A Putney story spanning more than a decade.
As we celebrate 75 years, we’re spotlighting the voices of the people who have shaped—and been shaped by—Putney. Sabrina Greenberg’s story spans more than a decade and both sides of the experience: first as a student, and later as a leader.
Sabrina first spent a summer with Putney in 2014, when she was sixteen years old, studying photography in Ecuador and the Galápagos.
One memory from that summer stands out: the group took part in a demanding waterfall hike in the cloud forest. With a complicated medical history, the heat, humidity, and elevation made the hike especially challenging for her. She moved at her own pace, stopping when she needed to.
Her leaders stayed with her. They waited when she paused. They encouraged her forward. With their support, and the encouragement of her peers, she made it to the end.
Sabrina still has a photograph of her group at the waterfall. Years later, she says she returns to that moment when she faces challenges in her life and work.
Today, Sabrina is in the final semester of her master’s degree in art education, completing her student teaching and preparing to enter the classroom full time. Looking back, she sees her time with Putney as an important influence on the path she ultimately chose.
“When I look at how I ended up where I am now, I really feel like my experience with Putney played a role in it.”
After college, during a period of career change, Sabrina reached out to former Putney leaders to thank them. That message brought her back to Putney.
In summer 2025, she returned as a leader, teaching on a Putney program in Japan. Seeing Putney from the other side meant greater responsibility, and also a familiar sense of empathy for students pushing themselves each day.
For Sabrina, what defines Putney is the closeness that forms when people live and learn together.
“The bonds you create are unbreakable in a way,” she says. “Even if you don’t stay in touch, you always remember each other.”
As Putney marks its 75th year, Sabrina sees its legacy in the people who return year after year, and in students who carry what they’ve learned forward.
Her advice to students considering Putney is simple:
“Live loudly.”
