Becoming a young man or a young woman is a struggle for any high school student and sometimes a little help is necessary.  But how do the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Retreats help Seattle Prep sophomores deal with this ever changing and challenging time in their lives?

Tess Johnson ‘20 said that the young women’s retreat helped her “understand that all the girls in the sophomore class have something going on whether you can see it on the outside or not.” The Young Women’s Retreat not only gave the sophomore girls an opportunity to grow as individuals but also to grow closer together. Regan Toepel ‘20 thinks that she became “more open to new friendships and building on the relationships and friendships I already had.”

Senior leader Riva Tobin had a different perspective on this retreat than the sophomore participants did. “I loved watching the girls go from sitting with their friend groups to mainly to sitting all together near the end of the retreat,” Tobin said. “No YWR is the same and it was cool to see this class mold the retreat to suit what they all needed most.” Tobin has contributed to the Young Women’s Retreat as a sophomore participant, junior crew member, and senior leader, learning that “no retreat will ever be like my own and that’s not a bad thing. Everyone got a lot out of at least one part of the retreat and that’s what matters in the end.”

While full of heart wrenching emotional moments, YWR had fun and silly moments as well. Haley Burgess-Alm ‘20 said that she “enjoyed taking a break from the emotions and riding horses with my friends.”

The Young Men’s Retreat was a time for the sophomore boys to bond with one another while participating in fun and exciting activities  and now they are ready to take on the challenges that will inevitably face them during the rest of sophomore year. Marc Ribas ‘20 said that “chatting with my small group helped me get to know my peers and leader much better and that was a cool experience.” Marc also commented on how the retreat “allowed us to participate in different activities together as well as talk and learn more about one another.”

Sophomore Ben Riccio said that exciting activities like high ropes helped him grow closer to his classmates because “at times on the high ropes course I was definitely a little scared, but having my peers cheering below me was very comforting.”

Both retreats really emphasized the importance of community between the sophomore ladies and men. With the craziness of UN, spring sports, and new drivers hitting the road that aspect of community built on the two retreats will be so important for the sophomores to strive during the next couple months.