go into the whisperlite stove frying pan
Loweryarders cook potatoes in the Ap
Whenever the chips were ready from the boiling-hot oil, they were devoured in seconds. As we awaited the next round of crisps, we shared fresh strawberries picked from the farm and roasted marshmallows on top of the candle. Quinby ‘27 and River ‘30 both rated the delectable food as their favorite part of the Hardluck. We ended the night playing campfire games and sharing stories of Midland, with laughter bursting out from the Ap as we bonded with each other. As the old philosophy saying goes, “hard luck is still luck”. Although Hardlucks at Midland seem intimidating to those who don’t particularly enjoy the outdoors, the overnight trips still keep us rooted in luck. The luck of an accessible way of having fun no matter the level of outdoor experience or grade level. The luck of learning about each other outside of academic settings. The luck of meeting similar people who are willing to spend time in the woods with animals. This luck is what keeps Loweryarders, despite knowing that coyotes and mountain lions roam around the Midland campus, continuing this tradition and culture year after year. 3
Community
Welcoming New Faculty Faces!
By Layla ‘29 As we come into the new school year, we are welcoming six new faculty to our community, from new admin to science faculty. Lianne Petrocelli is joining the Midland Staff this year as an Admissions Associate. She and her husband Dan P, our school psychologist, moved to campus last fall. She had previously spent twenty years in education, many of those at boarding schools as well. She was an early childhood teacher, and she also worked in a tech job for six years creating assistive devices for nonverbal students. One thing she loves about Midland is the play culture. She is most excited this year to get to interact with the current students and recruit future ones. One thing that she was surprised about was how much freedom the students have here to explore our property! Maeve Willis is joining our community this year by working in Marketing and Communications. Growing up in Santa Barbara, she was drawn to Midland because it seemed that the school was very driven to provide excellent experiences for students. Her personal values and Midland’s values are very similar. She and her husband run a non-profit farm, she coaches basketball and cheerleading, and she is a Girl Scout Troop leader. In high school she was involved in the multimedia arts, and she is going to use the skills she acquired from that to get Midland ‘out there’ and help design Midland’s story. Scott Crago is the new Dean of Academics. He previously worked in schools that were experiential education based. He met Dan Susman at a conference his school was hosting, and researched Midland to learn that the school aligns with his values. He has done a lot with curriculum development and change towards competency based learning.
The 2026-27 Midland Faculty
He is most excited about getting to know everyone and building connections. Something that surprised him was the vast variety of students that we have, and that there is something here for everyone. Scott looks forward to helping expand our backpacking and camping trips to the greater west and using these experiences to deepen class curriculum in American Literature and History courses. Peggy McAllister is the new Outdoor Programs and Residential Life Assistant. She wanted to work at a boarding school and interact with students. A friend of hers who works at Outward Bound alongside Dan Susman heard about the position and sent it to Peggy. She had worked with students in small groups on week long backpacking trips, and she wanted to build stronger connections with students. She grew up going to an eight week long camp from the age of eight to seventeen. Midland reminds her of that: the community and the people. In the past, Peggy has run several outdoor trips, such as rock climbing and backpacking, as well as female centered outdoor trips. This year, she is excited to lead more outdoor trips and get to know everyone. She was impressed by how engaged the students are here. Molly Reingold is the new Math and Science faculty. She is currently teaching Midland 101, Biology, Geometry, and coaching volleyball. She was looking for a change, and the National Association of Independent Schools recommended Midland. When she visited, all the interactions she had with both students and faculty were really positive. She is ready to use her time as a counselor and coach to help students. She is excited for MIDterms, Experiential Week, off campus outings, and to be an ear for new students. Daniel Hosea is the New Farm and Garden faculty. He found Midland through an Instagram post that “looked like he could have written it himself.” One thing he is excited for this year is making connections with students. One goal that he has is to try and get Midland to have a stand in the Solvang farmers market. In his past job, he worked with both chickens and goats, and he is trying to create a “higher end chicken operation” to produce around 80 eggs a day. Something that he loves to see is the effect that the farm has on the community. We are so glad to have welcomed these exceptional faces to the team! 4
Midland Pasture Welcomes Three New Horses By Veronica ‘29 The Midland pastures have welcomed three new horses so far this year, though only one is owned by Midland. Each year, Lauren looks at a budget and, assuming there’s enough flexibility, sets aside money for new herd members. The horse they bought this year is named Harvey, a ten-year-old bay quarter horse who came from Thacher School. Lauren used to work for them, and her former boss called her and asked her if she wanted to buy Harvey, because he wasn’t working well with their program. He’s going to be used for beginners, being a slower mover and quite calm.
Maryah (left) with Delilah
Harvey’s grown close to Dewey, his pasturemate, and is already starting to feel at home at Midland. He particularly enjoys eating oak leaves with Dewey and being visited by students! Lauren’s very excited to see him bond with students who are new to riding, and in doing so help to support them in growing more confident and comfortable with horses. Peaches and Delilah are the two new student-owned horses, both of whom are quarter horses! Peaches is a seven-year-old palomino, who has been with her owner Bri ‘29 since she was born, and Delilah is a four-year-old bay owned by Maryah ‘28. Peaches was originally being trained as a reining horse by Bri’s father, but around three years ago Bri took over her training and started working on barrel racing with her. She is taking the move to Midland very well, and is glad to be out of the confines of the barn and in a pasture with her new best friend, Delilah. Bri’s excited to rebuild the connection she began to lose with her after not seeing her last year. Delilah—owned by a new junior transfer student, Maryah—has been trained in liberty and to do a variety of tricks. She’s worked past her fear of relocation and skittishness, having settled in well, and now loves to be visited by students! Maryah’s excited by the prospect of not having to drive to see Delilah, with the two of them being extremely close.
Sports By Pyp ‘27
Ultimate Frisbee
This year Midland added Ultimate Frisbee to our collection of sports. Ultimate frisbee combines the cardio of cross country with the competitiveness of basketball as frisbee discs soar through the sky. It stands apart from other sports by not having a referee. This difference helps players emphasize sportsmanship, kindness, athleticism and honesty on the field. A self-regulated sport, Ultimate frisbee relies on the players to bring a fair, positive game to the field. Two teams face off to score goals by maneuvering around opponents. With only ten seconds to pass the frisbee, the game moves at lightning speed.
Players cannot run with the frisbee in their hand and must rely on pivoting their feet to successfully make passes to teammates. To score a point, a player must throw the frisbee to a teammate in the opposing team's goal. The support and positive mindset brought by Midland’s finest ultimate frisbee coaches Jess Garff and Leah Hebie, both math teachers, makes the sport ever more enjoyable. Rocky ‘27 captures the team spirit: “Ultimate truly brings out the best in each other as teammates and peers. I'm always having a good time whether I'm just passing back and forth with a teammate or scrimmaging on the field with the sprinklers going to keep me cool!”
(Continues Page 6) 5
Novices are also finding their footing with support from coaches. Sophomore Deshant says “Ultimate frisbee was an incredible addition to Midland. I'm currently working on my backhand throw and Jess’s support makes it all the more easier!” Whether you are a dedicated athlete or just someone looking to have a good time, Ultimate Frisbee is an incredible way to spend time with friends and stay active on the field. The team warms up
Student Voices
Summer Cosby Program
By Pyp ‘27 Last summer, I spent a few weeks doing something that helped me make an important decision: do I really want to have a career in health care? Thanks to the Cosby Scholarship I received last spring, I was able to attend pre-med programs at Arizona State University and UCLA. I went into the summer interested in health care but not yet committed. But I came out of it feeling like medicine might be the direction I want to take. At Arizona State's Summer Health Institute and UCLA’s Summer Scholar Program, I got a pretty wide introduction to the world of health care. I interacted with specialists in medicine, nursing, dentistry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, genetic counseling, nutrition, and physician assistant programs. Before the program, I thought of people in health care as only doctors and nurses. But the presentations by specialists in all of these different fields made me realize just how many individuals are involved in patient care. The part of both programs that I enjoyed most was actually trying some of the techniques and procedures we were learning about. In the simulation labs, I had the opportunity to practice taking vital signs, interviewing patients, and doing procedures used in head-to-toe physical exams. Obviously, practicing on a simulation is very different from having an actual patient in front of you, but it was pretty cool to take something I had learned in a classroom and immediately have to figure out how to use it. It helped me understand that the science of medicine doesn’t just involve memorizing facts about physiology and anatomy. You have to communicate with the patient and other health care professionals, think through problems, work with a patient care team, and decide on a treatment plan that can have real consequences.
Participating in two different programs also gave me the chance to see the medical profession from slightly different perspectives. It gave me a better idea of what it might actually be like to spend years studying medicine and eventually work with patients. Before this summer, I would have said I was interested in a career in medicine. After completing those two pre-med programs, I can say something more definite: I want to pursue a career in medicine. I still have a lot to figure out. I know that getting into medical school is going to require a lot more than just signing up for a Biology major in college. But now I have a better idea of what I'm working toward. I plan to major in Biology in college, so I can build the scientific foundation I will need to figure out what part of medicine interests me most. One of the things I appreciate about Midland is that we are constantly being pushed to try things before we have everything figured out. This past summer felt a little like that. I went into these pre-med programs with an interest in health care and came out with something much more concrete. Because of that, I have a better idea of where I want to go next and how to get there. I'm grateful to the Cosby Scholarship for giving me the chance to take that first step and explore opportunities in health care. This fund gave me the resources to explore a passion and understand my potential impact on the healthcare field. I want to use what I learned last summer to give something back to the Midland community: For my senior project, I hope to focus on the care and wellness of Midland students, using my growing interest in health care for a year-long project that could benefit the community that has given me so much. I'm excited to keep exploring and see where this path takes me. 6
Head of School Note There is something remarkable about watching Midland come back to life each fall. In a matter of days, empty cabins fill, students and their dogs are padding down the shale paths through Middle Yard, the din returns to Stillman, and suddenly the place feels like Midland again. Now, a few weeks in, the mornings are cooler, the cottonwoods are beginning to turn gold, and a bright moon has been rising over Hill 37 as the sun sets. At our first Chapel of the year, I told the community about one of my goals: I’m going to build a surfboard. Partly because I love surfing and making things, and partly because it sounds fun. But also because I want students to see me trying something I don’t already know how to do working alongside them, making mistakes, asking for help, and figuring things out as I go. That feels like a fitting metaphor for my first year as Head. Though this is my tenth year at Midland, this role is new, and I’m grateful to be learning it alongside a community I know and love deeply. As we move into fall, I hope all of us find something that sparks our curiosity, challenges us, and reminds us of the joy of learning.
-Dan Susman, Interim Head of School
The Midland Mirror Team Photography Avery ‘30 Photography Club Maeve Willis Midland Faculty
Editor Amelie ‘27 Writers Pyp ‘27 Miriam ‘28 Layla ‘29 Veronica ‘29
Logo Art Emma Munger ‘08
A Note from the Editor:
I am the second in my family to run the Midland Mirror—my grandfather, Sherman Herrick ‘62, was the spearhead during his tenure on the faculty. Since Midland has always been close to my heart, my first changes as Editor have been intertwining historical aspects of the Mirror with the present version. Some of you may have noticed that our title page is now the original font and logo (many thanks Emma Munger ‘08 for recreating the logo!), and I would like to reinstate the Alumni Notes section. If you have a recent life event (i.e. marriage, having a child, graduating college, etc) or written piece that you would like published in the Mirror, email it to us at midlandmirror@midland-school.org or mail it to ‘Midland Mirror, PO Box 8, Los Olivos, CA, 93441’.
-Amelie ‘27, Editor
7