Did you know? By being offered an enormous amount of autonomy, trust, respect, and responsibility while also caring for their community at Saint Louis Sudbury School, Sudbury students develop unique skills that help them navigate life. Sudbury students are often intrinsically motivated, self-aware, are able to find a purpose for doing things that might be challenging, and do not hesitate to ask for help and to explore options and new ways of thinking.

Saint Louis Sudbury School student Veda, age 15, recently put these skills and abilities to work while applying to The Putney School for a summer art program. We are thrilled to announce that she was accepted! We asked Veda some questions about the application process and what she is looking forward to at Putney.

Why did you look for an art summer program?
While I'm in Texas during the summer, my social life is limited. I wanted to make more friends and learn more about art.

How did you find Putney? What drew you to this particular art program?
When I was 14 a year ago, I was interested in joining a small art program. My mom did most of the work to find it and while looking for an art camp, she found Putney School Summer Arts. At the time, the idea of no devices during the art program was nerve-racking and I was against it. A few months went by and I procrastinated the application process so long that I missed the deadline. Since I missed the deadline, I then had a year to process what it would look and feel like to have no devices and live in a dorm with a roommate. I did more research and grew to love the idea.

What was the application process like and did you do it on your own? How did you stay motivated and stay on top of deadlines?
The application process was mostly just a summary of what I’m interested in and what my motivations are. I did the application on my own. Also, I gave Sudbury staff the recommendation letter form and reminded them to complete it.

We heard that you had an interview—what was that like?
The interview process was really interesting. I scheduled a phone call with the director of Putney and it was meant to get to know both me and my mom. My mom had a situation and ended up missing the call. She wasn't able to tell me that she was going to miss it. Doing the call by myself was nerve racking and scary but it definitely rewarded me with more confidence and understanding for the future. I learned how to fully express any concerns or questions I had without turning to my mom for help or support.

How did you feel when you got the news that you got into the program?
I felt overwhelmingly happy and proud of myself.

What elements of the summer art program are you most excited about? What elements are you feeling a little nervous about?
I'm most excited about the opportunity to have unlimited access to art supplies and to be able to expand my knowledge in art and exposing myself to the challenges of no devices and a dorm lifestyle.

Congratulations Veda! We can’t wait to hear about your summer experience!