Rain-speckled sidewalks, evergreen-lined campuses, and bustling student centers set the scene as five Mid-Pen juniors spent their Spring Break exploring colleges across the Pacific Northwest. Alongside College Counselor Shelley Willig and Head of School Karen Eshoo, students embarked on an immersive, three-day journey that covered six campuses and nearly 300 miles. 

From Tacoma to Seattle, then down to Salem and Portland, students visited University of Puget Sound, Seattle University, University of Washington, Willamette University, University of Portland, and Lewis & Clark College.

For some students, it was their very first time touring a college campus. Walking through dorms, sitting in common spaces, and observing the rhythm of college life offered a new level of clarity. “The happiest thing I witnessed on the tours is you can almost see it,” Shelley shared. “It’s a visceral thing, watching students begin to imagine themselves there.”

The trip also created meaningful moments of connection. In Salem, the group met up with Mid-Pen alumni Kai Ortiz ’25 and Walter Bachmann ’25 (pictured above) for dinner in downtown Salem, hearing firsthand about their first-year experience at Willamette. Conversations like these helped bring the college experience into sharper focus—less abstract, more real.

As students visited a range of campuses, preferences began to take shape. Meeru S. ’27 discovered she was drawn to smaller campuses, where navigating the environment and building community felt more intuitive. For Brianna Z. ’27, visiting schools outside of California expanded her perspective, while also highlighting practical considerations like access to airports and transportation options.

Offered every other year, Mid-Pen’s college tour program is designed to expand students’ perspectives and help them begin envisioning their next chapter. For this group of juniors, the Pacific Northwest wasn’t just a destination, it was a glimpse into what’s possible.