By Lucille Glassman | Class of 2021
The majority of the students at Compass are there because they want to be engaged in their education; the teachers are some of the most driven and resilient people I know. I’ve learned about the tangible issues of global warming, politics, and mental health and why we can’t just change these things with the most obvious answer. There are complex connections under the surface of prevalent issues. It’s all about identifying the reasons they haven’t been solved yet. My school gives me the opportunity to investigate and question these problems and answers while getting credit.
By going to Compass, a project-based, Humanity Centered Design school, I'm going against the grain. The public school system serves its purpose of providing information to the student body, but it seems like it doesn’t go beyond that. I recognize the privilege I have in getting to go to a school of my choice, especially one that focuses more on experiences than grades. I hope that more students around the country will see the problems in traditional education and stand up to start changing it. I know that just by talking about these issues won’t change anything, because strong actions do that.
Choosing something other than the system of traditional education did not come without some apprehension. I knew I would be challenged and was going to have to adapt to a new style of learning. Realizing how my education is applied and seeing it in a larger context I feel has made me a better steward of my community and given me a better understanding of the world. Knowing that this passion for being in charge of my learning will stay with me through college, I’m excited by the opportunity of even more freedom in my studies and where and how I will be able to apply my skills.