Coming Home Again
Chris Zanardi ’11 | Leelanau Residential Faculty
When I drove up to Leelanau late this summer to begin my new job, I found myself reminiscing about my first visit here all those years ago. It was the summer after eighth grade, and my dad and I had gone to take a look at yet another boarding school. Middle School had not been a - well - successful endeavor for me, and I was in desperate need of a change of scenery. So, on the advice of an academic consultant, we found ourselves in a rental car trying to navigate our way to what felt like the middle of nowhere.
It was a warm June day, and on our way to the school, we stopped at the little bridge between the Glens to take some photos. I think that’s the first time I really began to feel the magic of this place. I mean, how could you not? The sunlight was catching on the water, the dunes rising above the trees in the distance. Little did I know at the time that it would be the site of so many adventures; fishing, learning how to flip a canoe, that time Joe Blondia had to cover me in life jackets because I forgot a coat.
Honestly, the rest of that visit day is a blur. I couldn’t tell you what I saw on campus or what I ate that night, but I can tell you exactly what I felt. I was reminded again of that feeling this summer as I pulled over on that same bridge just before reaching campus. It felt like home.
Spiritedly,
Chris Z.
Chris Zanardi ’11 returned home to his Leelanau School family in Fall 2021. After graduating from Leelanau, Chris attended Drew University and worked at a law office and the census bureau. He knew he always wanted to return to Leelanau to help students find their voice, self-confidence, and Leelanau spirit. Chris is certain the Leelanau faculty and staff helped him become the person he is today and wants to help our next generation of graduates become the best version of themselves.
