Last night (April 9th) we had a first time experience at Sego Lily School - TWO young men defended theses and graduated from our school at the same time - these are our third and fourth graduates. One of them spoke about how dealing with change in his life had prepared him for being a successful adult; the second spoke primarily about how attending Sego had helped him be someone who enjoyed being around others, and could manage a team. They were both eloquent, nervous, and powerful. I'm proud of them both in so many ways.

Each graduation, I think that one day, that will be MY kids up there. In my experience (having been on thesis committees for about 60 kids now, most of whom were at Sudbury Valley School), students who attend Sudbury schools their whole lives write pretty boring theses. "I spent my whole life here, it was great, now I'm going to college to do X." They haven't had the challenges of - for example - dealing with a bully in their 6th grade classroom, or feeling lost in a crowd of 3,000 high school kids. I actually talked to C a few weeks back - he said straight up, "I have no idea what I'd write. It's just, you know, my life." He's got about 5 years to come up with something, so I am sure he will - but he's right about one thing.

For children who spend their WHOLE LIVES in an environment in which they are trusted, respected, loved, and honored, it IS just LIFE. It's a life I would have loved to have, and one people who tour our school tell me they would have loved to have for themselves, too. I'm looking forward to a boring thesis, one that says, "This is just the way life should be, for everyone - we should be respected, and free to pursue what we want, so long as we are respecting others." The lessons learned are the same, sans the drama. How cool would THAT be to experience?