The Visiting Squad • by John Shackelford and friends

THE VISITING SQUAD

by John Shackelford and the students in Claire Reishman’s Writing Workshop class at
St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School

Every time SAS student Isabelle Sutherland leaves the Mountain for her home in Michigan she is asked, “Where do you go to school?” She often responds, “The middle of nowhere.” 

It is difficult to explain St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School to those who don’t instantly recognize this hidden Tennessee gem, and Isabelle habitually finds herself resorting to a story to express the school’s unique charm. These anecdotes describe campus-wide events, classroom experiences, and personal interactions with students and faculty. It seems that only through descriptive imagery and first-hand accounts can one truly explain the individual nature of an SAS experience. 

In October veteran English teacher Claire Reishman returned home to Virginia to attend her mother’s funeral. Her Writing Workshop class gathered to compose and compile notes of personal gratitude in hopes of easing her grief. The students felt the need to give back to their mentor in the same way Claire gives to them, every class and every meeting. Her loyal group of 14 eclectic high school juniors and seniors collaborated to compose a book of poems, notes and creative letters that she could read upon her return.

The following week, when Claire received the book from the students, she paused for a moment. She then said to her class, with tears in her eyes, “You guys... you wrote!” The class may have written weekly assignments for Mrs. Reishman, but they wanted to say more: “We are more than a class, and you are more than our teacher. We are all family.”

When Margaret Wilson of Sewanee (with her mother, Elizabeth, and her older sister, Helen) took a trip around the world, Margaret received immense support from her teachers at SAS, who helped her plan her online courses, her schedule for the following year and made sure that she would have access to all the materials that she would need to complete her schoolwork. Margaret found that while she would be away from the school for an entire year, she was given extraordinary assistance and encouragement from SAS without hesitation. Although it can be incredibly difficult to live on a different continent while attempting to be a successful student, Margaret felt it would not have been possible without the patience and aid she received from the faculty at SAS. 

Vanessa Moss first heard of SAS from a brochure mailed to her by her grandmother Sarah Carlos, another longtime St. Andrew’s-Sewanee teaching legend. At the time the school seemed like a dream far out of Vanessa’s reach. When she felt dissatisfaction at her much larger and less personal school back home, she often resorted to visiting the SAS website and considering the opportunities that seemed impossible. After two years on the Mountain, she now insists that real life exceeds her expectations. The theater program has been welcoming, instructional and rewarding. What she found in Sewanee was not something hidden in the smiles of the photographs she yearned for two years ago. She found herself.

Isabelle is from Michigan, Margaret traveled the world, and Vanessa came at the invitation of her grandmother, but what students find at SAS is more than just variety. The school is a homespun quilt constantly being rewoven by the small but diverse student body and everybody gets to bring their own yarn. Students come from all over the United States, and indeed, from across the globe. This school that some might think is in the middle of nowhere actually attracts teenagers from Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. Within weeks of each school year, they somehow become a family. There is also variety in classes, afternoon programs and athletic teams.

Almost every student at SAS is involved in more than one or two afternoon programs. Matthew Baranco does swimming and mountain biking. Isabelle Sutherland is heavily involved in the theater program and is an SAS Ambassador. Tommy Oliver plays golf, soccer, runs cross country and wrestles. Fey Shen is committed to volleyball, basketball and tennis. 

Will Pratt came from a public school with more than 2,000 students and believes the small, tight community of St. Andrew’s-Sewanee makes it both easy and fun to learn. “At St. Andrew’s-Sewanee, I am not just another kid in the classroom of 20 to 30, I am Will Pratt who is trying to do his best to succeed, and the teachers know and care about what I am doing.” 

Mpilo Ngomane also came from a public school in Nashville and initially believed the small school setting was not for him. After a short time he realized how much he enjoyed being able to really know his teachers on a personal level. Mpilo calls some teachers by their first names and loves eating lunch or dinner with a faculty member. He says that his teachers are invested in his successes and also in the learning moments of his failures.

When SAS students are asked the question, “Where do you go to school?” the answer is different for each person. Some may even say, with a knowing smile, “It’s in the middle of nowhere.” But SAS is also a school in the middle of somewhere: a place where everyone is family. A place that you may not know now, but once you’re there, it will remain part of you for a lifetime.