I believe I am the oldest alum of the New School. I attended the New School its very first year and was the oldest of the inaugural class. Just a couple weeks ago, when visiting my family in Syracuse, I passed the original building and my sister (also an alum) and I started recounting stories. From kindergarten through 12th grade I attended nine different schools, but my happiest and most lasting memories come from my time at the New School.

Because I was academically ahead, schools with static curriculum rarely knew what to do with me. I was bored and losing my love of learning. The New School shines brightly in my memory as place were people truly saw my individual needs and interests. When I expressed an interest in homework (an interest that definitely did not carry over into later schools), someone found me workbooks to take home. When my energy level was too high for the classroom, they gave me a safe time and place to get it all out any way I chose, never making me feel like I was misbehaving or innately bad. When adults realized my desire to help others and show leadership they arranged for me to spend part of my day assisting the preschool class across the hall. I felt seen, respected, and loved by everyone at the New School, and learned in a much more meaningful way than I did anywhere else.

A few years ago my sister and I stopped by the school. We were invited in as mystery guests and the students had to guess who we were. It was amazing to see how the school has grown in the decades since we attended and how the fundamental belief in the uniqueness of every child remains at the heart of everything they do.