“Over the past three years that I have attended Fairhaven, I have put a lot of thought into the question, ‘What defines an effective adult?’ I have identified five main traits that one should have. One should be able to communicate effectively, be financially independent, be responsible, contribute to the larger community, and last but certainly not least, know how to pursue happiness.”

“One way I learned how to communicate effectively was by going to meetings at the school. When I first came to the school I quickly fell in love with School Meeting. Knowing that my words could affect the school so directly felt very empowering. I was almost always there, always making my voice heard.”

“I’ve known since I was twelve that I wanted to make movies. I mainly want to be a writer, but I’ve taken on many other roles of filmmaking as well, including directing, production, shooting, editing, and acting... I need a job that can pay the bills. About a year ago I decided to focus on sound editing. I looked at many schools and have chosen Video Symphony, in Burbank, California. One of the admissions people was so impressed by how much research I had done on the school that she hired me...to do research. Having working experience in Burbank before I even get there will only help a positive reputation spread.”

“I have over ten years of experience at public school. I am very familiar with the way classes and homework work. What I didn’t have in public school, which I do now, is determination.”

“With new revolutions such as YouTube, spreading information across the world has never been easier. I plan to pursue this and other resources to spread ideas. It may be through documentaries or something else, but I believe that we are at the birth of an age where the common people have much more power than we ever have before.”

“After much self-discovery at the school I have discovered that I achieve happiness through accomplishment and success. The great joy in my life comes from setting goals and achieving them. Fairhaven has been the perfect environment for me to practice that..”

— Richard Morris, Class of ‘07

“Fairhaven has opened up a new way of looking at learning and that has led me to realize that I could think on my own.”

“I have come to believe that an effective adult is somebody who takes responsibility for their actions and can adapt to their surroundings. In other words, what life has in store for you.

“ Art is my passion... I plan to attend Ringling School of Art...I taught myself frame-by-frame animation three years ago at school. I have been animating ever since... If I had continued at a traditional school I would not have acquired this skill or even known about it. In my environment I have had homework-free years to practice and develop an animating style which contributed to a large portion of my portfolio.”

— Peter Carlson, Class of ‘07

“I believe an effective adult is someone who can face obstacles head on and rise to overcome them, someone who doesn’t run from things that need to be done, someone who doesn’t bottle up their problems, someone who is always working toward self-improvement. As for an effective adult in the larger community? I believe this is an... adult who can support him or herself and try to help others with their problems.”

“Fairhaven was so different from public school. Here was a place with no cliques or bullies. Everyone was so nice and patient and understanding....It was tough at first having so much self-responsibility, but I think that it has helped me so much. During my years at Fairhaven I have become increasingly self-reliant and confident... Here at Fairhaven I have learned how to make things happen. If I want something done, such as having a school pet or changing a rule, I know I have the power to go to School Meeting and fight for it, using the system.”

“At Fairhaven the adults are my equals. They are subject to the same rules and regulations as I am. When I talk, they listen and vice versa. I am treated more like an adult myself, which has helped me learn to start acting like one. Both these experiences dealing with adults helped me when I got my first job.”

“After I graduate, I plan to go to Anne Arundel Community College and take some courses, starting with a course on becoming a veterinary technician. I will continue to study there until I decide exactly what it is that I want to do, then I will transfer to a school that specializes in that field. I know I want to work with animals, maybe become a Vet. Tech or a dog trainer.”

— Alison Everett, Class of ‘07

“At every chance I get I try to see what a certain situation taught me. Every experience I have changes me in some way, even if it is not evident at first. Life continually challenges me, and I come out with a better understanding of things because of it.”

“I find a great number of topics fascinating and intend to take courses at college to gain more insight into what those fields are like... There are times when I get so involved in reading things that I can spend days on a subject that I initially set out to find a single fact about. One of the more vivid examples in my mind is when I was trying to figure out how fast flytraps shut and ended up with information on how to cultivate a dozen species of carnivorous plants.”

Graduating from Fairhaven is bittersweet. I will miss this school immensely. However, the world is jumping up and down while screaming my name. I am more than ready to chase my dreams and pounce on opportunities.”

— Cath Roskind, Class of ‘07

“Ever since I can remember, freedom to learn and grow in my own way has been important to me...I’ve always wanted to be a business owner and entrepreneur... Over the years, I started filling in the dream with details of owning nightclubs and entertainment businesses.”

“During these years [at Fairhaven] I learned to read as a result of wanting to understand something, playing a game or communicating with someone via the Internet. Because of my interest in money, I’ve naturally had to learn enough math to be skilled in money calculations.”

“To earn money, I am studying currency trading and intend to form a part time business with my father in this field.”

“The most important part of my personal education thus far has been my ability to network with all types of supportive people, including mentors and advisors... Fairhaven has become a wonderful extended family to me.”

— Luke Schmith, Class of ‘07

“The change started at the beginning of this school year. ... I was aiming to graduate. I wanted to move on to college, which I knew wasn’t a forgiving or easy environment. I would have to work to prepare myself... I started working on building skills that I perceived as valuable in the larger community. I began by working as School Meeting Secretary, a duty that has been both rewarding and extraordinarily challenging.”

“The [next] and most obvious step was to get some college experience of my own. I signed up for a Psychology 101 course at the local community college, and guess what happened? I found out that college was fun.”

“I’m finding that having writing as your greatest passion lends itself to many other fields of interest....I believe that computer gaming is an extraordinarily important and powerful part of my writing... Not only has gaming helped me prepare for entry into an increasingly electronic and technical world... the games I derive the most enjoyment from and spend the most time playing, heavily involve character, plot, and world development... In the Dungeons and Dragons campaigns I play with my friends, I am consistently drawn to developing the characters we interact with: filling out their lives, their histories, and their actions... it certainly helps with my ability to interact with real people.”

— Eric Steigerwald, Class of ‘07

“Life started out being fun...But, as I got to first, second third grade, it was less and less fun....We weren’t playing any more, we were always working.... I knew I would get out of school eventually, but I was only eight! I had an eternity to go. I hated school. Luckily, my mom noticed how miserable I was and we tried something new. We went to a little school called Fairhaven. It was like a miracle! Suddenly, I was having fun again.... Everyone was so... open. I could feel free to speak my mind without being ridiculed and you had a choice in what you did... Everyone was friendly, and they weren’t faking it to be polite. The light was back on.”

“An effective adult is someone who loves what they’re doing.... I plan to design computer games. I want to work as a software designer for a computer game company, someone who writes the code that makes the game stick... Making a game is actually a whole lot of work, but I found it to be fun. As I became a better programmer, I began to think this could be my career. last summer I went to Washington State to take some courses in game design at a college named Digipen. I took all three levels (Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced) at the same time.

“I was nervous that I couldn’t make it in ‘real’ school anymore, after spending so long at Fairhaven. I was pleasantly surprised. I came out of my first [college] class with a 4.0 and recently received 2nd place in a math competition at my college. They were both accomplishments that left me feeling great.

“I’ve done what I can in the last years to prepare myself for my future. I have job experience, and am constantly improving my math skills. My time at Fairhaven improved my social skills. I think I’m ready to take on life, and to have fun doing it. If life’s a game, I plan to play it well.”

— Austin Scholze, Class of ‘07