Most of the Fairhaven Class of 2008 ringing the bell after graduation.

“I’ve been part of Fairhaven School from day one. I was a member of a founding family...I’ve had the freedom to decide how to spend my days for most of my life. This means that I was in charge of my education. To most parents this may seem like a risky move but my parents really believed in the school and trusted me to make the right choices. I’m so glad that my parents took that risk. Not being forced to take classes and have homework made me want to have classes and I chose whether or not I had homework. Because this was my decision I would really pay attention and learn a lot.”

“Being JC Clerk kept me informed with what’s happening at school; it tested my patience and my ability to keep order when fifteen different people would try to say what happened all at the same time. After running some of those three-hour long meetings I know how tedious it can be, however, I gained a clear understanding of the democratic system. I learned how to weigh arguments and make fair decisions. I believe this is very important when dealing with people and making decisions in my everyday adult life.”

“Attending School Meeting and being involved in heated arguments taught me how to get my point across, and stand up for what I believe in.”

— Mary Brewer, Class of ‘08

“While I have problems, I find that I am, in general, a happy person. I try, and mostly succeed, to keep a positive outlook on life and to focus on the good, rather than the bad...The other half of being a happy person is knowing what is going to make one happy and finding a way to make it happen. For example, I carefully considered what I wanted to do after graduating from Fairhaven and decided that I wanted to go to a four-year university. I looked at quite a few colleges and applied to the three that looked most interesting.”

“It took more thought and effort on my part to get them to even consider my application than it would have if I had a traditional high school transcript with grades. But with perseverance and hard work, two thing I learned at Fairhaven, I was accepted into the University of Maryland, College Park, and Goucher College and offered a place on the wait list for Ursinus College.”

“In the next four years I plan to earn a degree in theater at the University of Maryland, College Park. Acting is something I enjoy but I also find costuming and prop construction to be fascinating and challenging. I am not sure exactly where I will end up, but I know that, whatever I am doing, it will be something I love.”

— Pallas Bane, Class of ‘08

“When I first came to Fairhaven I didn’t understand how it was possible for a school like it to exist. It was incredible. I could draw when ever I wanted to. I could go outside and play basketball or sit inside and watch a movie. I didn’t have to talk to anyone if I didn’t want to or I could talk as much as I wanted to. I think the fact that Fairhaven is in the woods is one of the main reasons I like it so much. It is so beautiful and peaceful and I guess I feel like it is in the middle of nowhere.”

“Since coming to Fairhaven I have directed a play, been JC Clerk and Alternate, participated in countless School meetings and JC cases, and investigated theft cases. I have been to different Corporation meetings and have attended classes such as German, Comparative Religion, Spelling, Yoga, Silk Painting, Dance, and Photography. I have been working on a painting for about a year and a half. I have spent a lot of time on this and it is one of the things I really love to do.”

“I think being in the unique democratic setting we have at Fairhaven has helped me by showing me how the democratic process works. It is a very cool thing to be able to participate in all the aspects of the school from hiring the staff to making new rules... I currently hold the role of JC Clerk. This position has further helped me understand how our justice system works and has helped me develop leadership skills.”

“I have learned to communicate and deal with people of all ages at Fairhaven, from very small children to much older adults. Everyone at Fairhaven is treated with respect and as an individual and this teaches us to treat others the same way.”

“I was very reserved and quiet when I first came to Fairhaven...I have since become a very loud, extremely outspoken individual—well, compared to how I was before. I attribute a lot of that to the people involved in the school and my friends at Fairhaven.”

— Maryalice Escobedo, Class of ’08

“I have prepared myself to follow my dream through to the very end. I expect to achieve fantastic heights of skill and renown, but if I were to die penniless and unknown on this endeavor, I would die knowing that I had never relented, and that would be enough.”

— Erika Long, Class of ’08

“I consider an effective adult someone who’s able to take responsibility for their actions, able to create relationships, and grow and learn from new situations. I could also throw financial stability in there, but to me it doesn’t matter if you’re loaded or if you have to struggle to get by, just as long as you are happy with what you are doing in life. Happiness is a huge factor in becoming an adult. Without it you don’t get as much as you should out of life experiences, which in turn makes you not as prepared for what’s to come. Figuring this out, along with a few other things, allowed me to change some things in my life so that I was able to adapt and adequately prepare myself for the present and future.”

“One day [a friend] told me about a school with a democratic setting where my opinion would actually be heard. I would be able to pursue my interests instead of being stuck in a classroom for seven hours a day doing mundane, unneeded work. It sounded like everything I had been trying to find in public school. So after a bit of convincing I went in for a visiting day. I was absolutely amazed by children being in charge of their education, and by just how much of a say every person had. That amount of freedom came as quite a shock considering I was coming from a place where your entire education was planned by what you needed to learn for a certain test. Fairhaven was just what I needed to re-ignite that desire to learn that had been stifled throughout the years.”

“I began to realize that learning could happen outside of a classroom. You didn’t necessarily have to have information shoved down your throat; exploring and talking seemed to teach me as much, if not even more. I also was able to spend time with people of all ages, which helped me realize that someone’s age doesn’t define their maturity. In its own way that helped me grow. I no longer disregard someone’s opinion because of their age. I realize that I can learn a lot from people older and younger than I am. Being able to do that has greatly helped my social skills over the years.”

“...Life problems have made me realize that you can’t let life get the better of you. I know now that I am capable of adapting and dealing with situations that arise and that I won’t crumble under all of the responsibilities that come along with life. Being capable of that is a huge part of becoming an adult.”

— Marlee Mincher, Class of ‘08