Why Prep

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Hello, Sandia Prep Community! 

I hope you had a fantastic summer and found ways to stay cool. It’s hard to believe we are back at school again! It has been wonderful to see everyone coming together again for a year that is sure to be filled with growth, adventure, and great memories.

Speaking of coming together, I have been thinking a lot about the power of coming together in large groups. What is it about sharing moments together that make those moments that much more meaningful than if we were alone or even in a smaller group? Earlier this summer, I had the great pleasure of taking my daughter, a true “Swiftie,” to the Taylor Swift concert in Denver. Lily has been a fan since she was four years old. One day in the spring of 2009, she came with me to pick her brother up from a friend’s house, and they were playing the music video of “You Belong With Me.” She was immediately entranced and insisted we get the video. A week later, she and I went skiing together in the Front Range of Colorado, and on the drive home (about a two- or three-hour drive, depending on traffic), she watched the video on a loop for the entire drive!

This love has continued throughout her life and throughout Swift’s different iterations (or “Eras,” which is the name of her current tour). So I knew it would be particularly special for her and was excited to be a part of that. But what I wasn’t fully expecting was the power the experience held over me. We arrived near the site early to ensure parking, and so we had some time to kill. As we walked to a restaurant to grab a bite, we passed many other groups of people (I was amazed at how many concertgoers were mother-daughter pairs like us) who were clearly heading to the show. How did we know? Because Swift’s tour represented all of her different eras, many folks decided to dress as a particular moment in her career. So there were people wearing T-shirts and plaid pajama bottoms (from the previously-mentioned iconic “You Belong With Me” video, which was her Fearless era), folks dressed as angels and devils (referencing the song “Cruel Summer” from her Lover era), and lots and lots and lots of glitter. As we passed people, everyone gave each other a little cheer, an acknowledgement of the excitement that was building as we came closer to the time of the show.

At the restaurant, the bulk of people there were clearly attending the concert, and our waiter was excited to talk about it as well - while he wouldn’t be able to attend, he was still basking in the glow of anticipatory energy. And then, we caught a ride with a Denver tour guide to the stadium, and he shared his experience from the previous night and declared himself a loyal Swiftie. Clearly, the energy and excitement was spreading far beyond the confines of Empower Field (in fact, the Federal Reserve reported that Swift has boosted the economies in each of the cities where she’s performed).

Once inside the stadium, the love continued. A reporter from Westword commented that the show was “all-around wholesome.” There were people of all ages, and the positive energy was palpable. There was a moment early on when Taylor Swift paused, just listening to and watching the thousands of cheering fans. On the big screen, I saw that she was clearly moved, her eyes moist and her voice breaking slightly when she spoke. And that, in turn, moved me (and the audience) to scream even louder in support.

Throughout the concert, there were countless moments of collective joy - after all, the concert was almost four hours long! Swift has so many songs that have become classics, and when she sang these, you could hear the lyrics being sung/shouted from all around the stadium. The highlight for me, of course, was when she sang “You Belong With Me,” since that was the song that first hooked Lily and reminded me of her lifelong connection with Taylor Swift. That is a moment I’ll never forget, singing (well, more like shouting) the lyrics with Lily (along with everyone in the stadium).

In her book Braving the Wilderness, Brené Brown writes about these exact moments, calling them moments of collective joy. She shares a story of a powerful moment during a Liverpool soccer game and goes on to say that “the power of collective joy can transcend division.” In her research, she has found that music is one of the most effective ways to create these moments, and live music is particularly powerful. It’s not surprising that we include music in many moments of collective joy and pain, including weddings, graduations, and memorials.

That concert was so special to me because it marked a moment of connection, inspiration, and shared experiences, not only with my daughter, but also with the friends we went with, and even with the whole stadium of 70,000 people. Our lives are made up of moments, and this new school year presents us with the opportunity to create our own meaningful moments. Our students will have moments of elevation - when they win a game or perform on stage; moments of pride, when they receive recognition for their work; moments of insight, those “aha” moments when everything comes together; and moments of connection, when they create and cement friendships that will last a lifetime. I am excited and honored to be a part of these experiences for our students and  believe wholeheartedly that each one of them has the potential to make a lasting impact – on themselves, on each other, and on the world around them. And the thing that is so wonderful about Prep is that our students find themselves surrounded by people who will support, nurture, and celebrate the unique qualities that each of them brings to the table. These strong connections allow them to feel confident jumping into new experiences and creating those moments that will become part of the fabric of who they are. I can’t wait to see how they grow!