Educational History

Sorry for posting this so late!

Educational history

In the third grade I found out I was dyslectic and had several other minor learning disabilities. From then on it became my mission to “catch-up” to everyone else because I always felt left behind academically. I started working harder for everything and was rewarded with the fruits of my labor. I started in a arts magnet elementary and continued to an arts focused middle school. Both were wonderful, but by the middle of seventh grade I was already burning out.

For high school, I went to a fine public high school with an outstanding IB (International Baccauloreate) program. I didn't take full IB, but I did take all the IB classes. Some of them like, Theory of Knowledge, and History of the Americas, changed how I look at, and understand, the world. These classes helped me come to the realization that people had different worldviews, and that rationality was not the peak of human conciseness. I developed a coherence theory of truth for myself. This is that as long as it makes sense within the logic of its own worldview, then at it is “true.” I still feel there might be some universal truths, but I care little about these and want to know more about how we all think and understand the world differently.

Although this new way of thinking was wonderful, I graduated early from high school exhausted and shattered from the pressure of grades, the quantitative environment, large classes, and not feeling like I belonged. I graduated as a junior and spent a year getting to know myself. The first step happened right after school ended. I tested for my fIrst degree black belt in Poekoelan Tjimindie Tulen. The test is forty-eight hours without sleep. Half is physical: forms, sparring, selfless service, the other half was meditation. That was a transformative learning experience that changed my life. When you sit with yourself that long you learn a lot.

After the test, I put the finishing touches on my own program to Indonesia. I used the resources of a college program without going on one of their trips. I did this because at that period there were no high school programs going to Indonesia and all the college programs would not except students who were not undergraduates.

I created a self made language program in Yogyakarta, Indonesia and had a life altering experience. This experience didn’t come from the external world of Indonesia per se, but from my own internal development. I learned a lot journeying by myself. Not to say the external experience of Indonesia wasn’t wonderful, the people in Java are kind and Indonesia is one of the few places I truly have felt at home.

When I returned from Indonesia, I knew I wanted to go to an alternative college and I visited many of the famous ones besides Johnston. These schools were New College of Florida, Naropa, Marlboro, Bennington, and Global College of Long Island University. My brother had gone to Prescott but his second choice was Johnston, so I decided to look there too as an afterthought. I visited, and though it was a wonderful place, I still wasn't sure where I would end up. Finally, after much deliberation (and looking at funding) I decided to go to Johnston. Since then I have blossomed as my truth self. I’m very happy here. I took my second degree black belt test last summer and I finally feel like I’m in a happy and healed place in my life because of the second degree test and my time in Johnston.

My story really has three phases. There was the era of satisfaction with school. This was when the urge to challenge myself and “catch-up” was in it’s infancy. This period lasted through an arts magnet elementary and middle school, that is until seventh grade. From that point on, I moved into the next phase which I would describe as rather misanthropic, at least in my educational life. I had been competing and had excelled in reading, and I had more or less caught up in every other subject. It meant nothing though. Who was I competing with? No one seemed to care as much as I did. For everyone else it seemed to be about the grade, not really learning. Finally, through graduating early from high school and taking a year to soul search, I entered the next era which I’m still in. This phase is truly the golden era in my education, I’ve never been happier.

I want to give other people the opportunities to challenge and grow as I have, as well as have the opportunity to find their own worldview like I have. This balance has made me who I am today and thats why my emphasis focuses on it.