Before I began Carleton Project, I had already given up on myself and my education. At just 15, I had already been to institutions and rehab, none of which gave me any guidance or clarity. on top of that, I had absolutely no desire to continue school, or work towards my future. It was already clear that public school had and would do nothing but make me feel like I was not good or smart enough, especially as a student with ADHD. Though still a child, I felt I had already reached an impasse. I am confident that if I hadn’t started Carleton Project, I would never have overcome, or even survived.
In my experience with public education, such as Houlton High School, both eh staff and the curriculum have extremely poor accommodations for individual student needs or differences; students falling behind are very often ignored or looked down upon rather than helped. Many of the staff seemed to care more about attendance and success than acting in the role of supportive figures in shaping the minds of students. Not to mention, much of the environment within HHS was very hostile, mostly dues to scrutiny and abuse of peers that was rarely addressed by staff.
After learning about Carleton Project,I instantly brought it up to the HHS principle (now former), where he informed me that they would probably not accept me because U lacked attendance and motivation, but he was willing to arrange a meeting. As soon as the meeting began, Alan had already accepted me with. open arms. I hadn’t yet realized how much that changed my life.
Alan, Carol, and Lilly were always reliable and supportive figures, and provided a place to grow both personally and academically. They truly care about finding the best solution to support each student’s success. Before Carleton Project, I would have never seen myself having such positive feeling and interactions towards teacher or school staff; but not long after attending, I deeply considered them all as family.
The staff at Carleton Project guided me to succeed in my education by allowing freedom to work at my own pace and explore more deeply the subjects I thought were interesting. They motivated me to be passionate about my success, helping to initiate the process of furthering my education, and much more. Alongside academic support, my experience at Carleton Project promoted both mental and psychological growth. I always felt safe and accepted which enabled me to form many great relationships with peers and staff, and find the courage to step out of my shell.
Without Carleton Project, I would have never reached where I am today. Before their support and kindness, I did not even imagine myself graduating high school – but here I am in my senior year of a bachelor’s in psychology at USM and making plans towards graduate school. I will always be grateful for my experience at Carleton and what it has done for me and my future. To this day, I often with that I could go back just to spend more time with my Carleton Project family.
-Jordyn Tibbetts