Last week I took my son to my chilly, snow-covered, Hogwarts-looking alma mater, Avon Old Farms, and humbly accepted an alumni award for achievement in music. I’m honored to be joining the legendary activist and songwriter Pete Seeger as a recipient of this award. I was also honored to meet the next generation of musicians and singers from an amazing school.

Sometimes the world can surprise you when you least expect it. A boy from the Tennessee mountains can end up in boarding school in Connecticut, and try to find his way through the hallways and dormitories that have brought us some of the best hockey players on earth. Whoever thought that I would have gone to school with New York Rangers star Brian Leetch, and 25 years later they’d be giving me an award? I couldn’t be more proud of the human spirit of educators who are willing to grow their schools to fit the children who go there. May there be more people like this. -k

Read an article from the local paper and learn more about Kristian’s visit to Avon Old Farms here.