After serving 31 years in the PDS community, Upper School History Teacher Mr. Freedholm says goodbye to PDS. His story begins as a graduate student of the Princeton Theological Seminary when he saw a sign in the mail room saying a leave replacement needed from Princeton Day School. “I would say it started as a bit of an accident,” Mr. Freedholm jokes, “I knew I wanted to be a teacher—maybe a university teacher at first but here I am. I fell in love with PDS.”

While PDS has had a deep impact on Mr. Freedholm, he has also greatly contributed to the school community. As a history teacher, he introduced a course required for all freshmen in his second year, originally named Sacred Traditions, now known as World Religions in History. Mr. Freedholm explains, “World Religions is an important class, especially when students start to become more open-minded. In a world in which we are going to run into other people from other religions and other cultures, helping students understand those perspectives has been a major kind of place in my sort of intentions.”

Beyond an academic standpoint, Mr. Freedholm also served as a coach for the soccer and cross-country teams. He helped build the first-ever cross-country course on campus. He also established a travel program in 2001, organizing trips to India four times, China twice, and once to Japan. He describes these experiences as “totally different,” but also the most “memorable” parts of his journey here at PDS.

Having spent over three decades at the school, Mr. Freedholm notes the major changes he has seen. “When I started here, we did not use computers in the classroom… I wrote grades and comments by hand,” Mr. Freedholm shares, “The biggest fundamental change was the dawn of technology. It is a good thing but also indeed challenging.”

Among all the changes to the facilities, Mr. Freedholm reminisces most about Shepherd Commons and the Ice Hockey Rink, neither of which had air-conditioning. He points out that Shepherd was dim and even a little claustrophobic at times. After the redesign that took place eight years ago, the big window spaces and modern looks made Shepherd brighter and life easier for the community.

Moreover, when Mr. Freedholm first came, he described the Ice Hockey Rink almost as if it were outdoors. “It had a roof, but the sides were open. Hockey players were playing in outdoor weather. Sometimes super cold, sometimes not cold enough where the ice was slushy.” With such spaces remodeled, these facilities have enriched student life and experiences at PDS.

Mr. Freedholm sums up his legacy at PDS in one word: “relationships.” He is tremendously grateful for the connections he built with his students, runners, and athletes he coached over the years, as well as his colleagues—particularly the history office—for making his work enjoyable and productive. He is also incredibly fortunate for PDS, which he credits with completing his life and where he met his wife, former PDS History teacher Maria Shepard. Mr. Freedholm acknowledges, “If it had not been for them, I do not think I would have been here for so long.”

As he departs from PDS to focus on spending more time with family, especially with his grandchildren, he offers advice to students and faculty. “For students, my biggest advice is to read. I worry that reading books is not a focus anymore, for kids and possibly adults. Find the things that excite you and read them.” He adds, “For faculty—patience. We expect kids to grow up instantly, but it takes time. It’s a growing process for students to get that kind of maturity, but they do – I have seen it so often; it always comes.” Mr. Freedholm’s remarkable legacy, engaging lessons, meditative presence, and compassion will truly be missed. Wishing you a happy retirement, Mr. Freedholm!