December has been a month of reconnecting with Seabury alumni who
have come back to share their stories of life after Seabury. After having been
at Seabury for a long time now, it is always exciting to see former students
and meet those who were at Seabury before my time. I love to hear the stories
of where they have gone and what they have done since leaving our program.
Over the years, I have talked with and heard the stories of many
of our alums – both recent grads who are still in high school and those
who have gone on to colleges and careers. A number of themes have emerged from
those conversations, themes that both validate the work that we are doing with
our current students and that provide valuable information for parents
regarding the benefit of the significant investment they are making in their
child's Seabury education.
First, every alumnus I have ever talked with or heard from
through others has said that their experience at Seabury has had a significant
impact on their lives, choices and successes. Alumni consistently tell us
that Seabury was the place where they recognized their passion for learning and
where they discovered what true academic rigor looked and felt like. Many have
shared experiences of going on to high school programs with a reputation for
rigor and challenge and finding, instead, that there was a great deal of work
and hours of homework, but much less rigor in terms of thought, analysis and
application of learning. At Seabury, students from pre-k through eighth grade
are expected to take information they learn and apply it in new and unique ways
–
a rigorous activity requiring higher level thinking and deeper understanding. A
number of alums have shared that Seabury set the bar for them, and that they
demanded that kind of rigor from the teachers and professors they had in high
school and college.
Second, alums consistently tell us that Seabury is the place
where they gained self-confidence. Research tells us that when gifted
students learn with other gifted students, they not only increase their
academic achievement, but also show greater social/emotional growth than when
they are in classes with more typically developing students. We see that every
day at Seabury – our students inspire and stimulate deeper levels of
questioning and discovery in each other. And they grow in confidence as they
recognize that they not only have areas of strength and expertise, but that
others have areas of strength as well and that they can learn from and support
each other. We see that self–confidence carrying forward with
students as they move into high school, college and career. We see alums
demanding excellence from themselves and seeking out those who support and
encourage them.
Third, our recent grads talk about Seabury's program giving
them the tools to advocate for themselves, getting what they need from school
and other experiences. When we talk with graduates of our current middle
school program, we hear again and again that the community element of the program
–
our students’ experiences interacting with people of all ages through partnerships,
field studies as close as Tacoma and as far off as the D-Day beaches at
Normandy, participation in the Model UN – even Thursday lunches out –
has given them confidence, poise and sophistication beyond their years. They
are able to advocate for themselves appropriately in their high schools, asking
for more challenging classes, talking with teachers, seeking out internships
and relevant experiences, and getting what they need to be successful. Whether
they are at public or private schools, they tell us they have learned how to be
their own advocates and they attribute that to their experience at Seabury.
Finally, we our alumni show us that Seabury is not a school
that produces "cookie cutter" students who look the same and follow
similar paths after leaving our school. At Seabury, our goal is to help
students discover their passions and develop their talents, whatever those
might be. When we look at our alums, we see young people who are pursuing
careers in medicine, business, social service, law and academia. We have
musicians, dancers, and artists. We have alumni who have studied at Ivy League
schools and students who have military careers. We have a successful Indie
musician, an Olympic athlete in training, technology experts, a rocket
scientist, world travelers, and students who have made their way from high
school to college early. The broad range of schools our students attend and
careers they have chosen reflects Seabury's commitment to helping our students
define success for themselves and to giving them the tools to ask great
questions, think deeply and seek inspiration and innovation.
Whether they started at Seabury in pre-k and finished the eighth
grade here, or spent just a remarkable year or two with us, our alumni are an
inspiration. Seeing them discover their passions, set their personal bars high
and seek excellence in a variety of ways reminds me of the tremendous
importance of our work. It is significant to me that Seabury is the only school
I have worked at in more than 30 years in education where students cry on the
last day of school because they don't want the school year to be over.
Seabury students past and present inspire us and inspire each
other. We are grateful for all of them, and I am humbled when I see what they
are contributing to the world. It is a privilege to be part of this special
school!
– Sandi Wollum
– Sandi Wollum
