Just before the holidays, I was pleasantly surprised to hear from an alumni parent. We had not spoken in some time, so it was wonderful to catch up on the unfolding of life after graduation. I love hearing the challenges and success stories of our graduates. It confirms that our program is strong and effective, and that we have prepared our students to take things in stride. After the pleasant interaction, my memory stirred with recent conversations with two other alumni families and themes of their stories began to emerge.
All three had multiple children graduate from Rohan Woods.
All three chose to continue on the independent school track.
All three had children who were thriving and successful.
All three made sacrifices for their children to attend.
I find it quite remarkable that so many similarities surfaced with these alumni families. I also think it’s quite remarkable that the calls were random in nature and for very different reasons. As I processed our exchanges more deeply, I identified one more important theme.
After the initial pleasantries of our conversations took place, and we re-established the ease of communicating, the parents shared how they missed our school community. They missed feeling connected. They missed walking into a school where they were known by everyone. One parent shared that it is still difficult to walk through the halls of her children’s school and not be acknowledged by name by staff she encounters. Another stated that while her children made friends in their new environments, they don’t measure up to the relationships experienced at Rohan Woods. They all felt relief in the fact that their children had grown up in an environment where they were loved, challenged and accountable. All three felt that Rohan Woods set their children on the path to handle what may arise socially and academically. These were not only comforting conversations with families, but they also gave me the peace of mind that what we do matters. We help shape lives for success. Our small community makes a difference.
Sam