Hello! My name is Maddy Ryan, and I am a boarding student from North Andover, Massachusetts and a senior at Lawrence Academy.

There are not many things that you will remember more about your time at LA than Winterim. Winterim is one of my favorite LA traditions and I am going to tell you all about it in my blog post. To start: what is Winterim?

Winterim is a two-week, experiential learning program in March where everyone (students and faculty!) gets out of the classroom and is given the chance to explore an array of different activities, both on and off campus. All of our Winterim courses fall into one of the following categories: cultural immersion, academic field study, service learning, crafts and skills, or outdoor adventure. Students can stay on campus and in the Groton area or venture out of state – or even out of the country – and are encouraged to take advantage of the diverse areas of study and explore a variety of options throughout their time at Lawrence Academy.

To give you an idea – many students choose to stay on campus for Winterim where there are many amazing opportunities to be a part of. There is a woodshop Winterim where students make boats and tables. Another group goes to a local retirement center to play games with residents. For those who choose to travel, some students go to Costa Rica to go deep-sea fishing and others head to Disney World in Florida to accompany sick children on a vacation that they (and you) will never forget. These trips are just a start to the amazing travel opportunities that are offered during Winterim.

In my first Winterim, I chose to learn how to paint with Watercolor. I have always enjoyed playing sports but never thought I was a very artistic person. However, in that two-week program, I found a new love for art and have since made many of my hobbies related to art. I have painted tons of pictures that now hang on my wall, and I am proud to look at them every day. I got to try something completely new through Winterim that made me step out of my comfort zone and let me be a part of a new experience.

This is what Winterim does. It lets you explore yourself and the world, and it gives a glimpse of life outside LA that you can be a part of. Winterim gives you a chance to do things that you never thought you would do and also introduces you to people from other classes you might not know otherwise. Whether you choose to do a program on campus, in a nearby town, or in another part of the world, you’ll be part of something that enhances the LA community and will be one of your favorite memoires at LA.