By Angie Peterson
Looking around Mini-School, you’ll see a lot of special people, students and teachers. Most of the students have come a long way since their first days in the program. The teachers have helped them get there. I think that most people who aren’t involved with Mini-School don’t realize what the program does for kids and how it changes their lives. I talked with some students about their experiences, and their lives, both past and present. Here is what they had to say.
Jenny Case is graduating this year. Before she came to Mini, she “was a prep who spent 2 hours doing her hair every morning.” She said she would “go to concerts and meet the bands and have them sign my chest.” Life is a little different for her now. She came here because she ran away from home for about a month and then was put in treatment. Mainstream wouldn’t take her back because she had missed so much school. Jenny has been in the program for 2 and a half years, and life for her now is “Most excellent!” she says. She’s currently holding 2 jobs and loves Mini because of the extra supportive teachers, and the short days help her to keep both jobs.
For Chad Akins, a second year senior, life before Mini was unstable and confusing. He had dropped out and then realized he needed to graduate. Getting back into school was a problem, partly because he was homeless. Finally, he got into Mini-School and “Life has changed drastically” Chad said. He says he’s happier, he’s on his way to graduating, he’s back living at home, and he’s having a good time enjoying life. Chad says “Mini-School has helped me to view myself as an individual. I love the teachers and students. I just dig the whole atmosphere.”
Before coming to Mini-School, Anna Soclolo didn’t know where she stood in life. She didn’t know whether to stay in school or drop out. Anna was living in a troubled home, and she never went to school. Everything was going downhill. She dropped out of school and later she was put in an alternative program she didn’t like. Again she dropped out. Now, Anna has a plan for her life, and she knows what she wants to do. She likes school and she’s comfortable with the people in the program. Anna says that Mini has given her a better perspective on life, and she’s gotten to know herself better.
Mason Davey’s life was a cycle of failing classes and frustration with teachers at Eden Prairie. He was unorganized, jobless, and wasn’t getting along with his parents very well because of the stress from school. Mason came to Mini because he couldn’t stand regular school. He couldn’t deal with the homework and pressure. Mason was drawn to Mini because of the trip program. Life for him now is more organized and he has 2 jobs. Mason says he loves Mini-School and it has provided him with a place to learn and feel comfortable in a good environment with friends. He says he likes listening to teachers who know what they’re talking about.
Kristie Ennis was in St. Louis Park mainstream and she had problems concentrating in school. She was failing and didn’t want to be there anyway. Kristie says the school didn’t do anything to help her and they just let her slide. She was depressed all the time and had very low self-esteem. Kristie transferred to Minnetonka mainstream for her sophomore year, and it was the same as SLP, except some teachers tried to help. In November Kristie had a mental breakdown and was put in the hospital. She missed lots of school so she was dropped from most of her classes. She then got into Mini where everyone was willing to help. “It was like a family” she recalls, “people really care and try to help. The teacher/student relationship is not the average. They treat you as a person.” Things started to change for Kristie on the 3 week long Arkansas canoe trip, during second quarter last year. “Trips give a great sense of accomplishment.” She came home and got a good job, she was feeling content and had direction. Kristie feels she can do anything if she puts her mind to it. She has this to say about Mini, “If you’re willing to put forth the effort, the program can do great things for you.”
New Englander Katie Steger moved here from New Jersey her freshman year. She hated school, she hated life and she was very lonely. Katie was doing poorly in school and skipped lots of classes. She finally got put where she belongs, Mini-school. She made a lot of good friends and is much happier. Katie says, “Mini has taught me to respect nature. It’s beautiful, I love Mini-School.”
Sothik Prak was enrolled in Eden Prairie, but he never went. He says it was too hard. He wanted to go back so he could graduate so he came to Mini. Sothik now has a new group of friends and he’s staying out of trouble. He says, “I never thought that I’d like school, it’s great.”
Alan June dropped out of school and was kicked out of his house. He says his life was confusing and empty. His friends encouraged him to get into Mini. So that’s exactly what he did. Alan is living with his family again and he doesn’t mind coming to school, he actually likes it. He says it gets him motivated to do other things. He’s getting along with his parents and he’s happy he’s in school. Alan’s closing statement about Mini, “I just like it.”
Sam Merz says life for him was morbid before Mini because he felt like he didn’t belong anywhere, and he especially couldn’t handle being a mainstreamer anymore. He says he needed a new environment “to dig my roots deep into the soil.” Now he’s very happy and he feels like he has a place he can come and people know him and appreciate him as a person. Sam feels like his life is planned out because Mini focused him and his outlook on life.
Feeling like he was ready to drop out at the young age of 14 “and face the world,” Chad Zaback was looking for a change. He was going to Waconia Sr. High and “barely living at home,” he recalls. Chad said, “I was headed down the wrong road, with the wrong people, on the wrong train.” He didn’t want to go to school at all, until his mom found Mini-School. Chad immediately fell in love with the chaotic but relaxed atmosphere. He happily realized he could get along with people here. Chad’s first 2 years weren’t very productive until he started going on trips. That made all the difference for him. This year he’s finally graduating after about 4 wonderful years in the program. Looking back, Chad says, “If it weren’t for Mini-School, I’d be without a home, without a job, and without any notion of a future or a life, lying face down in the back street gutters of life.”
Lola Ulvog was considering Wayzata’s alternative program, but she had recently been in treatment and didn’t want to be there at all, “there was way too much anxiety “ she said. Lola was scared because she didn’t know how she was going to finish high school. She came into the program at the end of first semester and is really happy with it. Lola says the staff has always been supportive and are there for students when they need to talk. It looks like she’s going to graduate on time next year and she is hopefully going to go on more trips. Lola says, “I love Mini-School” and she hopes it will be around for a long time. She wants to play a bigger part by someday being a teacher.
Chris Wilmot graduated 3 months ago but still comes to school because he loves this program so much he can’t bear to leave us. Chris was attending Hopkins, and just couldn’t fit into the scheme of education. He had gotten involved with the “wrong crowd” and he let them control his life. He became rebellious and moved out of his house. Chris went into the Army but was discharged for failure to show up. 12th grade started out better. He moved back home, but school was still a problem. His counselor suggested Mini-School. Chris was drawn by the outdoor trips. He bonds with Doug and Randy and finds great support here. Chris says he’s feeling secure with his life for the first time in 6 years. He fits in and likes knowing that others have had the same struggles. He says he feels very comfortable here. Chris and his parents have a new-found respect for each other and he has a good job and is all around pretty happy and content with life. He’s thinking about going back into the army or to Rainy River Community College, that has a big outward bound program, something very important to Chris. He’s finally looking forward to and excited about his future, something no one ever thought they’d see. Chris says that Mini has changed his life, it’s changed his way of thinking and it’s brought him and his family closer together. He has found new relationships with good people, both students and staff. Chris said that if he hadn’t gotten into the program he probably would have dropped out, maybe have gotten his GED, and definitely wouldn’t be living at home. He said he wishes everyone could have the wonderful experience of being in Mini-School and he hopes to contribute anything he possibly can to the program in the future because “I LOVE MINI TO DEATH!!!”
Looking back on life pre-Mini, Josh Stinson says he was distraught, confused and unsure of where life was headed. He was very skeptical of the powers of good, ”just another poor lost soul, lost in the crowd,” he says of himself. Josh had just moved up here from Florida, and was in mainstream here at Minnetonka. He worked all the time and was extremely lonely and sad. Then he met Lester. She said that Mini-School was where he should be and his parents loved the idea. Josh is responsible, he sets a good example for other students, and adds lots to the program. Josh says, “Mini is a blessing in disguise. People don’t realize what this program does for the community and families.”
My own story goes like this- in the middle of my sophomore year I was hospitalized for depression and I went through treatment. I missed over a month of school and in my condition it was almost impossible to make up all the work. The mainstream teachers were most misunderstanding about the whole thing. No one seemed to understand that I was incapable of dealing with school at the time. I hated school, I hated the social scene associated with Minnetonka, and I just couldn’t handle it. I had gotten to know Shari Perlman very well through groups and frequent visits. We decided that Mini -School was the best place for me. And it is. I moved in with my dad and he’s very supportive of the program. He loves it. I’m getting along with both of my families wonderfully and I have a great job that I can’t get credit for anywhere but here. I love the family atmosphere and the closeness of the teacher and student relationships. Mini-School has helped me in more ways than I can count and I’ll never be able to thank Doug, Randy, JoAnne, Pauline and Ramona enough for being so supportive and understanding to my problems and needs. I love you all so much, Thank you!