By Jackson K. ’17

Volumes can (and most likely have) been written about the many extraordinary facets of the Athenian education experience. The flourishing arts programs, the painstakingly crafted STEM courses designed around student comprehension and ability development, and a humanities department that charges students to take on the greater philosophical questions that plague our species. However, amid all of these wonderfully unique aspects that define the academic lives of Athenian students, it is more than easy to overlook one of the most truly beautiful aspects about Athenian: the campus itself.

Situated on a 75-acre plot of land within the Mt. Diablo’s foothills, with the mountain directly overlooking the school itself, the Athenian School campus is truly a sight to behold, especially when held in comparison to the mundane environments that are a definitive aspect of the majority of schools across the country. Instead of dull hallways and massive classroom complexes, constructions so reminiscent of the Industrial Era in their gutted, graceless architecture that they seem only to allude to an obvious desire for spacial efficiency, any student of the Athenian School will find that they are surrounded by the serene presence of Nature itself. Not only does it serve to provide fresh air and picturesque views of the trees and hills surrounding the school, but also to create a relaxed space in which students can feel at peace. In short, the Athenian School has succeeded, through weaving nature into every part of the campus, in allowing students to be relaxed and free of stress while present at school, a state of being that is doubtfully obtainable by attendees of schools with campuses of asphalt and concrete.