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Finding Life’s Color Gretchen Conyers ’10 One does not have to look far to find pink sand beaches, turquoise waters, and pastel homes in Bermuda. But for Gretchen Conyers ’10, who grew up on the island, the right resources to support her learning differences were hard to come by as a young student. Gretchen was diagnosed with ADHD when she was eight years old. She liked the social aspect of school and was motivated to learn and do well but faced obstacles in the classroom. “I had many tutors. I was sometimes hard to deal with and hard to understand. I also did not feel that anyone could relate to me or understand me. There were a lot of impulsivities,” she says. As she got older, Gretchen started realizing she learned differently than other students in her class. With that, she started to explore other options, including boarding schools. Her family connected with a specialist who added Forman School to a list of options that might be a good fit, and it was. “I remember going to the [Forman] campus, and it just felt right,” she says. “Everything about it felt exciting and new.”
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She says getting accepted to Forman boosted her confidence. At just 14 years old, she was prepared to move to a new country and have a fresh start. She says, “I remember being in the car and my mom said, ‘this is the moment for you to be whoever you want to be.’” When Gretchen attended Forman, there were only about 30 students in her class, and she quickly realized that Bermuda’s culture was a little different from that of Connecticut’s. “It was a trend to have cartoon backpacks in Bermuda, so I had this pink Tinkerbell backpack,” she says, laughing at the memory. “I definitely stood out for sure [but] I wanted to be there 100% and just saw everything as new.” Thinking back to her time at Forman brings up many emotions for Gretchen, as it provided her the strong foundation on which she has built her life. “Forman really allowed me to find people who I could relate to, shift my perspective on life, and truly take a shot at myself and learn who I am and how I need to learn,” she says. “Forman is a special place because there are a lot of kids who go there that feel misunderstood and so disconnected
“Once you believe in yourself, everyone else will.” and so frustrated. So, when you’re together with others that feel that way, it’s a second chance, you say ‘wait, I’m not alone in this,’ and you can have fun while being supported and guided by houseparents and teachers.” American history was new to Gretchen at Forman, but that did not stop her from setting an audacious goal to qualify to enroll in AP History. She worked closely with former History Teacher Karen Yoga, who provided her with an outline of what she needed to do to reach her goal. “She believed in me, and I got there,” Gretchen says. “I was also part of Model UN. It was such a milestone in that you can truly achieve the dreams you want.” Gretchen says Ms. Yoga was one of many teachers at Forman who helped shape her into the person she is today. “When I was at Forman, I finally was given a foundation to grow and truly learn who I am and who I want to be,”
