Belen grew up at Shaker Road School, attending from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. During her many years at SRS, she took full advantage of the extracurricular opportunities offered, participating in soccer, golf, plays, cross country running and skiing, and more.
While Belen was in Seventh Grade, the COVID-19 pandemic sent students home, but that did not discourage the SRS community. Classes continued online, allowing students to maintain their projects, collaboration, and participation as much as possible. Fortunately, by Belen’s Eighth Grade year, SRS found ways for students to safely return to campus and learn in person.
After graduating from Shaker in 2021, Belen attended Holderness School for high school, where she continued to grow and discovered her dream of becoming a Third Grade teacher. Her experiences growing up and learning from excellent and supportive teachers inspired her to study Education and Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She continues to look to the teachers at Shaker Road School as role models for the kind of educator she hopes to become.
Belen credits SRS’s inclusive, supportive, and uplifting learning environment while encouraging students to be their best selves. Some of her favorite memories include running around Heron’s Nest during elementary school recess, the Fifth Grade camping trip at Lake Winnisquam, and the well-known Winter Olympics.
Growing up with so much time spent outdoors has stayed with her. Today, Belen continues to enjoy hiking, snowboarding, and spending as much time outside as possible.
