Always there for you

When TK ’20 first arrived on campus as a new student from Pathumthani, Thailand, she didn’t know anyone, but her “personal team” was already in place.

An integral part of the Miss Hall’s experience, a student’s personal team includes advisors, Proctors, hall parents, Bigs, teachers, counselors, and Deans who function as a foundational support network, helping students celebrate their successes and overcome any challenges they might encounter along the way. “It’s nice knowing that someone has you back, especially as an international student coming to America for the first time,” TK says. “It’s heartwarming and provided a safe feeling for me.”

While every student arrives at Miss Hall’s with a personal team chosen for them, they can recruit new members as they adjust to the School and begin to make connections, whether personally or in academics and extracurriculars. Other times, says Director of Horizons Alison Basdekis, “when a student may be requiring different resources, perhaps academic support or counseling resources, members of the personal team will at times do ‘recruiting’ for the student to ensure she is best supported.” This allows students to develop a team that best serves their individual needs.

“If you want to talk about your dorm life, you can go to your Proctor, but if you want to talk about academics, you can go to one of your teachers,” TK says. “It’s really nice having several people on your personal team, so you can be specific about your feelings, wants, and needs, and then they can help you right away.”

As a student artist, TK sought the expertise of her art teacher, Ellie Spangler, when it came to developing her craft and discussing her future career goals, but her advisor and “Miss Hall’s mom” Ms. Basdekis was the adult she went to whenever she needed to talk though any difficulties. “Having several people on my personal team is like having different teachers for different subjects.” TK says. “Different people are good for different things.”

It’s often when a student is struggling that the personal team and the support it provides become most critical. When TK was called before the Student Faculty Advisory Committee (SFAC) after making a mistake during her senior year, she felt down, but decided to keep her feelings to herself. Even so, the members of her personal team knew her well enough to notice she appeared despondent and withdrawn, and they reached out, knocking on her door to check on her, offering to chat, and even taking her out for smoothies to cheer her up.

“Everyone approached me in different ways, and all of them made me feel better even though I didn’t ask for it,” TK says. “It’s a really warm feeling knowing that there’s this group of people who really cares about you no matter what.”