Warren Wilson College, nestled in the picturesque town of Swannanoa in North Carolina, blends the natural beauty outside the classroom with strong community ties inside it. Nestled in the vast expanse of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this campus is like a nature resort with its rolling hills and serene landscapes. 
What really sets Warren Wilson apart is its devotion to experiential education. The innovative work program allows students to experience real-life interactions that marry academics with community service. The hands-on approach not only helps develop practical skills but instills a sense of responsibility toward life. Whether engaged in environmental science, social justice or the arts, Warren Wilson provides an environment that prizes personal growth as highly as academic exploration.
This is the sense of home recently shattered by Hurricane Helene, which came barreling into the small mountain town and the college bringing destructive flooding in a matter of hours. Many residents of this town watched helplessly as their homes and personal objects were swept away with little or no notice of evacuation.
As the town flooded, Warren Wilson was also hit. Around 30% of the campus’ buildings were flooded.
Most students who remained on campus during the hurricane sprang into action. Many joined road-clearing efforts and making sure animals across campus were safe. With power and water outages since the hurricane struck, access to food became a concern.
The farmland of the college, steeped in pride among the students and faculty of the institution, had been destroyed. Many animals were moved to higher ground, while the pigs and chickens remained in their pens. Students worked furiously to rescue as many as possible as the floodwaters rose.
The following day proved even grimmer as students spent the better part of several hours picking up the bodies of the pigs and chickens from the river. The ones that survived were taken to a farm nearby.
Warren Wilson’s classes resumed online Oct. 21 and in-person Oct. 28.
The promise from the students and faculty is to join hands to restore Warren Willson to an even better shape than before.
