COMMUNITY
Schoolhouse Alumni
![group photo with hats.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/99ad97_0e3d46e85b404d79b862434a047b107f~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_375,w_4449,h_2536/fill/w_760,h_433,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/group%20photo%20with%20hats.jpg)
What Happens After Schoolhouse?
After their time at Schoolhouse, students move on to a wide variety of educational and life experiences. We’re often asked, “How do students do after Schoolhouse?” The answer is, they do great. They’re very successful in their next place and well beyond. Our students leave here knowing who they are and how to learn, and they continue to love learning throughout their lives.
Some children graduate from our 8th grade, some leave at other times, but we always say: “Once a Schoolhouse student, always a Schoolhouse student.”
Where do Schoolhouse Students Attend College?
-
New York University
-
Hamilton College
-
Skidmore College
-
Oberlin College
-
North Carolina A&T State University
-
Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
-
University of Vermont
-
Saint Michael’s College
-
University of Chicago
-
Sarah Lawrence College
-
Boston University Law School
Recognitions and Careers
-
Fulbright Scholar
-
Psychologist
-
Human Rights Worker
-
High School Math Teacher
-
Political Campaign Worker
-
Dance Teacher/Photographer
-
TV Producer for Discovery Health
-
Solar Engineer
-
Assistant Attorneys General,
Southern District of NY, Public Corruption
Testimonials
-
Champlain College
-
Dartmouth College
-
Northeastern University
-
Warren Wilson College
-
Barnard College
-
Bentley College
-
UNC – Chapel Hill
-
Middlebury College
-
Kenyon College
-
Stanford, Stanford Law
-
McGill
-
Organic Farmer
-
Gay Rights Activist
-
ESL Teacher, Germany & Thailand
-
Financial Advisor
-
Architect
-
Chef
-
Equity Education Specialist
-
VP, Decision Sciences, for NFL team
-
Journalist
-
International Health Care Consultant
![katya.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/27435e_b1b89712a0704cc28122c6d2d933763b~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_162,h_172,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/katya.jpg)
Katya Schwenk, 2006-2009
"My memories of Schoolhouse are full of hazy childhood beauty: ice skating on wintry days, laughing with friends under cottonwood trees. Looking back now, too, I’m aware of how much my time there shaped my education and my perspective on the world. Schoolhouse knows that education is, inherently, a community endeavor. Parents are welcomed into the classroom. Students are encouraged to build relationships beyond grades and classes. Growing up, I think this was immensely powerful for me. It made me invested in the books I read, the projects I undertook. It taught me that the importance of learning often lays beyond individual academic success.
"Just last week, I sat in a park with my best friend from my days at Schoolhouse, reminiscing. Ten years later, we’ve kept in close touch, though it’s been more than a decade since we’ve lived in the same place. We both remember our time there so fondly. We were allowed to be expressive and loud and curious. We were encouraged to follow our passions; to write way past the word count. I think it made us both curious and driven people. And, more importantly, Schoolhouse also gave us lasting friendships, impressed upon us the importance of community. That’s something I’m very grateful for.
"After my time at Schoolhouse, I went on to study political science at Georgetown University in D.C., and moved back to Vermont last year to work as a journalist at VTDigger. In the last few years, I’ve reported on breaking news in Morocco, technology and privacy, and community organizing in New York City. Yet, it has been beautiful and fulfilling to return to my hometown to work in the community here. Whenever I drive down Dorset Street, I always glance at the little red-roofed building surrounded by marshes — such a spot of light in our community, and a place I will always think of as home."
![ben-sachs-hamilton-150-x-150.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/99ad97_a4a473f0c3d54a329b41972b4383b96a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_172,h_172,al_c,lg_1,q_80,enc_auto/ben-sachs-hamilton-150-x-150.jpg)
Ben Sachs-Hamilton, 1994-1999
"Not long after starting at the Schoolhouse in first grade, someone asked me why I liked it there, and I replied, 'They teach you how to learn.' The truth of this statement will be self-evident to anyone who has seen the school’s amazing teachers in action, but almost as important, I think, is the fact that I was aware of it at the time. I was learning not only how to learn, but how to engage in a reflective and mutually supportive learning environment with my classmates, and with the school community as a whole.
"The lessons I learned in that environment helped me to succeed in subsequent schooling at the Gailer School, Burlington High School, and Wesleyan University, and to enjoy and appreciate my learning experiences all along the way! Of course, I learned invaluable skills as well: how to seek out and evaluate research sources, how to interpret current events and world affairs, how to edit an essay, how to apply mathematical concepts to real world problems, how to resolve personal conflicts nonviolently, and many more. My experiences at the Schoolhouse played a large part in inspiring me to become a teacher myself, a goal I am currently working toward in the Master of Arts in Teaching program at Brandeis University."
![IMG_5121.JPG](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/27435e_6b388cb9d67a4ac69c8f915b91fed5a6~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_129,h_172,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/IMG_5121_JPG.jpg)
Zpora Perry, 1987-1989
"The Schoolhouse shaped who I am now in ways I can’t even express, or separate from my growing up process. I was there for 2 years, for 3rd and 4th grade, and when I think back on all that I did there, I am astounded.
"I remember doing algebra and geometry, being asked to solve problems that seemed insurmountable and then gently but firmly being pushed to figure them out. I worked for months on a Display on the migration patterns of starlings, and I was so proud to stand next to my Display and be able to answer questions posed to me by other parents and teachers. I think that is one thing that has stayed with me most about Schoolhouse: I always felt like I had something to offer – not that I was coddled and made to think I had the answers, but the teachers really believed in my abilities. When they asked a question, it was because they wanted to know my answer: it was never posed rhetorically. In return, they thoughtfully and sincerely answered my questions, and in that way we built a relationship of mutual respect and trust. I trusted that there was a reason for everything I was asked to do (3 drafts of an essay?!?) and they trusted that I was putting myself fully into the activities and would speak up for what I needed. I learned what it felt like to not get my way, and I discovered what it felt like to have such powerful connections with my classmates as well as with my adored teachers.
"I have been to school in a lot of places and had many formative experiences, but I think Schoolhouse gave me a foundation that opened doors and windows all over the place for me – it showed me all that I was capable of and the endless possibilities the world could offer me if I was willing to seek them out."
Join the Alumni Student Network
We love hearing from our alumni students and catching up whenever we can. You keep The Schoolhouse spirit alive around the globe! Do you have something to celebrate or share? Moving abroad? Working for a cause near to your heart? Join our Alumni Student Network and let us know what you’ve been up to since you continued on from The Schoolhouse!