Ladue students enjoyed a diverse range of activities throughout spring break, from family bonding time to glorious––and rare––moments spent under blue skies. With rising temperatures reviving billions of budding plants, the week-long break presented the perfect time to both relax before facing a final barrage of assignments and exams, while also relishing in the newly arrived seasonal splendor of nature. 

Freshman Anaiya Washington spent her break exploring the numerous mountains of Tennessee with her family. Her dad drove them on the eight hour journey by car. They stayed in a mountain house for the five-day duration, where her mom cooked simple meals, like rice and chicken, for them to enjoy after long days of outdoor adventures. 

The family was surrounded by the natural world throughout their entire trip. They hiked across the rocky terrain in cold and windy weather, encountering various kinds of wildlife along the way. 

“There were a lot of bugs and spiders that were really scary,” Washington said. “The spiders were very small, but there were lots of them.”

Tennessee, home to two renowned national parks, is known for its breathtaking scenery. Cascading waterfalls, ridges and verdant meadows painted with wildflowers create a perfect, picturesque landscape. 

“My favorite thing in Tennessee was the rivers,” Washington said. “They were very loud, but also really pretty.” 

For the students who stayed closer to home, spring break offered a chance to enjoy the emerging flora and fauna locally. Even without venturing far, they still found ways to enjoy the prelude seasons and make the most of their time off. 

Sophomore Kai Chen visited the campus of Washington University in St. Louis with his family. With the recent entrance of spring, the beautiful campus environment has been transformed into a blooming sanctuary filled with Yoshino cherry blossoms and Magnolias. 

“My brother and I took a lot of pictures together,” Chen said. “We wanted to see the cherry flower trees on campus, so our parents took us.” 

But Chen’s break also included activities that some others might consider ‘less leisurely’. He competed in the USA Computing Olympiad (USACO), a prestigious national programming competition used to discover and train aspiring high-school students in their coding talents. The online event is held annually in four sessions, and attracts around 10,000 participants each time. 

“I think I did pretty well, considering the test I took was the last and hardest one of the year,” Chen said. “I was able to fully solve two out of the three questions in five hours.”