Nan Sowers - MRGS '14

Nan graduated from Massanutten Regional Governor's School and Spotswood High School in 2014.

Post graduation:

"I got my bachelors from UVA in global public health and bioethics in 2018, went into clinical research for a few years, and now work in the medical device industry. I live in Eugene, OR with my fiancé Zac who is getting his PhD in environmental studies. We have a 5 year old border collie who loves to join us on weekend adventures outside. "

Memorable Gov School experience:

"Going down to the river to identify macro invertebrates or into the woods to collect acorns."

Lasting impacts of Gov School:

"Stepping outside of my bubble/comfort zone of my home school and being exposed to various viewpoints shaped the direction I took in college and now approach my life. My MRGS peers challenged my narrow viewpoint, and my instructors at gov school wanted me to learn but also to grow as a person, which was entirely new for me. I sought out much smaller and more discussion based courses in college which led me to my GPH major that ultimately shaped my career."

"Caring for the environment is a huge takeaway. How to work on collaborative projects with a capable team. The need for creativity and flexibility in projects to create something valuable."

Friendships and relationships:

"My gov school friends became my best friends. It completely shaped my high school experience and I just can’t imagine where I’d be without MRGS. It means more than I can know even all these years later."

"I kept in close touch with my 3 other best girl friends from gov school for my college years but have relocated to the west coast, so now I connect to most of my gov school friends and teachers on social media. We had a classmate, ..........., who was hit by a radical driver in a Charlottesville hate crime a few years ago. We had another classmate, ............ who lost her mother recently after a long battle with cancer. In these moments we all seem to connect back with each other. Gov school is a community that doesn’t end when you graduate."

Overall thoughts on Gov School:

"Gov school is and should always be a welcome place for everyone, a nice breath of fresh air from the environments of our home schools, a refuge for people looking for viewpoints outside of their immediate communities, and a place where you should really soak in and be present. It goes too fast. To have had the opportunity to learn there for free seems crazy now that I’m out living and working. It’s an incredible experience for which I’m eternally grateful."

Note. A few names are not revealed for the purposes of those individuals' privacy. If you have any questions in this regard, please reach out.