The way my school has impacted me is that when I was a freshman, I struggled with social anxiety and carried a lot of emotional baggage. I grew up with two happily married parents, but during my junior year, my parents divorced. That tore my family apart, and in that same year, my sister tried to overdose. I never thought anyone would be able to understand and relate to me.
When I found the Crossing, I found it to be small and that it had a family aspect to it. The school helped me to feel safe and to grow from my past. The Crossing has helped me find an inner confidence that wasn’t there before. They helped me through my life, and through various family situations and dramas. The school found in me a leadership role, and I found myself leading family times and other classes, and taking on a role of a tutor and someone that people can rely on to talk to about important things.
“My teachers have become some of the most influential people in my life, and I no longer feel isolated.”
Why I would recommend The Crossing or other schools of choice: they understand each individual’s situation is different and will work with you at your own pace. They don’t put intense expectations on you, and understand you as a human. My teachers have become some of the most influential people in my life, and I no longer feel isolated. I feel like I’m part of something that’s way beyond me. It is really powerful to see my fellow adolescents and even myself grow with the help of amazing teachers, and the important life lessons they teach us.
Another reason The Crossing is my school of choice, is the close-knit community it offers. I currently know everyone at my school and have a relationship with every student in the school. I have completely turned around and come out of my shell, and now whenever a new student arrives, I find myself reaching out to them and letting them know how important they are and that if they ever need help or someone to talk to, I can be that person..
It’s amazing to see other people come into this program and see the transformation possible. I have been around a lot of heartbreak and The Crossing helped address that and change peoples lives. Like I always tell people, nontraditional schools don’t make you dumb or different, it shows that you have the maturity to take your life into your own hands, and admit that you need to learn in your own way. Choose different. I did, and it’s the best decision I have ever made. I chose the path less taken.
