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The Magic of Cranbrook feat. Clayton Kramp '15 & Alaina Headrick '15
Studying and living in a beautiful place with friends from all around the world is not something everyone gets to experience.
In this episode, Clayton Kramp (‘15) and Alaina Headrick (‘15) reminisce about their time at Cranbrook Schools. They reflect on the arts, the grounds, and the magical experiences they shared with each other and their friends. Hear about what makes the school and its community so special, and how their time there taught them to appreciate life and those around them.
Clayton Kramp is a Software Engineer & AAPI ERG Leader at Maxar. His work centers on helping track satellite imagery over Tanzania, checking the rainforest, and he is currently using his technical and programming skills in helping the environment. He recently joined as a leader in the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community in their company. Clayton received his M.S. in Computer Science and B.S. in Computational and Applied Mathematics from Colorado School of Mines.
Alaina Headrick is a Biomedical Engineer at Bio-rad. She’s keen on seeking to combine her passion for biology, innovation, and collaboration to promote wellness and serve her community. She’s particularly interested in Systems Engineering, focusing on the interfaces between departments and technologies and understanding how to tailor systems and testing protocols to meet product design requirements for the health and wellness industry.
- Clayton on LinkedIn and IG
- Join Clayton’s Class in Udemy
- Alaina on LinkedIn and IG
Remembering the Extraordinary Gardens and Learning About Nature
Alaina [00:03:08]: I remember walking around the grounds in the first grade. Just being blown away like this little kid on this giant campus, with all the art and everything, and all the flowers. I still love flowers, gardens, and things like that. So I remember the sunken garden by the Cranbrook House. It was just like a magical place to me in my mind at that time… Even the bog garden by the Cranbrook House with all the turtles and frogs. I remember going there with my classes and learning about all different species while looking at those ponds and things like that. It was just, a really cool place to learn about the world, with all this nature, and everything around you. So, that's great. A very good place to be a little kid, too.
The English Program at Cranbrook
Clayton [00:04:42] The English program at Cranbrook was the most brutal thing I ever experienced. It was so hard and every essay I wrote got destroyed to pieces, and you know, red everywhere. At the time, I was very unappreciative… Retrospectively thinking about it, it was probably everything I needed. In terms of getting up to speed, and really learning how to write good essays and things like that. That was a great way to kick-start and prep myself for everything else.
Magical Performances
Alaina [00:06:22] We worked so hard, but it was so fun. It was a close-knit group of people. Our concerts felt like a magical experience. You know, we were able to perform in Christ Church, which has incredible acoustics. And Paige Hall and the Cranbrook dining hall, just being able to be in such amazing spaces, creating art that we all really, really worked hard on. I remember we sang this piece, Dark Night of the Soul, and we sang it with the men's choir, the women's choir, and also a smaller chamber orchestra in Christ Church. It was a 45-minute piece. That was my first time ever doing a piece with the orchestra. It was so powerful. I remember people were crying during it, people stood up. It just was incredible to create something like that and do it with such a group of people that I loved, in a beautiful space. That led me to keep doing that kind of stuff. I was in a symphony chorus in college and then still am now.
Finding Community at Cranbrook
Clayton [00:09: 53]: So growing up, I spent a year in a school or, maybe as short as three months, or as long as three years. And, I was always the new student in all of these different schools that I went to. It was always difficult to make real, lasting bonds and friendships, in the sense that I was always new. It was difficult to have long-lasting relationships ‘cause I was only there for a few years. Where Cranbrook was different for me was that it was the first school that I spent four years in, which is very long in my experience. And I was not the only new student. All the boarders were completely new to the school. So, we were able to make this new bond altogether, kind of starting fresh.
Advice to Current Students: Cherish and Relish Your Time at Cranbrook
Alaina [00:20:05]: I think just remembering what a masterpiece you're going to every day. You, literally, as a student there, you're going to one of the most renowned art pieces in the world. Being able to separate yourself from all the stress and all the anxiety of getting into college and all the tasks and everything like that. Just sit and be grateful and appreciate this beautiful world that you're in.
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By Cranbrook KingswoodStudying and living in a beautiful place with friends from all around the world is not something everyone gets to experience.
In this episode, Clayton Kramp (‘15) and Alaina Headrick (‘15) reminisce about their time at Cranbrook Schools. They reflect on the arts, the grounds, and the magical experiences they shared with each other and their friends. Hear about what makes the school and its community so special, and how their time there taught them to appreciate life and those around them.
Clayton Kramp is a Software Engineer & AAPI ERG Leader at Maxar. His work centers on helping track satellite imagery over Tanzania, checking the rainforest, and he is currently using his technical and programming skills in helping the environment. He recently joined as a leader in the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community in their company. Clayton received his M.S. in Computer Science and B.S. in Computational and Applied Mathematics from Colorado School of Mines.
Alaina Headrick is a Biomedical Engineer at Bio-rad. She’s keen on seeking to combine her passion for biology, innovation, and collaboration to promote wellness and serve her community. She’s particularly interested in Systems Engineering, focusing on the interfaces between departments and technologies and understanding how to tailor systems and testing protocols to meet product design requirements for the health and wellness industry.
- Clayton on LinkedIn and IG
- Join Clayton’s Class in Udemy
- Alaina on LinkedIn and IG
Remembering the Extraordinary Gardens and Learning About Nature
Alaina [00:03:08]: I remember walking around the grounds in the first grade. Just being blown away like this little kid on this giant campus, with all the art and everything, and all the flowers. I still love flowers, gardens, and things like that. So I remember the sunken garden by the Cranbrook House. It was just like a magical place to me in my mind at that time… Even the bog garden by the Cranbrook House with all the turtles and frogs. I remember going there with my classes and learning about all different species while looking at those ponds and things like that. It was just, a really cool place to learn about the world, with all this nature, and everything around you. So, that's great. A very good place to be a little kid, too.
The English Program at Cranbrook
Clayton [00:04:42] The English program at Cranbrook was the most brutal thing I ever experienced. It was so hard and every essay I wrote got destroyed to pieces, and you know, red everywhere. At the time, I was very unappreciative… Retrospectively thinking about it, it was probably everything I needed. In terms of getting up to speed, and really learning how to write good essays and things like that. That was a great way to kick-start and prep myself for everything else.
Magical Performances
Alaina [00:06:22] We worked so hard, but it was so fun. It was a close-knit group of people. Our concerts felt like a magical experience. You know, we were able to perform in Christ Church, which has incredible acoustics. And Paige Hall and the Cranbrook dining hall, just being able to be in such amazing spaces, creating art that we all really, really worked hard on. I remember we sang this piece, Dark Night of the Soul, and we sang it with the men's choir, the women's choir, and also a smaller chamber orchestra in Christ Church. It was a 45-minute piece. That was my first time ever doing a piece with the orchestra. It was so powerful. I remember people were crying during it, people stood up. It just was incredible to create something like that and do it with such a group of people that I loved, in a beautiful space. That led me to keep doing that kind of stuff. I was in a symphony chorus in college and then still am now.
Finding Community at Cranbrook
Clayton [00:09: 53]: So growing up, I spent a year in a school or, maybe as short as three months, or as long as three years. And, I was always the new student in all of these different schools that I went to. It was always difficult to make real, lasting bonds and friendships, in the sense that I was always new. It was difficult to have long-lasting relationships ‘cause I was only there for a few years. Where Cranbrook was different for me was that it was the first school that I spent four years in, which is very long in my experience. And I was not the only new student. All the boarders were completely new to the school. So, we were able to make this new bond altogether, kind of starting fresh.
Advice to Current Students: Cherish and Relish Your Time at Cranbrook
Alaina [00:20:05]: I think just remembering what a masterpiece you're going to every day. You, literally, as a student there, you're going to one of the most renowned art pieces in the world. Being able to separate yourself from all the stress and all the anxiety of getting into college and all the tasks and everything like that. Just sit and be grateful and appreciate this beautiful world that you're in.