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See Who Studies at Avon

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Boys at Avon learn to be comfortable in their own shoes by interacting with the multicultural community around them.

Meet the Men of AvoN

 

Living and learning with a variety of people helps shape students' leadership skills, interactions, and emotional intelligence.

With a student body of 405 boys from 28 states and 24 countries, our students learn to become citizens of the world, with friends from all corners of the globe.

We invite you to take a moment and get to know some of our current students:

 


 

Reza Badiee: First Flight

As part of Avon Old Farms' expanding technology curriculum, the Aerospace Engineering class visited Robertson Airport to pilot airplanes over the school campus. Students toured the facility, were guided through the mechanical checklist for safe take-off, and eventually flew alongside the instructors.

There's nothing quite like the feeling of guiding a vehicle through the open air. Reza describes his moment in time:  

"My heart was pounding out of my chest. Having the control wheel in my hands, manning a 1,669-pound machine creates a feeling like no other. At the moment of take-off, I started to feel butterflies, my heart began to race, and my hands became shaky. Once we took off and were in the air, I had a smile that reached from one ear to another. It was indeed an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life.

In life, I am grateful for my family, friends, and everyone I have come in contact with. I firmly believe that I can learn and benefit from every human being I meet."

 


 

Nick Keroack: Service and Impact

Students at Avon Old Farms learn how to be involved and make a difference. The Outreach Program provides boys with those gems of opportunities when they can contemplate their role in relation to helping others.

Nick Keroack took time out of his busy schedule filled with singing and guitar, maintaining stellar grades, and playing varsity hockey to volunteer at a local homeless shelter. Nick reminisces about his involvement:

"I was thinking how different these peoples' lives were from mine, but how we're all people and think the same jokes and say the same things. It was uplifting connecting with these very grateful and nice people. I felt so lucky to have been blessed with what I have been given and my family. It made me want to impact these people's lives in a positive way, and help them as much as I can.

In life you can get caught up in the little things, but when I see people who have been in tragic accidents or who have had some tough curveballs in their life, it makes me realize how grateful I am to be healthy, have a loving family, and have the gifts I have been blessed with."

 


 

Mouhamed Ndiaye: Working Hard and Seizing the Moment

A number of athletes from Avon Old Farms have gone on to celebrate major professional victories. Most recently, George Springer '08 of the Houston Astros was awarded the World Series Willie Mays Most Valuable Player Award on November 1, 2017. However, on that same day, ESPN SportsCenter featured current student Mo Ndiaye's epic bicycle kick in the show's Top Ten Plays segment. Mo has been a vital member of Avon Old Farms' varsity soccer team for the last three years and was named to the All American East Team, scheduled to play in Orlando, Florida on December 2, 2017.

Hard work, grit, and the pure love of a particular sport can collide in a split-second decision to nail the perfect play. Mo depicts what was going through his mind as he scored:

"I was so happy, soccer is the one thing I love to do. I was thinking that this year is very important for me. Also, in that moment, I was in the middle of three players—I didn't have space to control a turn, the only thing I could do was to play two-touch. When I was running inside the 18, I was thinking to use my head if it was a cross-ball. But after, in my mind, everything changed very quickly. Because of my teammates, I decided to make that bicycle kick. They make me work hard, they are always here to help me.

I am grateful to God, who helps and teaches me the way to achieve my dream. I'm thankful to my teammates and to all the people who came to support us that day."

 


 

T.J. Shaw: Staying In Character

 

Performing for a crowd of peers is an exercise in vulnerability and courage. Actors dig into a pure part of themselves in order to empathize with the characters they portray. At Avon Old Farms, the theater program doesn't shy away from presenting the entire student body with contemplative works. Actors, as well as audience members, walk away from performances with a retrospective mindset to their own role in this world.

Lead actor T.J. Shaw magnificently presented the shadow side of a young man on a journey into his darkness in the Old Farms Theater's production of Rope, by Patrick Hamilton. He describes the tension in this frame:

"What was going through my mind at this moment was split. My primary concern was preparing to deliver my next line. However, I had just previously looked up and seen my parents sitting in the front row which made me calmer and allowed me to stay in character. 

I'm grateful for my friends, family, and people who I have encountered at school. All of them have always looked out for me and kept my best interest at heart. I'm also thankful that I am a person who has been fortunate to experience success and has the opportunity to teach others to help them achieve their goals." 

 


 

Chris Zhang: Journey Into Darkroom Photography 

Space to create can open up the channel to the marvel of self-expression. At Avon Old Farms, the arts thrive. Students can explore a variety of outlets to discover their artistic talents and hone them in programs under the guidance of professionals. 

Visiting artist Ty Morin introduced students to the intricate process of creating tin-type photos using his truck-camera. Chris recalls his creative journey:

"I was surprised when I finally saw what we had done. It was a fantastic print, not to mention this was my first time working with a mobile camera obscura truck. What really enamored me of darkroom photography is its unpredictability: there are so many variables that will affect the final print, so a good one is especially rare. Because of this, there was nothing in my brain except complete amazement at this moment.

Through my life at Avon, I am really grateful for the support from the teachers. They try their best to keep us interested and aspired; they are willing to answer all of the questions you have or help whenever you need."


 

Artists Thrive at Avon

Meet Our Alumni

World Series MVP Winner George Springer '08

When George Springer made the decision to enroll in Avon Old Farms School, his family was happy to see him at a small school where Springer could get more individual attention. Not attention on the baseball field, but in the classroom. Springer was struggling with a stutter, and needed a place where he could slow down and get help while he discovered himself during his critical high-school years.

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Max Maudsley '14: Traveling and Protecting the High Seas

"One thing I truly took away from Avon, is that people care: people genuinely care about your success and your future."

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Peter Reed '88: Managing Partner at Cardwell Partners

"The relational learning that happens at Avon – knowing your teachers also as coaches and dorm heads – makes a strong impact on young men," he said. "When my mentors had more confidence in me than I did in myself, it inspired me to push harder, and good things tended to happen."

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Avon's GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance) is dedicated to making Avon a welcoming place for all gender and sexual identities, including students, faculty, and staff who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Our club aims to educate the wider Avon community about LGBTQ+ issues and, most importantly, it provides a safe and supportive environment for students who do not easily fit into heteronormativity, as well as their friends, allies, and supporters.