Student Documentary Chronicles DA’s Enduring Commitment to Sustainability
Story by Jesse Paddock
Video by Nachi Kumara ’26 and Eli Werness ’26
1-minute read | 11-minute watch
When Nachi Kumara ’26 and Eli Werness ’26 approached the Durham Academy Marketing & Communications team in January about documenting the installation of solar panels on the roofs of the Upper School STEM & Humanities Center and the Middle School Gateway Center, they had no idea of the scope of the project they were taking on.
The two Upper Schoolers proceeded to film a series of interviews with DA faculty and administrators, as well as with representatives from Southern Energy Management, the firm that oversaw the installation. Before long, they realized that the solar panels were just one piece of the puzzle — to tell the story fully, they’d need to take a snapshot of DA’s schoolwide commitment to Sustainability goals. This was fitting, since, as DA’s Sustainability Coordinator Tina Bessias ’78 says in the documentary, “sustainability touches everything.”
Kumara and Werness expanded their frame to cover as much of this material as possible, from Sandy Creek to the Sustain-In to the soon-to-be-dedicated Elder Oak Commons, and I pitched in by filming B-roll of these places and events whenever my schedule allowed. They also wanted the film to include a special tribute to Ms. Bessias, whose passion and determination has guided DA’s strategy around sustainability for nearly a decade.
As Ms. Bessias prepares for retirement and DA prepares for the next chapter of its sustainability journey, this felt like a fitting time to acknowledge all the work that’s been done to date — and all the work that’s yet to come — as DA continues to do its part to keep the planet healthy and thriving. To quote Upper School Director Lanis Wilson in the film: “If you’re about education, you have to be about sustainability because you can’t educate people for a world that’s not going to exist.”