Alumni Voices: Summer days on campus
One of Poly’s newest alumni, Ben Smith ’13, is spending his summer as a teacher’s assistant in the Poly Summer Program. Before he heads off to George Washington University to study political science and international affairs, giving back to the Poly community was at the top of Ben’s to-do list this summer. “I could have done something else, but I wanted to have more of a social experience with the Poly community that has helped raise me for the last 14 years,” Ben shared. “Even though I probably won’t be a teacher, I love working with kids, and learning from the talented teachers in this program has been a really good experience for me.”
In his second consecutive year working with PolySummer, Ben credits the position with teaching him important leadership skills and how to be a balanced adult. “I get to work at 8 a.m. and need to be really energized for the day. I set up activities for the students in the morning before classes, and then during the day, I take on more of a leadership role in the classroom. The kids really look up to me and want to impress me all the time by telling me how many teeth they lost or showing me their back flips at the pool. It’s nice to have the balance of being playful with the kids, but also gaining respect from them as a leader and role model.” Ben is one of 80 Poly Upper School students and recent alumni who are on campus working with the program this summer. When fall comes, Ben is looking forward to college and exploring a new city, traveling abroad, and staying in touch with all his Poly teachers and friends. Resources
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