Lee and Jamie’s eleventh grade advisory? Iconic. Pearl and Simon’s? The best. And, I’m not just saying that because I got to be part of them. Both advisories were and continue to be extremely meaningful parts of my Nueva experience.
My homebase away from home, advisory has always been a reliable gathering place for me to seek mentorship, develop friendships, and be gently forced to close my laptop to be present for a little while. In the bustling activity of Nueva, I believe advisories are essential spaces for me and my peers. I hope we continue to recognize the program’s deep importance and function in our community.
I have been fortunate to have positive experiences in advisories throughout my high school experience, and that success begins with the advisors.
Advice from teachers means everything to me, and I think an advisory grouping makes it much easier for any student to build a relationship with an adult at school. The impact of the advisor-advisee connection is profoundly positive.
When my advisors have pulled me aside for a few individual check-ins each semester, I feel seen as not just a student—but a young person trying to navigate school, extracurriculars, and a social life at the same time. If I’m struggling with something, my advisors truly listen.
Their willingness to support me through thick and thin has made me feel safe and valued. As a young 9th grader, English teacher Pearl Bauer and History teacher Simon Brown grew to become my Nueva aunt and uncle,making sure that I was integrating well into the community and getting involved in activities I enjoy. This year, Mandarin teacher Jamie Gao and Head of School Lee Fertig have reassured me through the rapid development of a busy schedule and social anxieties.
Beyond the adults in the room, advisory is also a fun and low-stakes setting to meet new people in my grade. I know that the intentionally-diverse assignments can get flak, but I have genuinely enjoyed the surprising friendships that can only emerge from advisory. Unlike class, I have time in advisory to talk with less familiar classmates about topics unrelated to The Great Gatsby, definite integrals, or 1980s world history.
Without advisory, there is no way I would have learned that Aiden Ng ’26 is incredibly proud of a loquat tree in his backyard. I doubt Zach Moss ’26 would have ever shared with me his whole, fascinating family history. I likely would never know that Emma Wang ’26 loves attending concerts of the singer Regina Spektor.
These bonds are enabled by each advisee committing to fully participating in advisory. To help us, all of my advisors have more or less enforced homework and computer bans. Though it sometimes brings us stress to not be working or studying during advisory, I recently realized that a screen-free break is often exactly what we need.
I have fun, not despite, but because of the regulations. The slowed pace of advisory allows me to appreciate when Gao brings in lychee jellies. Or, just last week, an entire Chinese takeout feast! In ninth and tenth grade, Brown would lead our advisory in playing GeoGuessr, an online geography game that expanded our historical knowledge and created some playful competition.
Being present for two half-hour sessions each week isn’t just fun—I think it makes me a better member of this community. I get to slow down and gain a renewed appreciation of the people around me. My gratitude for others makes me excited to demonstrate my engagement; so, I sign up to bake advisory snacks, ‘co-preside’ over advisory games, and make TikTok lip syncs with the other advisees.
Some may say that advisory is not a helpful experience, and I know that there are some exceptions and imperfect fits when it comes to advisories. However, I believe that you can’t enjoy something if your mentality doesn’t allow you to. I have found, the more you buy into advisory, the more fun and utility you gain from it.
I hope others can derive the same value that I have gained from this core Nueva program. So, if I may advise my peers of a few things: turn off your phone, open up to your advisor, and ask a co-advisee about something they’re interested in.
