Our Son's Journey to Attending Principia
Liam always knew he would go to Principia for high school. I just wasn’t as convinced.
I’m a Prin College grad, so it’s not that I’m not on board with the amazing opportunities and the excellent moral and academic education at Principia. But I wasn’t ready to let our last child leave home quite so soon. After all, my husband and I had a lot more parenting (and hugging) to do. Or so I thought . . .
When Liam was in middle school, he would get online and show us the Principia videos. His dad and I reminded him that the schools where we live in the suburbs of Boston are some of the best in the nation. Besides, didn’t he already have everything he needed—with Christian Science friends and experiences that nurtured his spiritual growth in addition to an excellent academic education? He thrived as a camper at Owatonna-Newfound every summer and when he was in eighth grade, he was selected to be a part of DiscoveryBound’s four-year National Leadership Council (NLC) program. He was also a student in our active Sunday School and enjoyed participating in the Boston DiscoveryBound events. Wasn’t that enough?
Prior to his freshman year, Liam visited Principia, but we ultimately decided that he should at least try one year at our large, public high school, which our other two children had attended. Liam makes friends easily and worked hard to make it onto the competitive soccer team. He really enjoyed that. However, we noticed something was missing. He was getting lost in large classes where he didn’t always feel motivated or encouraged by his teachers. He also often avoided hanging out with friends on the weekends.
That spring, my husband and I decided to join Liam on his second visit to Principia. Of course, everything about it convinced us that it was a good place for him. Except one thing: When would we ever see him?
That summer, Liam went away for a two-week adventure trip with his NLC class. When he returned home, I’ll never forget what he said to me and my husband: “Don’t make me go back to my high school.” He said that being on his NLC trip with friends who were genuine, who accepted him for who he was, and who lived and loved Christian Science was what he wanted year-round. It was only two weeks before the start of August sports camp, and I realized we all were finally on the same page. Yes, he could go.
Liam’s sophomore year at Prin has been the best decision. He’s engaged with his academics, he’s made incredible friends, and he’s turning to Christian Science to find solutions to challenges. And what about mom? Well, I’ve realized that seeing him so happy and thriving makes missing him less of an issue. When I visited him in the fall, I got to experience firsthand what he loved about Prin: his classes, dorm life, soccer team, and friends. I admit I felt sad as I said goodbye and walked to my rental car. But then the best thing happened! I got a text that my flight was delayed by several hours. Liam and I had bonus time together—hanging out in his dorm room doing homework, going on a Target run, and having dinner together. It was the kind of quality time that we now cherish in a new way.
One of my favorite lines from Hymn 148 in the Christian Science Hymnal summarizes how I feel about this decision:
“In heavenly Love abiding,
No change my heart shall fear;
And safe is such confiding,
For nothing changes here.”
– Ingrid Peschke, Framingham, MA