Hannah Daley (‘24): Growing Together at the Scholars’ Retreat
Every August, the first- through fourth-year Loran Scholars attend the Scholars’ Retreat, where they make new connections, strengthen existing bonds, and build trust in one another as they come together for four days of reflection and growth that expand scholars’ capacity to address the challenges of the future.
Our annual retreat marks the transition from the Summer Experiential Learning Program to a new academic year, helping scholars return to school refreshed, grounded, and inspired to learn, lead, and give back.
This year marked our first retreat hosted on a university campus, made possible through the generous support of Queen’s University. We are deeply grateful for their partnership and continued commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for our scholar community. 2024 Johnston Loran Scholar Hannah Daley shares her reflection on the 2026 Scholars Retreat.
“With every retreat, I am reminded of how special the Loran community is. I leave each year feeling humbled at the accomplishments and growth of my fellow scholars, and inspired by their initiative as we chat and share life updates.
During our workshops and scholar-sharing circles, we connect through meaningful conversations about the pressures of university, our individual backgrounds, our struggles and accomplishments, and where we want to go from here. These conversations, and the small (or large) ways our perspectives change each retreat, show how much we continue to transform throughout this process and learn from each other.
Thinking back to how I was always looking up to and learning from upper-year scholars, it doesn’t feel like enough time has passed to be one myself today: another sign of just how fast we are all growing! Every year, I understand more and more how fast this time goes by. You start your Loran journey on the Outward Bound camping trip and then at your first retreat, and it feels like everything is just beginning. Then, all of a sudden, after the fun and stress of your first couple of years of university, you find yourself in the home stretch of your time in Loran, with most of your retreats under your belt. The more retreats I attend, the more I want to squeeze as much out of the remaining ones that I have left, and of my time as an in-stream scholar with the rest of my cohort.
Every year I’m pleasantly surprised by how close our community is despite living all over the country, and the ways we choose to prioritize our connections with each other. Retreat is a special way for all of us to touch base at one focused time, but we are constantly checking in on each other throughout the year. Whether we are visiting one another when travelling and in need of a good place to crash, sharing opportunities with each other, working together on projects, or just connecting for a good chat, we always keep each other in mind. Retreat acts as a special way to come together before the transition into the next academic year. One of the most memorable parts of retreat for me is hearing everyone’s reflections on our days together and hearing what they’re taking into this next year with them.”