Wilson Hill Academy’s LINK

About a week ago, Wilson Hill Academy’s LINK wrapped up. LINK is an event for all the students in the school (and their families). Everyone comes together in person at a YMCA (this year in Black Mountain, North Carolina) for family camp. Each day is packed with activities and opportunities to hang out with your friends and build friendships and community. This was my first year attending, and it was truly a wonderful experience.  

Day 1 

The first day, Wednesday, was a day for introductions. Of course, we’ve all been friends for a while through various extracurriculars. But meeting that many people, even people you are already familiar with, in person for the first time is a phenomenon that is hard to describe if you’ve never experienced it. The sheer number of people packed into a relatively small area was slightly overwhelming, as we all hugged and shook hands and discovered each others’ heights.   

But the genuine friendship that was shared by everyone even though we live all over the country (and some internationally!) was amazing. After a quick introduction, we were able to pick up as though we had lived in the same area all our lives.  

Day 2 

Thursday was field day, which was the last battle in the competition for the House Cup. After getting to know everyone in our houses for an hour or so, we reconvened after lunch to compete in fun team games. The last game was called OMC (organized mass chaos). Almost everyone came away from OMC with shaving cream smeared across their arms and colored powder in their hair. 

This was also Wilson Hill’s tenth year anniversary, which we celebrated with a fun, Western-themed night. Everyone brought their best cowboy/cowgirl clothes and had fun with some dancing, treats, chess, and just hanging out.  

Day 3 

On Friday, we had a lot of time to just have fun together. Aside from a Junior Classical League gathering and commencement practice for the seniors, we spent most of the day without planned activities. We talked, played games, and spent as much time together as possible. In the morning, some of my closest friends and I also held our Bible study (which we usually have on Fridays over Zoom) in rocking chairs around a fire pit. It was such a beautiful experience.  

Finally, Friday night was the night of the dance. The dance was a fun mixture of upbeat pop songs, line dances, swing dancing, and English Country dances. Because of the excitement for the dance, there were many practice sessions beforehand, including the Virginia Reel on Wednesday and Thursday, and swing dance flips on Friday afternoon.  

At the end of the dance, we had a senior send-off. All the students formed a sort of tunnel with glowsticks and light up accessories that all the seniors ran through. 

Day 4 

Saturday morning was commencement. After another early morning conversation in the rocking chairs and a quick breakfast, I walked with my friends to the amphitheater. The background for this amphitheater was a beautiful mountain scene, and the scenery combined with the cool morning air made for a lovely graduation and a great way to end the week.  

The 2 full days and 2 half days we had together as a school with many of the students in person was absolutely wonderful. I had so much fun at LINK as I learned more about my friends and had some time to just have fun with them in real life and interact in a beautiful environment. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to spend this time with some of my best friends and such an amazing community.