High school is generally thought of as a transformative period—one where students face new challenges and make big decisions that easily impact the direction of their futures. Lieutenant Colonel Michael Starling, R-MA’s Commandant embraces this period, helping students navigate their next steps through a fun, yet structured student life experience. In his role as Commandant or Dean of Students, Lt. Col. Starling works to guide and support R-MA’s young cadets.
“It’s really fun when, towards the end of the year, you’ve watched them overcome a lot of challenges and they’re ready to graduate,” says Lt. Col. Starling. He adds that having a role in that development and “having the front seat” in the process is an exhilarating part of the job.
As a Class of ‘88 R-MA alumnus himself, Lt. Col. Starling has direct insight to draw from that allows him to connect “instantaneously” with the student experience on campus. “Having been here as a student and knowing what our legacy is and how our school was that long ago … it’s special for me in that way,” he says.
Here’s a closer look at how R-MA’s committed Commandant works towards providing a one-of-a-kind student life experience!
Developing Instinctive Integrity Through Campus-Wide Expectations
According to Lt. Col. Starling, R-MA’s Student Life is all about “community-building skills.” It starts with integrity—which, as he puts it, “is really the gateway to trust with other human beings.”
This expectation is a focus campus-wide, enabling students to grow and thrive during their formative years. Lt. Col. Starling notes, “There’s an expectation of integrity that turns into instinctive integrity—that, for the many decisions they make, even in a single day, they make the right ones more often.”
The combination of integrity and the Honor Code, as well as diversity, makes the R-MA student experience unique. By attending our college preparatory school, students have the chance to participate in an active role where they learn valuable skills, such as taking initiative.
“That’s really uncomfortable for a lot of teenagers, who’d rather sit there and let somebody else raise their hands,” Lt. Col. Starling says. “I’m looking for the kids hiding behind the shoulders of two kids, and I’ll say ‘What do you think? Why don’t you come out here?’ And get them a little closer to doing that.”
Providing Exposure to Varied Experiences at Our Coed Private School
As Dean of Student Life,Lt. Col. Starling stresses the importance of having fun activities at the school. He focuses on the big picture, getting students to “look back and realize that they had a really good time here,” he says.
To make the student experience at R-MA truly enriching, Lt. Col. Starling focuses on generating new experiences that engage students—prioritizing personal growth, professional development, leadership opportunities, and “flat-out fun.” He notes, “I like them to get exposure to a lot of different things because they’ve got big decisions coming up.” Lt. Col. Starling says it’s the level of exposure to a variety of experiences at R-MA that can impact students’ academic futures, as well as their personal lives.
Varied enriching experiences at R-MA have continued on despite the global pandemic. A stronger emphasis is placed on on-campus events as well as off-campus outlets that promote isolation from other groups of people. Financial support directed specifically to the Student Life program plays a huge role in promoting these efforts, enabling R-MA to purchase new equipment for students to enjoy on-campus. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the Student Life program continues to stimulate and engage R-MA students.
Understanding How to Overcome Adversity as a Team
Much of R-MA’s success in creating enriching Student Life experiences was owed to the Re-Opening Plan. This carefully structured plan was developed with the help of a specialized Task Force designed to align the school’s mission with the limitations and restrictions coming from the CDC and VDH.
Lt. Col. Starling shared that the adaptations students have had to make to pandemic restrictions have at times been challenging due to “convincing teenagers to commit to a regimen of discomfort and inconvenience against something they can’t see for the betterment of other people, and not just themselves.” However, he finds that the staff and faculty’s commitment and consistency in enforcing the Re-Opening Plan made the biggest difference. As a boarding high school, having the support from parents also played a significant role in preventing outbreaks. By coming together as a team, the R-MA community was able to support a vibrant Student Life experience—overcoming adversity to continue creating rich student memories.
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