Meredith Durkee spent her summers off from college working at camps in New Hampshire. It was through this experience that she developed a passion for working with children, particularly in an immersive residential setting that summer camps typically offer. Durkee was drawn to the idea of working in a similar setting at a boarding school, and came to Trinity-Pawling after receiving her Masters in Secondary Education.
Her background has undoubtedly influenced her as a Student Activities Director as she takes a student-centered approach. One initiative Durkee introduced this year was that of the House Cup, an idea she says was inspired by her time at Camp Robindel. House Cup activities have included a field day, video game tournaments, fundraisers, and community service events, through which students earn points for their respective Houses. As Student Activities Director, Durkee aims to make the “after 3 o’clock experience” for students a positive one. She says, “Students’ daily schedules are so packed with academic commitments that they need an outlet to relieve some of the stress. My goal is really for the students to have a little more joy in their lives.”
Another initiative she implemented this year, “Random Acts of Excellence”, serves as a way for students to feel acknowledged for being good people and helping others. “What I love most about this project is that it recognizes students who may not be academic or athletic all-stars, but who are genuinely good people,” Durkee says. “We need more opportunities to recognize those people because they’re valuable to the community that Trinity-Pawling prides itself on.”
In addition to being passionate about student activities, Durkee has shared her passion for bookmaking with the Trinity-Pawling community through the Winter Project she is leading with Ned Reade. “I’ve wanted to share my passion for bookmaking with others and the Winter Projects gave me the perfect avenue to do that,” Durkee explains. “The project I’m leading is an introduction to the different styles of bookbinding and an exploration of the content within books. Bookmaking is about precision, which makes it a fun combination for our artistic and mathematically minded students. So far it’s been an incredibly rewarding experience seeing students engaged in the material and working diligently on their products. It’s been fun to teach Ned too!”