From High School Drop-Out to University Scholar
One day in the spring of 2002, a father phoned us requesting a meeting with him and his son. Several days later, the father introduced us to his depressed and frustrated son who, at the time, was in Grade 8. He hated school and he was obviously a very bright, passionate and delightful young man. More than anything in the world he did not want to spend another day in school where he reported that he literally felt tortured. His only thought was to drop-out, yet this terrified both him and his success focused father. We encouraged him to use his joy and his passion as a guide for living his life. We hinted that a life isn't worth living in misery and that each day he could be living from his enthusiasm for life itself. He had never before had anyone acknowledge his happiness as a primary importance for living, and he burst into tears. We discussed what he would be doing if he lived each day doing what he really wanted to do, and they went home to talk together as a family.
From High School Drop-Out
Shortly after our meeting the young man left school and took some time off. We suggested that he do nothing until he was really ready to live and learn from a sense of curiosity and purpose. He came to meet us again about six months later. He said that he was very concerned about world peace and that he wanted to devote his life to helping people in various countries to solve their differences peacefully. We let him know that we would certainly support these desires and asked him if he would be interested in taking a university course. He reminded us that he had dropped out of Grade 8, and we stated that it didn't matter at all. We asked him to focus on what he would like to learn about. We searched courses and course descriptions on the internet and he chose an online course in Political Science. Borrowing his amazed father's credit card we signed him up right there in our office.
To University Scholar
A couple of months later we got a phone call, and he told us how much he loved the course and how he got an A and that he wanted to take two more courses right away. By the end of what would have been Grade 9 he had 2 university courses finished, by the end of what would have been Grade 10 he had finished first year university online. Using these marks, he enthusiastically talked his way into a local college at 14. By the end of that next year, instead of completing his Grade 11 year, he now had 2 years of university credit. Instead of Grade 12 he had three years equivalent of university credit. He then decided that he needed some practical experience and got a job with the US Embassy in Vancouver at the age of 17. After a very successful year in business he was accepted into 4th year at Simon Fraser University. He is now 18, and we had lunch with him at the beginning of this summer. He has been offered a part time job organizing conferences at the Wosk Center for dialogue in Vancouver and has been offered several scholarships at universities around the world. He is keen to begin his Master's degree in international relations and negotiation.
SelfDesigner
He might be a high school drop-out but he adamantly proclaims himself to be a SelfDesigner. SelfDesign enrolled him in our program for his Grade 9 year. It was during this year he transformed himself from being a passive consumer of education to being an active discoverer and creator of his own learning path. We have remained his advisors, supporters and friends throughout this time in our ongoing role as advocates for the learning rights of our children and youth.
