A Slice of Heaven: Steven Gould '16 Reflects on His High Meadows School & Camp Experience

“High Meadows is its own world,” Steven said. “Everyone has their own story of the first time they drive up the driveway. You come up the hill and it feels like the weight of the world is off your shoulders. Regardless of your previous school or camp experience, you can be a kid and have fun while learning and playing at High Meadows.”

Steven enrolled at High Meadows as a third grader after three years in public school. Before coming to HMS, he was not challenged academically and often felt bored in the classroom setting. That all changed once Steven and his family found High Meadows.

“I was engaged more, challenged by my teachers, and had meaningful assignments at HMS,” he said. “I worked collaboratively alongside my peers with student-led projects, and our thoughtful questions drove the lessons. Inquiry-based learning had a big impact on my education. It wasn’t simply doing a worksheet and turning it in; the teachers allowed us to explore our interests in meaningful ways.”

In third grade, Steven remembers a Trail of Tears reenactment that took place throughout the school’s campus on a cold winter day. To honor the land and those who came before us, High Meadows School & Camp has adopted a formal land acknowledgement that is read aloud during public events. The reenactment left a lasting impression on Steven and his classmates.

The students were “forced” out of their classroom setting for an entire day and were not allowed to go back inside for any reason. Teachers marched Steven and his peers around campus to simulate the experience of Native Americans being forcibly removed from their homelands. The High Meadows School & Camp land acknowledgement states, in part, that it resists the erasure of Indigenous histories and ongoing colonization, an idea the simulation helped Steven better understand.

When he entered middle school, Steven explored new interests, including playing in the school’s jazz and mariachi bands. Although he felt nervous about high school, he quickly discovered that he was “overprepared” and academically ahead of his peers at Roswell High School, including those from public and private school backgrounds.

“For the first two years, I had already learned everything at High Meadows,” he recalled. “The way you learn at HMS is not like how you learn in a public school. It’s more collaborative rather than a sit-down-and-listen environment. I had the foundation for success thanks to High Meadows.”

In high school, Steven began to give back to the High Meadows community. After aging out of attending camp, he became a counselor-in-training (CIT) and was hired full-time during his second year in that role. For the past eight summers, he has poured his energy into campers and cherishes the relationships he has built.

Steven has served in several camp roles: two years as a CIT, as part of the pool staff, in the COVID Green Group, and, since 2022, as a Super Seniors Unit Leader.

“Asking me to pick my favorite part of camp is like asking a parent to pick their favorite child,” he said with a chuckle. “High Meadows Camp is happy and fun. Watching my campers grow up is an inspiring feeling. Zoya, who achieved overall Knighthood this summer and became the 86th Knight in HMC history, was in my group during COVID. I love the joy and the vibe of camp.”

High Meadows School & Camp has profoundly shaped Steven’s life, and he wholeheartedly recommends both. “I think everyone should send their child to High Meadows School & Camp,” he said. “Both allow kids to be kids. High Meadows is one of the few places that truly honors every individual as a person.”

Plan your visit to High Meadows School today. Extremely limited openings remain in select grades for the 2025-2026 school year. The 2026 camp season will run from June 1 – July 31. Visit www.highmeadowscamp.org for information on enrolling your child or working as a camp counselor!