It’s a common refrain at Monday assembly: “The event’s only five minutes away from your house, come stop by!” 

Often, we operate under the assumption that everyone lives right near The Baldwin School, which is far from the truth. 

Some students are within walking distance of the school and can easily get out of bed at 8:00 AM and make it to homeroom on time. But, according to a poll of 71 Upper Schoolers, approximately 59% of the student body are long-distance commuters to Baldwin, defined as having a travel time of greater than 20 minutes.

These students’ commutes come in many forms — by car, by train, and by bus — and can range from 20 minutes to well over an hour. Students also come from various areas, ranging from Philadelphia to rural Pennsylvania. Some even travel from New Jersey or Delaware. 

This can result in certain challenges for long-distance students, such as feeling exhausted from the combination of an early wake-up time, a strenuous commute, and a rigorous schedule of homework and extracurriculars.

Darby resident Fanta Sumaoro ‘27 detailed her routine.

“My school bus arrives at 6:52, and I wake up at 5 AM every day to get ready,” she said. “When I take the school bus, I get to school at 8 AM on a good day. I usually miss this bus if I take longer to get ready.”

She said she struggles to balance her commute, homework, and sports.

“During winter and spring sports, I get home much later because I take public transportation,” Sumaoro said. “It can be anywhere from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. This takes a toll on my sleep schedule and ability to do my best work.

Delawarian Brenna Knox ‘27 must balance her long commute with her frequent ice skating practices. 

“I drive to practice first and then to school,” Knox said. “It can be challenging sometimes after school because of the rush hour traffic. Yes, it’s nice to nap in the car, but it’s hard when assignments are due the next day.”

When participating in Baldwin sports, she gets home between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. To lighten the load, her parents purchased a condo within walking distance of the school so that she could stay there two days a week. 

Dani Loveman ‘27, a long-distance commuter from Philadelphia, said her distance from Baldwin impacts her social life. 

“It ends up creating a social divide between those who live close to Baldwin and those who live farther away because no one wants to commute on an off day or weekend,” Loveman said.

However, this experience isn’t exclusive to students: teachers also struggle with long drives to work. Madame Whipple, an Upper School French teacher who lives in Philadelphia, is one of many teachers with a long commute time. 

Though she said she finds the commute frustrating, she looks for the silver lining by taking public transportation.

“I love where I live, but driving from Philadelphia is an experience I find absolutely miserable, so I am happy enough as is,” Madame Whipple said. “I also find it gratifying to use public transit, which is far more environmentally friendly than using a personal vehicle.” 

Though some students are Baldwin’s next-door neighbors, not everyone is in the same situation. Long-distance commutes can be time-consuming, taxing, and even expensive. 

So before you become annoyed at a friend who cannot make it to a Bryn Mawr function over the weekend, consider this: not everybody lives right around the corner.