Give Me a Fishbowl Any Day

Seven Warriors Stories

Give Me a Fishbowl Any Day

Sent to the VVS community on October 26, 2026

Dear VVS Community,

I have always preferred living in a small town. There is comfort in knowing every person’s name and habitually mapping the complex connections between residents. Small towns force integrity and authenticity. For me, the feeling of being known and seen, even with my flaws, far outweighs any desire to be anonymous. Give me a fishbowl any day!

For the past 14 years, Verde Valley School has been my small town. Bill and I watched our two daughters grow up here, amid a rainbow of languages and skin tones, thousands of sunsets and meals outdoors, hundreds of performances, countless nights under the stars, and endless games on the quad. Across the years, we tracked the names and hometowns and talents of every student, while they simultaneously marked our roles in this quaint village which also happens to be a school.

Today, our oldest daughter has flown to college and our youngest makes her way through eleventh grade at VVS, and I am grateful for everything this campus has given to them. As little ones, their quality of life on the campus was exceptional. Besides the luxuriously clean air and water and the horses and wildlife to nurture their souls, they were raised by the most inclusive, forgiving, and kind community I’ve ever known. When they became students here their worlds expanded tenfold.

I am still amazed at the deep lessons this tiny school can teach and the kinds of people it launches into the world, good people with emotional and spiritual and intellectual grit, people who will carry more than their share of weight in the next community they join. Our students learn to be less interested in AI and more interested in communicating authentically. They learn to take care of each other and to give back. They join into service to others without hesitation. The upperclassmen teach the younger students it is cool to be smart and truthful and to be oneself unapologetically. Here, there is plenty of room to build one’s confidence and plenty of opportunity for responsibility. There is room for adventure and freedom to take risks in the right directions.

It takes a strong commitment from adults to make such a dream education possible. The small staff are highly trained in their specialty areas and each of us wears many hats to make it all work. We are dedicated to the dream, working overtime and going above and beyond expectations regularly. We are proud to have achieved 100% staff participation in the annual fund each year for many years running, meaning every employee chooses to donate money from their paycheck back to the school.

I invite you to join me in supporting VVS. Your donation helps us stick to the original, inspiring principles of hard work and cross-cultural connections, and to remain true to the standards of intentional community founded in 1948.

With gratitude,

Leigh Carter
VVS Faculty Warrior
Anthropology Teacher and Social Studies Department Chair
Associate Dean of Community Engagement

“For the past 14 years, Verde Valley School has been my small town.”

Leigh Carter, Faculty Warrior

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