Our Leelanau Ohana
Becca Dymond
Early this Winter Term, the venerable Joe Blondia suggested a new Leelanau tradition - Ohana Thursdays. He explained to the community that Ohana is a Hawaiian word for family, but not necessarily the family you are born into. It refers to the family you choose. Leelanau represents that family for so many of us, and we decided that anyone who wanted was invited to wear colorful Hawaiian shirts on Thursdays. And, because he is Joe, he offered to loan shirts to anyone who needed them.
Ohana is exactly the word to describe my experience of choosing to teach at The Leelanau School. It encompasses so many of the aspects of our life at Leelanau. I want to share just a few with you.
As a Leelanau educator, it is essential to live and teach within your values. It is empowering and inspiring to work among colleagues who may not share your exact values but live their values with complementary authenticity and stewardship for our learning community.
Life at Leelanau means blurring the time spent at “work” and time spent raising a family. This is especially true for my own family living on campus. Perspective is critically important to maintain balance in the blur of living among and loving Leelanau students. Built into our family experience on campus is a team of colleagues who cheer us on and lift us up as parents of two young children. Alongside that gift is the wonder of helping guarded teenagers who sometimes find it easier to love our children than show that love for themselves. We hope that time spent in our Leelanau Ohana will help students know that they are just as loved, embraced, and seen.
Ohana also encompasses the agency inherent in choosing to belong to an intentional community. For me, the sense of belonging requires a two-fold commitment: a willingness to be vulnerable enough to show up and participate, and the personal responsibility to ensure that the wants of one do not interfere with the needs of another. As we welcome students into our Ohana, we slowly ask them to show up as stewards of our family - working hard and showing kindness for one another.
With gratitude, I am excited to celebrate my Leelanau family with a bold Hawaiian print shirt each Thursday.
Becca Dymond
Becca Dymond, M.Ed., joined the Leelanau faculty in 2010. She serves as Provost, the Learning Skills Department Chair, and as a Learning Specialist. Becca and husband Rob Dymond ’00, Leelanau’s Coordinator of Auxiliary Programs, Technology, and Campus Safety, are raising two marvelous boys with the support of the Leelanau School Ohana.
