We live in a town people dream of traveling to, and it has recently come to my attention that Aspen is a unique place to grow up and to go to school. There are big differences in the way our school runs, and living in a place like Aspen creates an environment much different than the cities.
Starting off strong, Aspen Flight Academy has partnered with AHS for a unique program called Every Student Flies. You can experience flying with a certified flight instructor in a Diamond DA40 Aircraft. It is a one-of-a-kind program in the United States that offers a free flight and a pathway to aviation careers for students.
The ExEd program is a prime example of how AHS is different from other schools. Teachers say it all the time, but it truly is a privilege that other students around the world don’t experience. We have the opportunity to take a trip, recorded as school hours, mind you, to explore and spend time with our peers and make new friends. There are so many different trips to experience and learn from. We have the opportunity to get to know our classmates through spending time outside and off screens. It is a way for AHS students to welcome new students when they come around, treating them as if they have lived with us their whole lives.
Even our cafeteria is unique. We don’t even call it a cafeteria, we call it the commons. (I don’t know why, someone look into that for me) Rather than sitting at those compatible-rectangle lunch tables, we gather around circular tables, and also elevated tables with barstools. It doesn’t feel like a school cafeteria, it feels more like a food court inside a mall. The furniture is not the only thing that sets us apart from other schools’ cafeterias. The Cafe is a privilege that not many schools have, and we take it for granted. We have the option to browse through different snacks and lunch items like a store.
Since there are so many students in larger schools, with class sizes almost as large as our high school. There are more teachers. This isn’t the case for Aspen. There are small groups of teachers teaching each subject, and by the time we reach the end of our high school career, we will already know most of the teachers (if not all). You will have gotten to know personal things about them. Students don’t just get taught by our teachers at AHS, we build relationships with them. It helps to have someone you trust as a teacher, rather than someone you barely know.
Despite all the positive things that come with the uniqueness of AHS, there is a negative side as well. We’re living in such an isolating community, making it hard to remember that your right group of friends may not reside in Aspen. We often forget to realize that there are so many different kinds of people outside of our little bubble.
As students at AHS, many of us are surrounded by familiar faces and kids we’ve known since day one. Some can feel hopeless in finding people who are similar to them, but we have to remind ourselves that there is a bigger world outside of this valley. If you are feeling hopeless or need help with your mental health, reach out. AHS provides a hope squad to refer you to people who are trained to help.
The AHS experience shapes us into who we are. There are so many unique components that go into AHS that make it different from schools in the cities. We get opportunities that not many other schools get to experience, and it is a privilege to live in this beautiful little town we call Aspen, surrounded by a close community.
