I wanted to take a moment to let you know how the Carleton Project influenced my family in a positive way.
My son, Jacob Tapley, was not having a good experience in the public school system. He didn’t like going to school, was in trouble a fair amount, and was just unhappy. He struggled with communication with teachers and his classmates. He was not excited about learning and complained that when he tried to offer a different approach, he was shut down immediately. I was at my wits end trying to get him to go, to be happy, and to get a good education.
He talked to me about Carleton, and it was an absolute no from me. I wanted him to have a public-school education and for some reason I felt Carleton would not be. My parents were big on the public school system, and I had picked that up via osmosis. He finally talked me into going in to see what they were about and what they could do for him. I agreed and went to meet with Alan, Carol, and Lilly. I left not knowing quite what to think about it. He talked to me the whole way home and the thing that I remember the most was how EXCITED he was about the possibility of going there. How he already felt valued as a possible student and how the people at Carleton were routing for him to be successful.
So, I gave in…with reluctance, but hope. I am so thankful that I did give in. From the start, he was eager to get to Carleton in the morning and excited to talk about his day when it was over. All of a sudden, it seemed, he was learning in leaps and bounds. He was resolving some of his bad feelings with Carol’s help. He was learning about respectful relationships from Alan. He was telling me all about history and English and math; about the papers he was writing and the ways that he was learning.
My troublesome son with the bad attitude blossomed into a proficient and eager student. He talked about helping other students there and about learning from them too. He then WANTED to go to school. His moods smoothed out under the praise of those working with him. He made wonderful friends while he was there and came to understand that there are educators who really, truly care about each and every student and want them to be successful. And Jake was successful in school, is successful in life, and is a wonderful young man who teaches me things all the time! He told me about going to Carleton and helping students there so that he could “give back” to the place that gave him a chance when wasn’t sure he would get one.
I became an educator in the nursing field. I feel that I can appreciate the brilliance and caring of the instructors at Carleton even more because of that. I tell students that I am invested in their success (yes, in those words). Students need to hear that…to understand that they are capable of anything and can go anywhere their dreams can take them. Carleton did that for Jake, and I am so grateful. I hope that Carleton continues to thrive and continues to reach students who are struggling in the traditional school system.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for helping Jake have a meaningful, supportive learning environment to thrive in. You are all the best!