I read a great piece recently in the New York Times. It tells the story of an 80-year-old man, Robert Titus, who just graduated with his bachelor’s degree.
Why did Mr. Titus return to school after all these years?
“I promised my mother many, many years ago that I would get my degree,” said Mr. Titus, a former salesman who lives in Houston. “To me, it was a major, big, big, huge accomplishment.”
Education is almost never a solo endeavour. At The Academy, we are a community school. Our students haven’t fit elsewhere – our school is the first home that they and their families have had in an education system that has perhaps never served their needs.
Making a commitment to yourself and those who believe in you is essential to success in school. Many studies over the years have shown that it’s never too late for families to commit to a level of positive support and nurturing in the education of a child. There’s also no shortage of studies, and common sense, to show that people who feel that more than just they have a stake in their education tend to fare better.
Re-enter Mr. Titus. Keeping an education promise brought him back to formal schooling after almost an entire lifetime. In fulfilling education promises, everyone wins.
Don Adams, Head of School