50p
Heroine of Hope
No two Brentwood experiences are the same. Each student will leave this school with a different story to tell, a different picture to paint. Some people will remember the strong relationships they forged, or all of the amazing things they learned in and out of the classroom, or possibly the ridiculous amount of food they ate! But there is one aspect of Brentwood life that, above all others, affects each student’s experience: the boarding houses.
I can easily say that being a Hope House girl has hugely affected the time I’ve spent here. Hope House is the smallest boarding house on campus, home to just 26 girls (compared to Allard’s 55!). Our small size makes it very easy for us to become a family; we all get to know each other exceptionally well. This unique feature of our house enables us to become more than just girls who share a building - we are bonded in sisterhood. At the heart of this family is our beloved House Parent, Ms. Karen Hedquist.
Ms. Hedquist is unique amongst the other House Parents on campus because the others have all come to their houses as successors, but she is the first to ever parent Hope House. Even more impressive, she is the only House Parent on campus to come into the job without previously living on campus. So in 2010, when Hope House was born, she came in with no previous experience, saw that she loved the house and its girls, and conquered what was expected of her - all while being the mother of an 18 month old and a daughter just starting kindergarten! It would take a person of tremendous strength and devotion to successfully manage that: Ms. Hedquist is definitely that person! She also teaches English!
As a student who arrived new to the school in the middle of last year, I can say that there is no other house that I would have wanted to arrive in. Hope House welcomed me with open arms and quickly became home to me. Ms. Hedquist was there to support me through all of the challenging transitions and she became to me what she becomes to every Hope girl: a kind, trustworthy, and loving away-from-home mother.
Hope House is still a young house. We are still lucky enough that we are not fully developed. We are still being established. With each passing year, we grow a little more. The gallery and memories of past Hope girls expands and our history becomes a little richer, our voices rise a little louder. In future years when we see what Hope House has blossomed into, we will all know that the seeds were planted by the first House Parent, a witty, thoughtful and passionate woman: our very own Ms. Hedquist!
Tokoni A, Hope ‘13
I can easily say that being a Hope House girl has hugely affected the time I’ve spent here. Hope House is the smallest boarding house on campus, home to just 26 girls (compared to Allard’s 55!). Our small size makes it very easy for us to become a family; we all get to know each other exceptionally well. This unique feature of our house enables us to become more than just girls who share a building - we are bonded in sisterhood. At the heart of this family is our beloved House Parent, Ms. Karen Hedquist.
Ms. Hedquist is unique amongst the other House Parents on campus because the others have all come to their houses as successors, but she is the first to ever parent Hope House. Even more impressive, she is the only House Parent on campus to come into the job without previously living on campus. So in 2010, when Hope House was born, she came in with no previous experience, saw that she loved the house and its girls, and conquered what was expected of her - all while being the mother of an 18 month old and a daughter just starting kindergarten! It would take a person of tremendous strength and devotion to successfully manage that: Ms. Hedquist is definitely that person! She also teaches English!
As a student who arrived new to the school in the middle of last year, I can say that there is no other house that I would have wanted to arrive in. Hope House welcomed me with open arms and quickly became home to me. Ms. Hedquist was there to support me through all of the challenging transitions and she became to me what she becomes to every Hope girl: a kind, trustworthy, and loving away-from-home mother.
Hope House is still a young house. We are still lucky enough that we are not fully developed. We are still being established. With each passing year, we grow a little more. The gallery and memories of past Hope girls expands and our history becomes a little richer, our voices rise a little louder. In future years when we see what Hope House has blossomed into, we will all know that the seeds were planted by the first House Parent, a witty, thoughtful and passionate woman: our very own Ms. Hedquist!
Tokoni A, Hope ‘13
75p
