Our Stories
A-C Stories
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Aili's Story
Aili’s hope for stability in her near future and life is very strong, emotionally, physically, and financially. These are some things she fears she didn’t get a chance to have as she was growing up, in terms of financial hardship, eviction, and a family shaped around addiction. She’s very open about the jealousy she feels towards others who had more of a traditional and stable childhood. One of her biggest goals is to reach a place in her life where she doesn’t feel the longevity within having to be defined by what she doesn’t have, but rather be proud of the life she’s built. She’s excited to finish her accelerated master's program degree, and she dreams of writing to educate people about substance abuse career-wise, and who knows, maybe even writing a book. She hopes to hold the people she loves most closest to her, especially her grandparents, mother, and close friends, and to simply feel supported, at peace, and loved, and to be at peace with where she is.
Amelia's Story
Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the end of high school, she felt like it held her back for a long time. She pushed herself though, to run for the first time and hit four miles. Mentally, things shifted, and she realized that diabetes doesn’t have to hold her back. She joined her college’s running club, found her close friend there, who was also her training partner. They completed the Vermont City Marathon together, which was the hardest thing she’s ever had to do physically. In the end though, when she crossed that finish line, she cried tears of happiness with her family by her side, and that moment when she gave her mom a big hug and gave her dad a big hug meant everything to her.
Anika's Story
Anika shares her thoughts about what she would want to know about her life compared to what she wouldn’t wanna know. She wouldn’t wanna know the negative events involving her family, or any big, specific decisions that she’d have to make, or career information. She values her own choices and decision-making, and she would want to work through tough moments as they come. She worries that knowing bad things in advance would make it so that she’d spend all day dreading, waiting for it to happen. She would just want assurance, knowing she's happy with her work and has good relationships around her. She’s curious about fun things as well, like new foods she’s discovered, music, movies, and where she’s gonna end up living as well.
Anne's Story
Anne describes how she developed an interest in club fútbol after years of only casually following the sport, sparked by watching a Champions League game in an energetic, communal setting. Interacting with passionate fans and trusting her own instincts in that moment helped her feel more connected and confident in her choices. She reflects on how fútbol fosters self-trust, imagination, and a broader worldview by engaging both emotion and thought. Ultimately, she sees the sport as a meaningful escape from daily life that brings people together and highlights shared human experiences.
Bob's Story, 2025
Bob discovered a love for education and the performing arts in high school, but took a long detour in life, even considering a career in construction at age 45. A chance encounter with a friend introduced him to the idea of creating an arts school, which aligned perfectly with his lifelong passion. Over 15 years, he built and led the school, which continues to thrive and produce successful graduates. His story emphasizes the importance of staying open to unexpected opportunities and following your true passions.
Brenda's Story
Brenda talks about her experience being a daughter to Brazilian immigrants and first generation college student. Brenda describes the transformation in her perspective from once desperately wanting to fit in to typical American standards, to now embracing her Brazilian roots and culture.
![I was born in Princeton New Jersey in December of 1949. Unfortunately, I was born to very [inaudible] parents. As a child I always hoped that one day things would change. And then I remember very distinctly standing in my bedroom, I was 8 or 9, 10 years I old. I’m thinking, it’s not gonna change. It is just not going to change. But then I realized, cause I had older siblings who had left home. But one day it will, because I will leave home too and I cn change my life then. And that was, important for me. It was 1969, and I met this guy through my friend Terry. He had the kindest eyes, and he had a demeanor which a friend of mine in town here says he still has. He was very calm but he was just very caring and you felt like he was actually seeing you and hearing you. He originally had been from Long Island. His father had been in the schmatta trade, which means dressmaking trade if you don’t know the term, very New York term. And his Gary Drimmer. His parents had moved when he was eleven to Peru and he had gone to, finished up middle school gone to the equivalent of high school. In Spanish. By choice. Because he wanted to learn the foreign language. Well, we dated some, it wasn’t really serious but there was some connection and so when he left he said “I’ll write you,” and I thought right. At that point in my life I had learned that young men tend to lie a lot too. And they might mean to do things but they don’t always. So, we actually started writing and over the next three years we wrote letters, over a thousand of them. They were really the best way to get to know somebody. Because there was no interaction of you know sitting in the backseat of a car and what happens with that. So, it was more what was in your head. I mean he would talk about books he was reading. I would talk about issues I was having with my parents all the time which just was constant. I was really upset when he wrote me a letter that he was four years, four months younger and that he was Jewish. It was Jewish, didn’t bother me. The first boy I loved in fifth grade was Jewish. But you know it was like, “You were four months younger than me!” I felt like I was robbing the cradle. Which of course was hardly that. We continued to date each other during those 2 and a half of the three years until we decided okay, we got together he came back, up to the states and couple times and we got together then. Then we said, okay this is more serious than dating other people. Gary’s father writes, and there’s some, a lot of the letters are in there and asks, negotiates with Gary to come down to Peru to help him with the business he has, which is failing. Peru is a mess, it’s under a dictatorship and had been. And Gary negotiated, “Fine, but Candace has to come down with me and you can’t be saying anything about it.” Well, Gary’s parents were very very progressive, let me put it this way. They smoked pot with Gary in Peru, so that, I mean they’re dead no one can yell at them now. But I said “Oh my god! This is great!” So, we decided in late ‘71 I was gonna go down to Peru after I finished college in May at the University of Georgia. I got my first passport. I went to the library and got a bunch of books on Peru. Started reading about history. And I told my parents I was moving to Peru. Well, they couldn’t stop me I was 21, and turned 22 at the same, around the same time. So, in June of 1972, I left the United States with a passport in one hand and no idea what was gonna happen in the other. I mean, my father said, “You’re going to hell, and I won’t drive you to the airport”. My friends thought I was insane. “How do you know this guy?” “What do you know of this guy?” That kind of thing. But I felt I was doing the right thing. It was just like, the round peg into the round hole, I knew where I was, and this felt right. I got to Peru very early in the morning. After a long airline flight. Six months later we got married in a civil ceremony cause my parents refused to come to the religious one. And I was in the process of converting to Judaism with the only rabbi in the country. So, I learned, it was very lonely to be on your own, but I also learned that I am good at reaching out to people. And I learned to network with people. I would, if somebody invited me over for a cup of tea I might stay as long as they would let me stay in their house and pump their brain and try to get to know them. I really insinuated myself into people’s lives. I do remember things that I did, and it’s almost embarrassing but at the same time nobody ever said can’t you get out of my house, they understood, they all had been new at one point. So, I got to say I loved living abroad. It was the adventure that I had always wanted. I wanted adventure. I knew that. I also hated it at times. It was the biggest challenge. It grew me. It gave me the strength that I wasn’t raised with. It taught me I have more resources than I ever thought, and I loved ex-pats. Even the ones that I wouldn’t have spoken to for more than 5 minutes in the states. Because there was such a diversity of opinions, viewpoints, “lunch should be at 11:30, no 3 O’clock in the afternoon is early enough are you kidding?” I mean the world was just different.](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5f046e_7de28e424c154c47be90f4e9416b4e12~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_265,h_265,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/Image-empty-state.png)
Carol's Story
Carol talks about her experience traveling to Europe her junior year of college after realizing that she needs to go out of her comfort zone. With support from her friend and her parents, this trip changes her perspective on the kind of person she wants to strive to be, for her career but mostly for herself. The European mindset is what influences her to do things that make herself feel whole like slowing down her day with journaling and yoga. This trip has inspired her to travel for nursing and even ignite the courage to solo trip alone someday.
Chad's Story
Chad discusses his struggles in elementary school with learning disabilities and how it led him to the development of Sudbury Valley Schools and to the career path of community development. Chad talks about how important being a part of a community is, and how important it is to feel heard and respected in a group.
Charlie's Story, 2022
Charlie recounts his rich experience traveling the world, and what he has learned from a lifetime of travel. He discusses the importance of how traveling helps us experience and help better understand other cultures, and how the individuals of these cultures shape his experiences.