30 minute read
CLASS OF 2023
CLASS OF 2023
India Goodman - Georgetown, Barbados
The Delphian Program is very unique. It teaches you how to study, how to think for yourself, how to be a leader, and how to be responsible for your own life. These valuable life skills aren’t commonly taught in high school.
I will never forget all of the life lessons, all of the memories, and all of the challenges that I was faced with during my time here. As I went through the program, I began to see just how capable a person I am. I started to improve my life in many ways. I started to reach my goals, and I started to plan for my future.
Delphian gave me the tools to succeed in life and surrounded me with people who wanted to see me do it. I will be forever grateful for the experience I had here.
Brianna Solomon - San Jose, California
When I first came to this school, it was a new, scary environment. I really wanted everyone to like me. I did everything I could to make the people around me happy. But it was too much and I went too far with it.
I came to believe I was not important. I worried only about what others thought and never stopped to ask myself what I thought. I often gave up my own comfort for the comfort of those around me. People came to know me as the nice shy girl who didn’t talk much, and as time went on I sank deeper and deeper into this new personality of mine. It became who I was, but I was no longer happy with who I was. I no longer had any confidence. I no longer had any motivation. And I no longer saw beauty in the things I was surrounded by. I was trapped.
It took me time, but eventually I realized everything I was going through and everything I was feeling was simply something I had created in my mind as a barrier for myself. When I realized this, I was no longer trapped. This is because I had become causative toward my life. I finally looked outward into the world and found things I liked and things I found to be important to me. I took the time to ask myself what I thought about what was around me.
I began to see the beauty in my environment again. Colors really did seem brighter, and I was finally happy. This school has allowed me to grow in more ways than I could have ever imagined. I have changed a lot during my time here. I wouldn’t do a single thing differently because everything I did led me to becoming the person I am today.
Portia Binford - Anchorage, Alaska
During my time at Delphian, I have seen hundreds of graduates commence, say their speeches and their goodbyes—graduates proud of who they have become. I’ve seen artist after artist graduate in particular. I noticed that many people can easily relate to the artist’s mind and the artist’s touch. I always admired those speeches because I was inspired to broaden my view of what beauty truly is, and how it can be interpreted in all different ways.
I knew that to become a graduate, as they did, I was going to have to focus the entirety of my being, and push everything else aside. I realized the more I physically pushed myself, the more any other noise and distraction melted away to reveal a direct path to get the work I needed to get done, done. I am not an artist. I am an athlete. I went through the Delphian program just the same and am proud of who I have become.
At 12 years old, I was running five miles daily and slowly finding myself in the sport of track and field. I am grateful to Colin Koenig, a Delphian alum, for inspiring and seeing potential in me to run track at such a young age. He helped me put on my first pair of spikes and I haven’t looked back since. I am now a two-time state champion who is going on to be the first Delphian student to attend college on a full-ride track scholarship. I will forever be grateful.
We have the tools, but the next experiments and opportunities are up to us to create. On Form 7, I worked with Marty to get the tools for an experiment. Then I went on to genetically engineer jellyfish DNA to make it glow. Over the years, I have taught myself sign language and Braille as well, serving as a more direct way of helping others. Now the door to job opportunities and college offers has opened up because of these opportunities I created from the Delphian tools for learning independently.
Other people will always have opinions, pressures, and attempted influences about what they think you should work on and pursue. My advice to you is to pursue what you know you’re meant to pursue when no one is watching.
Evans Bi - Shanghai, China
It’s been a long journey to get here. I’ve seen how much I’ve changed from when I first arrived. When I started at Delphian, studying wasn’t on my list of things that were fun. If I had a chance not to study, I would take it.
But as I went through the Delphian program, I learned to use discipline during my studies, and those courses that seemed confusing and boring became interesting and fun. I now study for the purpose of having a better understanding of this world instead of for the grades.
I’ve worked very hard, especially towards the end, to reach this point. All the hard work finally paid off, and it’s because of that hard work that I am able to stand here today. During my time at Delphian, I learned the importance of responsibility and time management and how they will help me in the future. I’ve also improved my communication skills and the ability to talk to other people with confidence.
I learned that the scariest thing is not failure, but accepting your current state and being unwilling to change. Failure will not chase you around, yet it won’t vanish either. Let failure become your friend, for it is through facing our failures that we discover the beauty of success.
Bow Chansuk - Songkhla, Thailand
Before Delphian, my outlook on education was to get good grades. I still remember staring at a blackboard, not understanding anything, as my Thai teachers taught my class. My mindset throughout my Thai education was, “How can I remember this data so that I can pass the test?” My only purpose for education during that time was to get “good grades.” Within that system, I was taught that good grades were the only thing that would make me successful in life. So I dedicated myself to do anything to achieve that goal and that even included cheating.
But Delphian helped me change that mindset. My entire outlook on education changed with one simple thing: the approach to examinations. I thought Delphian was going to have the same system of testing. I thought I would have to take exams with my whole class, being tested on every subject in one day, and having grades be the evaluation of my intelligence. I was wrong. And I was shocked when I found out that there was no number to determine my intelligence. I was shocked when the examiner passed my first exam after I did a brief review of what I had missed. Then I realized that the most important thing in my education at Delphian was my understanding and application of what I’d learned. This realization totally changed my outlook and approach toward my entire education.
I’m no longer afraid to learn. Instead, I’m eager to learn new things and to see what information I can gain and use in my life. Thank you, Delphian!
Mila Anderson - Clearwater, Florida
My life at Delphian has been a great experience. I grew up in this environment mentally and physically. I turned into the person I am today because of the Delphian School. Starting the high school program, I was very scared of confronting my environment and confronting people I didn’t know. Throughout my time on this program, my largest barrier was being able to confront. This led to immense procrastination. I let this get in the way of almost everything that needed to be completed. I felt trapped beneath my limited control of the environment.
In the later years of the Delphian program, I knew finishing Form 8 would be impossible with procrastination and lack of confront. Form 8 was a beautiful form, but nothing was easy or simple on it. With this conclusion, I made it my mission to take control of my life. I learned the ability to complete every task as it was presented. I learned the art of self-control slowly, but by the last week of Form 8, I was able to complete what would have taken me months before.
Satcher Nu - Washington, D.C.
When I first came to Delphian, I was extremely ungrateful for the opportunity I was being given. My mother worked very very hard to give me the best education, yet I wasn’t working as hard as I could in school. I wasn’t interested in anything except basketball. I would spend countless hours in the gym. My love for basketball grew greater as my time here went on.
Basketball taught me how to work hard, be disciplined, communicate with others, and be a better leader. Basketball not only made me a better person, but it also changed my perspective on Delphian. I started opening up to people and started being more involved with the student body. As days went on, Delphian started to feel like home.
This place has been my home for the last five years but I’m ready to move on and really start my life. Thank you to everyone who has helped me and supported me throughout my journey.
Remy Kugler - Los Angeles, California
Delphian prepares you for the world like no other school. I am leaving here knowing the meaning of ethics, integrity, knowledge, and leadership, and I know how to use them to improve my life. But this was not always the case.
When I first came to this school, I had no sense of integrity, and I would bend to others’ will and do whatever was asked of me, no matter the inconvenience it caused in my life. I was at the effect of my environment. I decided that I would try to skate by under the radar and not be noticed, wrap up high school, and have some fun along the way. I did have some fun, but I did not succeed in skating under the radar and staying out of sight—a fact that I’m very grateful for.
I would get into trouble and try to find reasons not to be in the classroom. I would take on projects to get out of class. I was not fully using the Study Technology that I had learned here. I had no sense of responsibility for my actions, and I created a veneer that everything was going great. Eventually, I had a heart-to-heart talk with my teacher, and she helped me see that there was an alternative to living my life in such a way, being at the effect of my environment, not taking responsibility for my actions, and not being true to myself.
So I worked on it. I started fully applying the study technology, became causative over my environment, and assumed responsibility for my actions. The false veneer fell away. I didn’t have to pretend everything was great, because it actually was. I got myself back on track, and I am proud to call myself a Delphian graduate. I am excited to see what comes next.
Saachi Mann - Chicago, Illinois
I saw Delphian for the first time in 2013. I was nine years old, and I was visiting my sister on her Parents Weekend. The power and the energy of the school alone made me curious. Four years later, I found myself unpacking my bags and moving into the middle school dorm, and Delphian has been a home to me ever since.
In my time at Delphian, I grew up. I started taking responsibility for my life. I stopped blaming outside forces for internal conflicts. I started creating my future, and I became happy and at peace with myself.
I don’t know what lies ahead, but I’m ready to find out. I’m ready to face and embrace any situation I find myself in, and to create a good life with the tools I’ve learned—a life that I want to use to help others.
I’m glad to be leaving Delphian with a lifelong home, stable friends, and high levels of leadership, competence, ethics, and integrity. I know I’ll always keep working on these areas, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come. And I’m proud to be the last of my siblings to finish the program—now all four of us can proudly call ourselves Delphian graduates.
Robin Stoner - Clearwater, Florida
Through this program I had to do things a lot faster than a student normally would. Despite this, I was still able to achieve high quality products and find interest in the things that I studied. The Form 8 program provided me with courses that gave me skills that I will be able to use in the real world. Some of my favorite courses were Health, Marriage Education, Leadership, and Thinking with the Classical Religions. These courses were able to improve my skills and knowledge that I know I will use in my future.
A part of this program that I found to be very unique was the literature program. It introduced me to entirely new lines of philosophy and perspective that changed the way that I looked at life. Books such as 1984, Democracy in America, and Plato’s Republic gave me a new outlook on life. This is a beautiful part of the program that makes it unique when compared to any other high school.
I could talk about the program and how it has changed my life for days and days. However, this would never communicate the true beauty of the program. It was able to change me as an individual. I increased my abilities, knowledge and responsibility. I feel as though I can go out into the world and conquer anything I put my mind to.
Elijah Ward - Burns, Oregon
When I started at Delphian, I was just a kid who happened to be fortunate enough to earn enough money to pay for Delphian’s tuition. However, I had no idea what changes would occur as a result of my coming here. I wasn’t learning anything in public school, my friends at home were terrible, and I was only passing my classes in order to not get in trouble with my parents. I had no drive to achieve my purpose because I didn’t know I had a purpose. Delphian helped me change all of that.
When I started at Delphian, I looked at the concept of Study Technology as just another “trick” to studying that would make it easier to remember things. However, as I started to go through some of the courses that are offered here, I saw that it wasn’t just a trick—it was a tool. After I saw that, I was able to blast through my courses and work as fast as I wanted to. This was new to me, as in public school I was used to being held back to stay with the slower students in the class. With this newfound freedom, I was able to work as fast as I wanted to while still getting the knowledge and understanding I needed to use that knowledge later.
Even though I’m leaving the school, I know that this won’t be the end of my education and learning. There will always be things to learn, and I now have the tools that I need to learn what I need and then go use it in the world. The school and numerous other factors have helped me to realize what a powerful tool that is and how it can help me change the world.
Brandon Garcia - San Francisco, California
I have heard that true hell is when you have finished life and you meet the person that you could have become: the one that makes things go right, the one that is disciplined, the one that is the best you can be.
I can hardly recognize the person that I have become throughout the Delphi program. Each day, project, activity, and step has changed me to who I am today. I find myself not just knowing what the right thing to do is, but also acting on it. I can make things go right. I am disciplined. I am the best that I can be.
While here, I have been hired, fired, promoted, demoted, felt like a genius, felt like an idiot, done some smart things, done some dumb things, been lovesick, and been heartbroken. I went to clubs, even ran one, played sports, was in a play, and sang in the choir.
It felt like time here was speeding up with each thing I did, and so I cherished every second of it. As I look back at my experience at Delphian and forward toward my future, all of these feelings, the good and the bad, are present and act as proof that I have spent my time here well.
Sofia Del Francia - Clearwater, Florida
Form 8 was the perfect ending to my Delphian education. Through the courses, projects and books, I found myself developing a stronger sense of leadership and integrity, and I learned more about the world and others.
The books I read taught me about the hardships people have experienced when their rights are revoked and their integrity is tested. I learned that I must always adhere to what I believe is right and never allow others’ viewpoints to become superior to my own. The importance of this was never real to me until I realized that one can never be happy if they are not true to themselves or their beliefs.
Not only did I gain a new perspective through the reading program but also through my courses. On the Leadership course, I gained the ability to truly be in control over myself and my environment. I was shown that I am capable of leading others and bringing about a positive change. Leadership was not the cause of these abilities—it merely unlocked the faculties I already had within me.
On Form 8, I became aware of my capabilities. The power I had became real and I was able to feel confident about my future. My Delphian journey has been truly unforgettable and I am so grateful for the opportunities and growth I’ve experienced.
Alek Simonov - Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russia
When I first arrived at Delphian, I had no idea what to expect. I had heard that the summer program was fun and full of activities, but I quickly realized that it was going to be much more challenging than I had anticipated. The days were long, and the work was intense. However, I was determined to make it through, and I knew that I had to work hard to succeed.
As I progressed through the program and advanced to Form 7, I began to feel overwhelmed. It seemed like an impossible task to graduate with the class of 2023, and I considered giving up. However, I didn’t want to let myself down, and I knew that I had to keep pushing forward. I decided to take on the summer internship program, which was a huge challenge. Nevertheless, I was determined to succeed, and I put in a lot of hard work and effort.
After completing the summer internship program, I felt more confident in my abilities. I had successfully run twelve major activities, and I realized that I could achieve anything I put my mind to. With some encouragement from my parents and support from my teachers, I decided to keep going. I continued to progress through Form 7, learning valuable lessons along the way.
One of the most important things I learned was that if I push myself and stay focused, anything is possible. I had to work hard and stay motivated, but I knew that it was worth it to achieve my goals. Finally, after much hard work and dedication, I succeeded in achieving my goal, and I felt a great sense of accomplishment. I knew that I had grown and learned a lot during my time at Delphian and that the lessons I had learned would stay with me for the rest of my life.
Raymon Chawla - New Delhi, India
Delphian has been an awesome experience. Since the first time I came up the hill, I knew this to be the place that I wanted to graduate from. Throughout my journey, I have grown so much. I have seen myself grow up from a person who was not able to make decisions for himself to someone who can lead, be responsible, be trusted, and be able to make things go right. I am so happy to have come here and made memories through various different courses, projects, apprenticeships, and trips.
Each part of the program is created meticulously so as to provide the student with excellent data and to give him the opportunity to apply what he is learning. That is where Delphian differs from other schools. It creates people that are able to actually apply what they learn. It also gives the students the ability to create a program for themselves. I made my program completely tailored to finance and business because that is what I want to do, and Delphian made it possible.
One thing that I will always remember from Delphian is the soccer team. The soccer team at Delphian is like nowhere else. Each member pushes themselves to their absolute limit, and they push others around them. I have seen myself grow the most during soccer season, and I cannot put into words how much soccer has helped me become a more able person.
To me, Delphian is more than just a school. Delphian is the people, the experiences, the opportunities. It is the culmination of all the above, plus much more. To each person, Delphian means something different. To me, it has been an older brother, a father, a mentor, a coach. It has guided me to take the right path and always let me make my own mistakes to then learn from them.
I started here, and now, I have the ability to go anywhere.
Teo Morales Ashcom - Castro Valley, California
My time here at Delphian has been amazing. I’ve been able to grow not only as a student, but also as a person. I came to Delphian for the first time in the summer of 2018 as a scared teen, trying to figure out who I was and who I wanted to be. Throughout my years on the program, I am finally able to say that I figured those things out. There have been several factors in this change.
The entire academic faculty has been one of the most supportive groups I have ever encountered, and I couldn’t have made it without them. The many books and courses that I’ve done over the past few years have been thought-provoking, laborious, wonderful, and aggravating, sometimes all at once. With the help of my supervisors and seminar leaders, however, I was able to persevere through it all.
The arts have been part of my life for as long as I can remember, and it was no different here. Being a part of a state-placing choir, working in almost every play during my time here, and doing art with the wonderful people that run the afternoon activities has helped me funnel my creativity into things that I am passionate about. Although they are not my chosen career path, I am very glad to have expanded my abilities and will continue to use the foundation given to me here to improve.
I have gained more confidence and competence than I ever thought possible from the practical program, working countless hours to raise the school and the community to a higher standard of life. These projects have given me the tools to get things done when and how I want them done, despite any challenges that come my way.
I am no longer that scared young teen, but am able to step forward into the world as a confident and able young man, ready to pursue my career, continue my education, and make a life for myself. Thank you, Delphian!
Suha Jung - Busan, South Korea
If someone had asked me four years ago what “beautiful” meant to me, my thoughts would have been of physical things such as flowers, sunsets, the ocean, jewelry, or perhaps even good-looking people. But throughout my time at Delphian, my ideas about the word “beautiful” changed.
Before I came to this school, I had no idea what to do with my future. I wasn’t confident or productive. All I cared about was how to effectively hang out with my friends. I didn’t appreciate education. It was just something that I was bad at.
By the time I realized that I should take studying more seriously, I was already behind and my basic education was not in good-enough shape to learn advanced subjects. I felt hopeless because having good grades seemed like the only way to be successful in life, and with the grades I had, there was no way I was going to be even close to success.
I first came to Delphian in 2019 for summer camp. Immediately, I saw that it was different. I actually understood what I was learning. That was a shock to me. I knew Delphian’s way of teaching could fix my education, so I begged my parents to send me here.
I started with Form 6 Entry which filled the holes in my education. I worked hard for the first time. I woke up early to study and I even got an academic award! This was such a big change for me, as I had never worked hard to achieve something in my life.
On Form 6, I saw even bigger changes in myself. The program gave me opportunities to do many projects. These were hard and challenging and often seemed impossible. But I found myself as a more competent and capable person. I was even able to find my career interest, which is something that I always worried about discovering.
On Form 7, I was able to tackle subjects that I had been afraid of. I saw that I am capable of learning anything. This is the power that Delphian gave me as an individual and I’ve never felt more confident about my education.
With all this, I finally felt like I was actually living. I was glad to be alive, experiencing new things and learning. With Delphian’s education, I see a bigger world because I know more about the world. As I felt more confident and capable, my thoughts about what is beautiful changed.
Now they include life, people, teamwork, education, and the experience that comes with it. I’m extremely thankful to Delphian for showing me the true beauty of life. I will forever cherish and be grateful for this gift. Delphian has helped me grow wings. I don’t know how hard the wind is going to blow against me, but I’m excited to fly.
Natalia Goodman - Georgetown, Barbados
This school has shaped me into a person I love and admire. I became a person with responsibility, integrity, knowledge, ethics and leadership—a person in charge of her life and with strong communication skills. The program is truly beautiful, and I learned so much from every single course, book, seminar and project I have done. I met amazing people and friends that I will have for life. I also made unforgettable memories that I will cherish forever. The faculty here are also truly amazing, and I would not have had these wins if it weren’t for them.
Mujahed Abulohoum Sana, Yemen
Delphian is more than just a high school. It’s a home, a family, and it has a sense of magic to it. As they say, all good things must come to an end, and it’s a bittersweet experience to say goodbye to this magical place.
The book Siddhartha talks about the different kinds of people: “Most people are like a falling leaf, which is blown and is turning around through the air, and wavers, and tumbles to the ground. But others, a few, are like stars—they go on a fixed course; no wind reaches them. In themselves they have their law and their course.”
Throughout the course of my Delphian journey, I was like that falling leaf. I only wanted to play soccer and do nothing else. During the soccer season, I would have fun and enjoy school. When the season was over, I would get into trouble and would want to leave the school many times.
The soccer season of my senior year was the part of Delphian that shaped me the most. I became the soccer captain, and I was given the responsibility to lead a group of athletes to work together and play as one. We went on to become undefeated in our league and defeated Dayton in the district championship. Now I was becoming a bit more like the stars.
We made it to the second round of the state championships, and that’s where the season ended. I faced many challenges and again wanted to leave the school. I went on winter break, and when I came back, I had a talk with my supervisor. We talked about how I would be able to graduate if only I would use the same amount of dedication that I had for soccer in my studies. I thought about it that night and doubted my ability to get it all done.
I then studied intensely every day and night for months. I finished an amount that some people would say is impossible. Now I am one of the shooting stars that Delphian produces, and I’m going on a fixed course to success.
Rowan Bennett Sheridan, Oregon
For most of my life, I had no idea what I was going to do after high school. I had answers prepared when I was asked the inevitable, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” but none of them were true.
I had areas of interest, but none of them sounded like careers. I got stressed about picking a career. I thought that I had to have one idea locked in and pursue only that, or I was going to fail.
People constantly told me that everyone ends up in a different career than what they were originally pursuing. This worried me even more. Even if I spent years preparing, it would all go to waste.
Towards the end of my time at Delphian, all of my worries disappeared. I realized that I did not need a set career path. I did not need to spend years preparing for a specific field. I would not fail if my career path changed. Delphian had given me the tools to be competent in anything that I put my mind to. I attribute this ability to the Study Technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard that we use at Delphian.
If I want to become a software engineer, I have the tools to be successful at that. Even if I changed my mind the next year and decided to become a farmer, I would be able to. This versatility is the most valuable thing that I’ve gained from Delphian and the Study Technology. It gave me so much freedom, and it gave me confidence in myself. No other school could prepare you in the same way.
Joseph Gentile - Manhasset, New York
In 2019, my brother James and my sister Chiara graduated, and I was in awe of the people they had become. Since then I have been inspired to become what they have become: a Delphian graduate. But I couldn’t imagine myself graduating because it was so far away and I was nowhere near having the qualities of a graduate.
In my first two years in Upper School, I failed the most. I did not work a lot and I thought that I would just work hard later. I always wanted to be this industrious individual, but I just couldn’t confront what was ahead of me.
I had a lot of work so eventually I started to confront my studies. I made good progress, and my morale started to increase, but I did not work hard enough.
When senior year began, I started working very hard, but I was focusing on my academics and neglecting everything else. This was a horrible approach, although it was during that time that I found true enjoyment in studying. I was making the most academic progress I ever had and I was happy about that, but I could not confront Student Council, which is a big part of Delphian’s practical program. All I wanted to do was study and graduate. I was letting the goal of my younger self down, which was to become a true Delphian graduate. I started to lose the meaning of what that meant.
This all caught up to me until I worked with two great supervisors who helped bring me back to the right purpose of being here at Delphian. I made a list of the qualities I wanted to have by the time I graduated, such as industriousness, integrity, ethics and responsibility. My goal of being a true Delphian graduate returned. Now I had to work on myself and become the person I desired.
I continued to work hard on my program and on myself. I now had this feeling of happiness that I never had before. Many months later I found the list of qualities I wanted to have. When I looked at it I saw that I now possessed all these qualities. I was now causative toward my life. I stopped being unethical and I had integrity.
Graduation has now come, and I can now tell my younger self that I have truly become the Delphian graduate that I yearned to be. Thank you, Delphian!