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Amanda Esteves-Kraus Shares Her Thoughts on the Boston Weekend

Posted July 13, 2011

Amanda Esteves-Kraus '11 shares her thoughts on the recent Steamboat weekend in Boston.

Thoughts on a Weekend...

The intrepid Steamboat Scholars united in Boston this past weekend for a whirlwind of events. We kicked off the weekend with our second Leadership Dinner which was a boisterous mix of serious conversations, lobster, unicorns, which were discussed, not eaten, and ended with dessert. (Those Scholars who ordered more than one dessert shall remain anonymous.)

We spent the following morning at Facing History and Ourselves, Steamboat Grant Partner and non-profit education organization based in Brookline, MA. This morning was particularly memorable for all of the Scholars for many reasons. For one, it was the first time we had seen one of our fellow Scholars, Sharon Song '11, formally lead an activity and discussion. As a roommate of Sharon's it was fantastic to see the transformation from wet-haired, just got out of the shower, can't really talk to you now Sharon, to this professional, wonderfully articulate leader. It was also the first time since Orientation in which our entire group of Scholars interacted and was probed in a more academic setting. And now that we know each other all the better, it stimulated an incredibly interesting and sensitive dialogue based on mutual respect for one another.

After a quick run to Trader Joe's we all reconvened at headquarters to prepare for the evening at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Dressed to the T, current Scholars, past Scholars, and Senior Mentors arrived for our private tour of the museum. Everyone walked through the museum gazing at Isabella Gardner's meticulous juxtapositions of paintings, fabrics, and furniture as the scent of flowers wafted in from the central courtyard. The comments and accents of our two curators-by-day and tour guides-by-night fostered not only smiles, but also questions. Our Vineyard Vines Scholar was taken by the restoration work performed on many of the fabrics in the collection, while our Lone Pine Capital Scholar often inquired after a piece's net worth. It was a marvelous evening. The merriment continued at dinner as guests played musical chairs (a time-honored Steamboat tradition), simultaneously getting to know everyone and confusing the wait staff.

The Scholars spent the remainder of the weekend together roaming around Boston. One of my mentors put it best on Monday morning as I walked into work when she said, "You looked like a group in which hilarity always ensues." And it really does.

Steamboat Foundation was honored to have the following guests join the 2011 Scholars on the private tour of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Dr. Jay Bradner, Senior Mentor from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Naomi Cotrell and Kristin Frederickson, Senior Mentors from Reed Hilderbrand; Oliver Tostmann, Pieranna Cavalchini, and Tiffany York, Senior Mentors from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum; and Alumni Mentors Ben Nwachukwu '07, Chelsey Mitchell '09, and Emily Batt '10.

Click here to view photos from the Gardner tour.