My Life as the Sterling Pre-College Program Intern
Written by Sterling College Pre-College intern Jack Hicks, August 2025
It is not often you get the opportunity to see a student’s face light up when they spot a bird they just learned about or identify a tree for the first time only using the leaves, but over three weeks as the intern for Sterling’s pre-college Environmental Field Studies Program I got to witness dozens of small, transformative moments like these. The immersive program reflects Sterling College’s hands-on approach, giving high school students a taste of college-level studies by combining fieldwork, classroom learning, and community engagement in a way that reflects Sterling’s core belief of learning through experiential education. Although just a small campus located in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, their community is unlike any other I’ve experienced and is truly a gift to be a part of.
The Sterling Experience
Over the past three weeks students lived in campus dorms, ate farm-sourced meals, and got a chance to participate in daily hands-on activities. Each day was packed with activities ranging from macroinvertebrate identification in watersheds to pulling out invasive plants like Japanese Knotweed. The students were thrown into life at Sterling, participating in farm chores several times a week, followed by a morning, afternoon, and an evening activity. There were nature walks, group discussions, and opportunities to learn from a variety of Sterling Professors. Although the schedule was packed it wasn’t without some time to cool off with a swim in Big Hosmer Pond or get an authentic Vermont Creemee. A personal favorite evening activity was getting to try natural indigo dyeing and create our own hand-dyed cloth covered in unique patterns.
My Role as an Intern
As the Sterling Pre-Collge Program’s intern, I lived in the dorms with the students and served as a helping hand whenever needed. Whether it was assisting with an afternoon adventure or facilitating an evening activity, I spent almost the whole day with the students giving me a chance to get to know everyone in a matter of days. I got to see each of them grow throughout the program culminating in a final project that was an impressive summary of their change of perspective during those three weeks. Although I loved being able to participate in the daily activities with the students, some of my favorite moments of the program come from downtime in the dorms where we would battle each other in UNO or compete in Pictionary.
What I Learned
This internship not only deepened my understanding of ecological education in action, but taught me how to lead group facilitation and create an environment where students flourish. Watching them experience the land through their senses by touching leaves, hearing bird calls, and wading through the streams reminded me that learning doesn’t always come from books. Sometimes it comes from quiet observations and immersing yourself in a new environment. Sterling College’s model is rooted in experiential learning, and over the course of my time here I have seen firsthand the impact that it can have on students. Demonstrating that education can be active, meaningful, and unique for every student.
Why This Program Matters
We live in a time where young people are becoming increasingly disconnected from nature, but a program like Sterling’s offers a chance for students to build new relationships with the land, community, and within themselves. It is essential that we allow kids to experience the world around them, and learn in ways that they find meaningful. I believe Sterling College does just that. As the world continues to evolve, places like this will remain dedicated to providing a hands-on education that teaches students how to learn from and care for the environment around them.
Final Reflections
When I think of Sterling College, the very first word that comes to mind is “community”. A community that cares for one another and is ready to drop everything and help at any given moment. There is nowhere I’ve felt more supported or connected to a community than at Sterling College. In the last couple days of the program we had our final backpacking trip. A hike to a beautiful campsite where we gathered around a fire and spoke about what we were grateful for. Hearing what each student had to say about the impact of the program was incredible. For me, I am grateful to have been a small part of the journey reminding us that sometimes the most meaningful learning doesn’t happen at a desk, but instead on a trail, in a kitchen, or around a fire.
