Pins on the map show Darlington’s global reach

A map hanging in the office of Darlington School Head of School Brent Bell looks a little different at the beginning of each school year.

Pins begin appearing across the United States and around the world, each one marking the hometown of one of Darlington’s boarding students and illustrating just how far some students have traveled to attend school in Rome.

Darlington recently continued its annual tradition of inviting boarding students to place pins on the map while gathering with their housemates, faculty members and friends for a sweet treat from Jandy’s Frozen Yogurt.

“The map, sort of pinning your hometown on the map that hangs in my office here at school, is just an opportunity for all of us in the Darlington community to remember that we all come from somewhere, and a place that is meaningful to us and sort of helps to define who we are,” Bell said.

Darlington currently has 207 boarding students, which Bell said is close to the school’s maximum capacity. The school typically has between 200 and 205 boarding students.

This year, Darlington’s international boarding students come from 31 countries. The school’s broader community, including day students and families with international backgrounds, represents about 60 countries.

“One of the unique qualities of Darlington is the fact that it’s a boarding school,” Bell said. “So it’s great for students to be able to talk about why they like where they’re from, what’s special about it and what it means to them as they pursue a different educational environment here in Rome, Georgia.”

Bell said many international students are looking for an American boarding school experience that combines academics with athletics, extracurricular activities and residential life.

He said Darlington’s sense of community also plays a role in bringing students to Northwest Georgia.

“I think people enjoy the community here,” Bell said. “I think it’s a welcoming community. It sort of blends the qualities of diversity, of meeting new people with kind of a Southern hospitality that makes people feel a part of the community and that they belong here pretty quickly.”

Bell said the boarding school environment gives students and faculty opportunities to build relationships beyond the traditional school day.

Darlington organizes its boarding program through six houses — three for girls and three for boys. Local day students are also assigned to houses, connecting them with boarding students through activities and shared traditions.

“Through their house, relationships are built, friendships are made and opportunities are created for all of our students,” Bell said. “I think that makes it a really special environment.”

The pins also show how students from certain parts of the world continue finding their way to Darlington.

Bell said he often sees clusters from particular cities or countries, which he views as evidence of the role the testimonies of past students play in attracting new families.

“We always have students from Lagos, Nigeria, and those students are here because someone they knew, or someone in their family from Nigeria or elsewhere, had a positive experience at Darlington,” Bell said.

“It actually shows that relationships and word-of-mouth experience don’t just matter locally, but it matters globally, and it matters nationally,” he said.

The map tradition begins fresh each year. The pins are removed during the summer before students mark their hometowns again during the annual gathering.

The completed map then returns to Bell’s office, where it remains throughout the school year and serves as a conversation piece for prospective students and families.

Students arrive at Darlington for different reasons, but Bell said the central goal remains preparing them for college and life after high school. Some hope to attend college in the United States, while others plan to return home. Others are drawn by opportunities such as athletics, including Darlington’s soccer academy.

“Typically, our students come to boarding school because it gives them a better opportunity to be prepared for college, whether that’s college in the United States or college back home,” Bell said.

When Bell looks at the finished map, he said he sees more than locations.

“I think it says that people from all over the United States and all over the world believe in the mission and the Darlington experience,” Bell said.

This article was originally published by Baylen Parker in the Rome News-Tribune on Sept. 25, 2025.