Parents of Reid '11, South Bend, Ind.
- Andy and Tina Nickle
Where did you attend high school? How does EHS compare to the high school you attended?
I went to a nationally-ranked public school in the Midwest and Reid's mother went to boarding school in the East. We each agree that EHS offered Reid better opportunities and experiences than either of us had. There is a special feeling of community at EHS. Over his four years, Reid never had any second thoughts about his decision to attend EHS, as he was consistently one happy kid. As parents our one difficulty was Reid being far away from home, but we were constantly reminded of the benefits of the special education and experiences he was getting.
Why did you decide to consider a boarding school for Reid ’11?
Our older children attended local public and parochial high schools. After assessing those experiences and the current state of opportunities in our community, both in and out of school, we reluctantly explored the boarding school option. We could not imagine having Reid leave home. Frankly, when we went to visit EHS, I was hoping that neither we, as parents, nor Reid would like it. After a couple of meetings and during our tour of the campus, I turned to my wife and said, “Wow. This is a pretty special place and there sure is a lot to like about it.” When Reid came to the conclusion he wanted to attend EHS, we asked him why. In addition to many of the standard answers a parent would expect to hear, Reid said, “When I ask my friends around here in Indiana how they like their high school, once in a while I hear 'It is okay,’ but I usually hear 'It is boring or it stinks.’ When I ask the kids at Episcopal how they like it, all I hear is ‘I love it.’ I want to go to a school and be with kids who are happy and want to be there.”
Why did you choose to send Reid to EHS?
First and most importantly, Reid wanted to attend EHS. We thought Reid would benefit from the unique opportunities EHS offers. EHS was a good fit by many measuring sticks, including characteristics of the student body and its size. We got the impression, which was later confirmed, that there was a true sense of community which gave us, as long distance parents, comfort and assurance. The decision was hard, but in the end we thought we would be acting selfishly if we kept Reid at home for high school as the opportunities offered at EHS far surpassed what was available in our community. Since our home was such a far distance from EHS, the School’s close proximity to major airports was important to us – not only for Reid’s trips back and forth, but also to facilitate our visits.
Describe Reid’s experience in EHS athletics.
The short answer is “unbelievable.” EHS coaches are not your typical high school coaches. They are great mentors, role models, and technical instructors. There is consistent positive encouragement and a balanced perspective involving competition, sportsmanship, team goals, and learning to love your sport. Reid was very competitive, and the coaches worked with him individually, even on weekends, and supported him as he pursued individual goals. Reid’s coaches took him on overnight trips to the Penn Relays and to New York City to compete in elite track meets. They also helped a great deal in the college recruiting process. At the same time, I watched Episcopal coaches demonstrate similar support for and interest in those students who participated at a non-competitive level. Great coaches, with great attitudes and perspectives, are uncommon in most high schools.
How has EHS impacted Reid’s life?
I am generally hard to impress and I have high expectations. I was surprised by how favorably EHS consistently scored on my measuring stick. Reid enjoyed his classes, liked almost every teacher he had during his four years, and developed close, valuable and what will no doubt be special lifelong friendships with many great people, including students and staff. He graduated with an expanded world of expectations and opportunities. Reid took advantage of unique opportunities that are available to EHS students and his experiences in the classroom, social service, student leadership, and in athletics which would have been very difficult to find anywhere else.
Reid is a different young man than he would be if he had stayed at home. At EHS he learned to live and work independently, to be accountable to himself, to set priorities, and to enjoy learning. The School’s Honor Code and Reid’s role as a member of the Honor Committee left an impact that we are confident will be lasting. Reid had the benefit of a consistently strong faculty, including many who have much bigger skill sets and backgrounds than just the subject they teach. His opportunities to meet and talk with visitors to the campus, such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Senator John McCain, and other experiences, such as lunch with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, clearly left him realizing there is a much bigger world beyond high school. Reid departed EHS well educated, inquisitive, and self-confident.
Now, as parents of an alumnus, what is your fondest memory of EHS?
While the campus is spectacular, a school community is built upon the people who run it and inhabit it.
From the first moment we stepped on campus and throughout almost every experience we had for the succeeding four years, we found people with smiles on their faces who were happy to be part of the community and who had a sense of support, cooperation, and friendship that was unique. EHS is full of teachers with passion for the subjects they teach and with real personal interest in their students, in and out of the classroom.
While there are many great examples of staff support for the students, let me share one of many I will not forget. After Reid’s senior cross country season ended, he participated in the Foot Locker Southern Regional Cross Country Championship held in North Carolina over Thanksgiving weekend. This was a non-school event as Reid competed on a personal level. We flew to North Carolina on the Friday after Thanksgiving and at our hotel we discovered that EHS Cross Country Coach Joe Halm had driven seven hours from Alexandria to be there for Reid’s race which was early the following morning.
When we met Joe, we told him how we were dumbfounded and had no expectation for him to be there. He matter-of-factly responded, “Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss Reid running in this race for anything.” After the sixteen-minute race, Joe got back in his car for the seven hour return trip to EHS. A faculty member leaving his family over Thanksgiving break and traveling long distance to watch an EHS student run a race, for the most part out of sight in a field of hundreds, is just one example of why EHS is a special place.
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