NALANI HORSE RESCUE

by Arnav Kumar | Apr 3, 2018 | News

Volunteering opportunities are available throughout our community, and those who choose to set aside time to fulfill these opportunities are motivated by different incentives. Some volunteer in order to stand out and be seen as admirable to universities and college boards, while others volunteer to give back to their community or important causes.

Freedom High School seniors Jack Tapley, Kathryn Francis and Virginia Campbell volunteer at the Nalani Horse Recovery and choose to spend hours working with the horses because they value their community’s well-being.

The students are responsible for different jobs at the horse rescue, including feeding the horses, riding the horses or helping with fundraisers. Their contributions to Nalani are much appreciated. While each individual student has a different reason for volunteering at Nalani, they all want to make a difference.  

The Nalani Horse Recovery is a nonprofit organization founded by Cherry Tapley, mother of Jack Tapley, and located at Ohana Equestrian Preserve in Loudoun County. The goal of the organization is to rehabilitate and find homes for horses in need. Often times, the horses brought to Nalani have been mistreated and/or abused in the past, affecting both the physical and mental state of the animals.

“[The horses] usually come to us with some sort of injury or mental issue because of how they’ve been treated,” Cherry Tapley said. “We have trainers work with them and figure out what they can do so that they can go on and have a safe forever home.”

Alongside his mother, Jack Tapley volunteers with fundraisers regarding Nalani as well, and finds ways to help wherever he can.

“She had one big fundraiser last year called Bow Ties and Boots, it’s coming up soon and it’s basically a big party,” Jack Tapley said. “Last year it was at my house so I helped wait on people, but right now I’m working on coordinating and getting other people to volunteer. ”

While Jack is helping with fundraising and getting others involved in the organization, Francis can be found working with the horses of Nalani. Due to her vast experience around horses, she has become comfortable working with them.

“They have given so much to me, so I thought by volunteering at a rescue I could give back to them, and give them the opportunity of life,” Francis said.

Francis was responsible for feeding and grooming the horses, and occasionally exercise riding. Due to the close interactions made between the rider and the horse, riding was one of the primary ways the horses gained trust and comfort around people. Helping the horses grow and flourish mentally and physically not only benefited the horses, but Francis as well.

“I think [volunteering has] made me a lot happier…” Francis said. “I just love being around the horses [and] getting to spend time with them.”

Volunteering can not only change the lives of those who are being helped, volunteering can change the lives of the volunteers as well. Francis and her experience serve as an example of how serving others can benefit everyone involved in the act.

Campbell began volunteering at Nalani during the organization’s early stages in September of 2016.

“When I started working there Nalani only had one rescue horse, and since then they’ve grown in size with horses and people,” Campbell said.

Due to the work of the volunteers and employees of Nalani the organization was able to rescue several other horses in the past year.

“I think it’s good to help support the causes that you believe and give some of your time to something that helps others,” Campbell said.

The hours and effort put into Nalani by our peers helped change the lives of the horses rescued, and benefitted the improvement of the organization in the long run. These students are taking time out of their busy schedules to better their society and to better the lives of these animals. By volunteering at Nalani, each one of the students has made a positive impact on our community, and on themselves.

“Something I would want you to know is that we want every experience for these horses and for our volunteers to be positive,” Cherry Tapley said.

HOW TO BE A FREE THINKER

by Arnav Kumar | Mar 16, 2018 | News

Many topics that students learn about in school can seem irrelevant to life in South Riding. Certain concepts, like genocide, can be difficult for a Freedom student to even fathom. To remedy this, Carl Wilkens, the sole U.S. citizen who remained in Rwanda during the Rwandan genocide, annually visits FHS to discuss the genocide and to put a face to such a foreign concept.

History teacher Jessica Legnini invited Wilkens to speak at FHS for the first time three years ago, and it has been a valuable asset for the students. This year, Wilkens spoke to several AP World History classes on Dec. 7.

“When [Wilkens] comes to talk to us, first of all, you’re talking to a man that has an understanding of the human capacity for bad, but he also has this incredible understanding of human capacity for good,” Legnini said. “So, he has this very nuanced understanding of human action, and that is very important because I think that most of us lack that nuance in our understanding.”

For the sake of simplicity, many students can view history as a struggle between those who are good, and those who are bad, however, Wilkens’ experience enables him to look further. This is an invaluable skill that fosters a population focused on the collective good. Upon reflection of events during the genocide, Wilkens often finds himself with a matured understanding.

When he speaks, Wilkens does not limit himself just to the events of the genocide. Instead, he focuses on human behavior and philosophical questions. Some of these discussion points include the relationship between guilt and shame and how to make decisions when the choice is unclear. His intention is not only to inform people about the horrific genocide, but also to provoke students into thinking about big topics that can be applied to all aspects of life. One of the main topics he spoke about during his trip this year was how to forgive people without trivializing the harm they have done.

“Yes, we can forgive, but be clear what we mean when we say forgive,” Wilkens said. “Forgiveness does not mean that there are no consequences. Consequences are important and when we keep consequences in the conversation then that helps us realize that we are not minimizing anything.”

Some of these questions may not have a definitive answer, but the point of the discussion is to view them from different perspectives. Having lived in Rwanda during the genocide and seen a humanitarian crisis first hand, Wilkens has a unique perspective on life. Aside from his complex philosophical discussions, Wilkens also discusses current issues that Rwanda is facing.

“[Wilkens] is not frozen in the past,” Legnini said. “We understand Rwanda in terms of genocide. He understands Rwanda as this country that is rebuilding itself, reconciling and all of these other things.”

Each year, the discussion changes, evolves and grows. Students at FHS recognize that history is alive, and it is up to them to decide the future and how to remember the past.