I graduated public school in 2002. School wasn't the best fit for my learning style and energy level. The pattern established from six years old on of trying to thrive in an environment that wasn't conducive to my flourishing eventually stomped out my passion and excitement for learning. It primed me to move into an adulthood where I dreaded (or endured) jobs and careers that weren't a fit for me, just like school wasn't.

In my adolescence, I finally began flourishing when I found other avenues that matched my energy level. Activities such as wrestling, boxing, and power lifting allowed me to be myself and walk my own path. These passions taught me life skills, leadership, the value of embracing and overcoming challenges. At Apogee we guide the young heroes down the path that is their own, becoming the freest, strongest version of themselves they intuitively already know they want to be, rather than corralling them into a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach.

School is the big-box, mass-production approach to education that didn't work for me. In fact, it did more harm than good. I know there are millions of other young children living the same situation I faced in the early 90s. They could benefit from a different approach to education than what is currently being offered.

Apogee North Sound is not a school; we are an Education Resource Center for the entire family. There will be no homework, tests, or report cards. We are a project- and challenge-based Socratic learning center. Our young heroes will have responsibilities and roles within our education center and will be challenged to learn through failure, critical thinking, and shouldering responsibilities, rather than memorizing and repeating back what they've been fed. Apogee coaches will encourage the young heroes to be bold, take chances, and view failure as a great learning opportunity.

Some parents I have met with have expressed hesitation about taking a chance on this "experiment," which is 100% understandable. But to the idea of Apogee's philosophy being an experiment, I say: we've educated our young people this way for thousands of years. The last hundred years or so have been the experiment, and it didn't work for me. I would have thrived in this Apogee setting and want to provide this opportunity for my children and any other child in my community who needs this approach to education.