Head of School Jody Soja presented a Mountain Card to Jake Campbell-Roberson on Friday, April 21. The Mountain Card is the school’s highest formal accolade and recognizes individuals who go above and beyond our expectations. Below are the words that Mrs. Soja read at Morning Meeting.

Wise beyond his years, patient, self-measured, and reliable, this young man looks to solve problems. When others are off track, he seeks to bring them back into focus, not because he wants to control them, but because he wants each individual in the group to succeed. Whether climbing mountains, planting trees, or working in the classroom, he is the first to volunteer, the first to try new things, and the first to come up with solutions. No matter the environment, he brings a calm and positive manner, guiding others around him in the right direction. Leadership may look exciting and alluring, but it comes with difficult choices: should I follow the crowd or should I take the unpopular but moral high ground? In this case, the answer always resides with making a choice that enriches the community. Life through service, our school’s motto, has been reinvigorated through his presence. Intuitively he understands the meaning of service, and perhaps that is why he so naturally mixes with everyone in the community, whether it be with students from other grades, faculty and staff, or the families he lives with when traveling to other countries. To paraphrase Gandhi, this young man already knows that true service can only transpire in the service of others, and it is for this reason that the IMS Faculty is proud to present a mountain card to Jake Campbell-Roberson.