Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Spring 2015 | Page 16

M

iddle School

M

iddle School

Watch a video
interview with Tori.

One of the first to attend TA for seven years, Tori
Lands ’13 found career inspiration at TAMS

Tori Lands ’13 was a member of the very first class of
or gym was a big deal. Thornton’s campus is sprawling
Arundel students who attended TAMS for grades 6-8
and even after spending three years at the middle school,
and then Thornton Academy for 9-12. She credits her
I was intimidated entering my freshman year. Luckily,
positive
TAMS teachers
experience
“Middle School is a tough time—kids are going through a ton of changes and provided
at TAMS
trying to figure out who they are. Many students say middle school was the least support above
for being a
enjoyable part of their education—schools tend to focus strictly on the work and beyond
big part of
what would
her decision and don’t address the personal needs of students. TAMS provided the opposite be expected.
experience, not only teaching me valuable academic material but also what it Anytime I was
to become
means to be a good person.” -Tori Lands ‘13
a middle
feeling scared
school
or nervous
teacher.
about my transition or about anything at the high school,
I could always walk to the other end of campus and talk
“When I think about TAMS, the words that come to
to Ms. Brewer (one of my favorite teachers and one of the
mind include: innovative, hands on, and community.
reasons I want to teach social studies) or one of the various
I left with a sense of how to figure out who I was as
other staff members such as Mrs. Robert, and leave feeling
a human being and how I could positively influence
confident and reassured.”
surrounding communities.
Tori is currently a sophomore at the University of
“Being familiar with the campus helped tremendously
Maine at Farmington, majoring in secondary education
in transitioning from the middle school to the high
with a concentration in social studies and a minor in
school. I was involved with athletics at both schools so
international and global studies.
I f