A Sneak Peek into Junior Retreat: Reflection, Bonding, and Leadership

By: Devon Liang '27

Each spring, the 11th-grade class takes a two-day, one-night retreat away from the Mesa that focuses on class bonding, self-reflection, and leadership development. This year's Junior Retreat took place at Camp Bútier in the Santa Ynez Mountains and was a key experience in preparing the students for their transition into senior year.

The retreat was led by dorm heads and certain members of the Cate faculty who are involved with the seminar and human development program, including Mr. Rodriguez and Mrs. Gil, in collaboration with Odyssey Teams, a business that provides interactive group experiences in leadership and teamwork. Students are gathered and encouraged to reach out to one another, look inward at their own identities and outward at their collective vision for the coming year through a very structured series of activities.

In previous years, some students viewed the retreat as part of the leadership application process. This year's faculty leaders promoted a new message: the retreat is not an evaluation or audition but an experience focused on growth, authenticity, and class bonding.

When asked about what was particularly special about this year's group, Mrs. Gil noted that, “This group was extremely open and honest with each other. There was a desire to know each other, not so much as classmates, but as future leaders. The atmosphere felt far less performative than in past years and more focused on actual development."

According to Mrs. Gil, one of the most unforgettable exercises was a musical collaboration led by Odyssey Teams, where the entire junior class wrote and performed a song together in fifteen minutes. The activity was presented as a metaphor for leadership, highlighting the importance of diverse roles within a team and the collective effort required to produce something valuable.

Students also engaged in classic team-building challenges, reflective journaling, and the annual tradition of a class mosaic. Students individually painted one tile without seeing the completed image. Only when all the pieces were gathered was the whole picture revealed – a picture of the Cate chapel this year. The mosaic, which can be seen now in the dining hall, served as a powerful visual reminder that each student in the class plays an important role in shaping the identity of the group. 

Following the departure of the Odyssey facilitators, the Cate faculty led discussions on personal growth, peer appreciation, and looking forward to the senior year. There were discussions on how students can support and encourage one another, grow inclusive leadership, and contribute positively to the greater school community.

Conversations with classmates and faculty members made it clear that the experience had a lasting impact. More than a brief escape from daily responsibilities, the Junior Retreat offered students the rare opportunity to pause, reflect, and prepare, as a class, for senior year's challenges and possibilities.