WHS Class of '16 Reflect on Delivering Books to Rockaway Scholars' Academy in NY

The following are reflections from members of the WHS Class of '16 on their class project

On Saturday, Oct 26 the experience at Scholars’ Academy was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I will hold it in my heart forever. 

The students welcomed us with open arms and shared their stories about what they had been through. Not only was today a day to remember all that had been lost, but also to them it was a day to celebrate how well they bounced back! 

The assembly they put on showcased many of their talents that I had never seen before and they even taught us a bit of a step dance, which was a big part of their school culture. I made many new friends while at Rockaway bringing the books to the classrooms and taking a tour of some of the rooms that had been destroyed. My time at Rockaway proved to me that even though a horrible storm may hit, the help of friends and staying positive will make for an even better, stronger return!

Victoria Baggio

Going to Rockaway and delivering the books to the Scholars’ Academy was an amazing experience that I will never forget. When we got there, the principal greeted us and gave us a brief tour of some of the classrooms that had been destroyed in Superstorm Sandy. We got to meet many of the students, and spending time with them and learning about how their school works was a lot of fun!

Cory Macdonald

Today's experience was more than a celebration of teamwork and resilience following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy; it was a gift for all of us involved. For the day, we were removed from the regularity of our lives and were able to get a glimpse of the lives of students in Rockaway, New York. Their gratefulness and spirit was contagious and we felt it throughout the day. Even the youngest students in the Scholars' Academy greeted us with maturity and genuine friendliness. As rewarding as it was to experience the gratefulness of the students and faculty at the Scholars' Academy, I found it even more of a gift to be united with other students. The reality we all saw today was that devastation, like that of Hurricane Sandy, can happen anywhere, and the best way to get through hardship is through community, spirit, and resilience. Scholars Strong, Rockaway Resilient!

Grace Kelleher

The opportunity I was given today at Rockaway, to give back to the surrounding communities will be an everlasting memory. The smiles on each and every student’s and teacher’s face as we walked into their classrooms and handing them books gave us a fantastic feeling. Everyone at Rockaway was so kind and appreciative. They made us feel at home. As we watched the students’ performances, I was amazed by how talented the students at Rockaway are in music, art, and academics. As they performed, I felt happy and lucky that I was able to help such a wonderful school such as Rockaway after a terrible tragedy. The friends I made step dancing, at lunch, and in the classrooms are friends that I will never forget. Rockaway Scholars’ Academy really is an amazing school.

Lauren White

My trip to Scholars' Academy in Rockaway NY was truly an experience I will never forget. The kids' attitude in such a time of hardship was so inspiring. It was also amazing to see the differences between our school and theirs and I hope to take everything I saw back to my school.

Amanda Craven

The trip to Rockaway was a unique and extremely gratifying experience. Seeing just how much they were impacted by this storm was a real wake-up call, and I finally grasped just how much our donation helped them. I also realize that in a world full of evil and injustice, there is also an abundance of good that is not as prominently displayed in the media. Seeing how much not only my peers, but many others in the community stepped up and helped the Scholars' Academy in their time of need was truly inspiring.

Elizabeth Craven

Rockaway the Storm with Books has been an amazing experience. From the beginning, we focused on how we would get the message out and the ultimate goal. This aspect of the project taught me how important dedication, teamwork, and using social media are to fundraisers such as ours. The most interesting part of the project was definitely traveling to the Scholars' Academy to deliver the books. We received notes and "thank you" cards from many of the students; it was amazing to see how much they appreciated not just out help but the help that they had received from all over in the past year. We got to hang out with some of the kids, their step team even taught us a few moves! My involvement in the Rockaway the Storm project proved a success both in the amount of books we collected for the Scholars’ Academy and the lessons we've learned from it! Scholars Strong, Rockaway Resilient!

Olivia Phelan

Such a school of welcoming, friendly, appreciative, and mature students as the Rockaway Scholars’ Academy I do not think that I will ever know again. Not only did the students and faculty display such gratitude and open hearts to eight students from a small town two hours from their own, but they truly demonstrated their strength through disaster and their unbreakable spirits that carried their school and community so masterfully through such hardship; only a year after such devastation that Hurricane Sandy wreaked, they have already gained a level of academic, musical, artistic, and diplomatic excellence many times higher than it must have been before the storm. Through adversity, diversity, and the school spirit displayed all over the school walls and in every student’s heart, the Scholars’ Academy truly bounced back, transforming their hardship into motivation to grow taller than any storm floods, every student and faculty member a drop of the water of resilience that washes over the remnants of devastation, restoring vitality and collective strength to Rockaway. Though through discussions with students during a pizza lunch in their library, I found in New York students the same qualities that I look for in Wilton friends, making the world a whole lot smaller, together, the Rockaway Scholars’ Academy is truly exceptional.

Jessica Kobsa