As a huge advocate of summer reading, I hope you are planning on reading many fun and interesting things this summer. Whether a beach-side romance, a traditional classic novel, an amazing biography, a graphic novel, or even a collection of short stories from your favorite author, reading during the summer (or anytime!) is one of the best ways to make connections to the world of people and ideas and to discover new insights into your own Journey. It's also a lot of fun!
With that in mind, I am excited to announce our 2025 Community Read book: Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work by Dave Isay. Here is a brief description of the title from the publisher:
Told through touching conversations between friends, coworkers, and family members, in Callings, StoryCorps founder Dave Isay presents unforgettable stories from people doing work they love. From a mom telling her daughter about her bricklaying career to a father sharing his contributions to the space race as an aeromedical field tester, these stories are poignant and heartfelt intergenerational explorations into the journeys people take to find the jobs they are meant to do. Some found their paths at a very young age, others upturned their lives to change careers later in life. All discovered meaningful jobs where they could use their passions to find purpose in every day.
I hope you will pick up a copy soon and dig in. Traditional paper versions, digital texts, and audiobooks are all great options. In addition to finding the book at your local library or bookstore, you can purchase a copy online:
To help kick off your Intellectual Journey this year at Cushing, one of your first activities during orientation will be breaking into small groups to discuss Callings — so you'll want to make sure to have read the book before coming to campus in September.
Callings is filled with interesting stories, anecdotes, and takeaways that will get you thinking about purpose and meaning in your life. While you don't need to prepare anything for your orientation discussion beyond reading the book, you may find it helpful to highlight passages that intrigue you or to note particular stories you'd like to discuss in your group discussion in September.
Acknowledgement Form in MyCushing
To ensure that all families are aware that Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work by Dave Isay is this year's Community Read book, there is an acknowledgement form in MyCushing that needs to be signed by both students and parent/guardians. This form is available now, and is due on June 15, 2025.
We hope Callings will spark your curiosity this summer and that our Community Read discussions will kick off our efforts to build community, deepen human relationships, and foster curiosity, learning, and purpose throughout our community this year.
We look forward to discussing the book with you at orientation! If you are having difficulty getting a copy or have any questions about Community Read this summer, please contact me directly at jewillis@cushing.org.
Thank you and happy reading,
Jennifer L. Willis, Ed.D.
Director of Teaching & Learning
(978) 827-7000
Cushing Academy, 39 School Street, Ashburnham, MA 01430, United States
