Kennedy Brown, who will be graduating this spring, came to Oliverian School (Oli) as a junior. Her path to Oli was unique. She grew up in Jamaica, where she attended one of the best grade schools on the island. When she wasn’t thriving socially or academically, her mother began looking for boarding school opportunities in the United States and eventually enrolled Kennedy at Fay School in Massachusetts for 7th and 8th grade. In 9th grade, Kennedy transitioned to Middlesex School in Concord, MA, to begin her high school experience.

When Kennedy began to withdraw—spending much of her time alone in her room, anxious, overwhelmed, and resistant to rules and “the system”—her mother took notice. Although Kennedy could manage the academic workload, her mental health was suffering, and something needed to change. After spending time at a therapeutic program, she transitioned to Oliverian. While it wasn’t her decision to leave Middlesex, she now sees the benefits of the alternative boarding school experience at Oli.

Kennedy embraced the school’s hands-on and student-driven opportunities, from learning to make natural dyes in art class to singing weekly with the Dartmouth Gospel Choir. Passionate about animals, she built her senior project around volunteering at a veterinary clinic—an experience she continues beyond the classroom.

She describes Oli as a place where students can be in school while getting the support they need to succeed, and she appreciates the school’s low stigma around mental health.

This fall, Kennedy will attend Washington University in Missouri.