Our Wildwood, Summer 2016, Volume 39

a l u m n i v o i c e

by Gracie Dixon ’09

Defining Values: A Wildwood Hallmark

values. The freedom and support I was given at Wildwood created a lasting path that led into the future. As I’ve faced the challenges of college, the less-than-encouraging job market, and the intensity of graduate school, it has become increasingly clear to me how important it is to have these values and the confidence that comes from knowing who I am as a thinker. I know that pursuing the same interests you had in high school doesn’t sound like the most practical venture. Those passions don’t just disappear, though, conveniently making room for more rational ones. But it gives those interests room to grow, and they can lead you to a fulfilling career. Wildwood fosters an environment where your passions are developed, studied, reflected on, challenged, and defended. You leave Wildwood and enter the world being able to intelligentlytalkaboutyourinterestsinsteadofbeinghurtled through a system that leaves no room for developing them. In short, Wildwood graduates are distinctive because of their values, and sticking to those values takes guts. I’m currently working with Laura Forsythe, visual arts teacher, to organize the first Wildwood alumni art exhibition, and it’s fascinating to see how everyone has developed. The range of professions and artistic practices is truly inspiring. In the same way that Wildwood inspired me to be brave and gave me the freedom to start on my unique path of becoming a curator, other alums I’ve spoken to have pursued their own specific passion—from traveling through India creating sari textiles that respond to cultural and political issues to designing jewelry inspired by untreated Tahitian pearls. The alumni art exhibition will feature an array of artistic practices that graduates exemplify, celebrating the commitment that each artist has to their own unique cause, concept, or medium. The alumni exhibition celebrates the 15th anniversary of the Wildwood Student Art Gallery, a formative space for many of us, and it will open fall 2016.

Our Wildwood /Summer 2016 28/29

Since graduating from Wildwood, I have attended a range of schools—Sarah Lawrence College and the University of Amsterdam as an undergraduate, and the University of Southern California for graduate studies— but I am invariably a Wildwood learner. In 10th grade, in preparation for my Gateway presentation as I moved into Senior Institute, I had a meeting with Deb Christenson (Senior Institute history teacher and advisor) in which we discussed my interest in environmentalism. She pushed me to deeply consider where this impulse came from,

{ In short, Wildwood graduates are distinctive because of their values, and sticking to those values takes guts.

how it made me feel, and how valuing the environment had influenced other parts of my life. I gained treasured clarity in that meeting, which led me to expand on my interest in the natural world at Wildwood and throughout college. I recently finished my master’s thesis, which compares public art projects by Fritz Haeg, Fallen Fruit, and Futurefarmers, all artists that critique urban space and present environmentally sustainable alternatives to outdated systems. At Wildwood, I was able to pursue my interests, allowing my intellectual curiosity to thrive. The project- based learning structure, Gateway and Senior Exhibition presentations, emphasis on writing and seminars, and close relationships with teachers pushed me to define my