Kind, creative and passionate, Emma is an engaged and diligent student who takes great pride in her academics. She has significant learning differences and anxiety, and school has always been a challenge for her, both academically and socially.
She, and her parents, knew that the local high school would not be a good fit for her even though it is considered to be one of the best in the state.
Emma’s Thrive Characteristics
Clearly Emma needed a school that could support her academically and emotionally. Her thrive school characteristics included a strong learning center, supportive environment, and a swim team. Swimming is her “happy place” so it was a must: the swim team had to be at the school so she could connect with her community around her passion; a separate swim club would not do. On top of that challenging combination Linda also felt that Emma would do best at a girls school.
Linda had such patience with us, helping to calm our nerves when thinking about sending our daughter to boarding school. We never imagined we would be doing this, yet knew we had to as she needed more than what our public school setting could give her – and she so wanted more. — Emma’s mom
Finding Emma’s Thrive Schools
Linda reached out to 20+ schools to present Emma and her strengths, as well as her learning profile and testing to determine if they could support her. This was both a time-saving measure and a nod to Emma’s fragile ego: she should not visit schools where she would not be accepted or supported. The initial search in New England expanded to the Mid-Atlantic in order to find a school to meet her thrive school characteristics.
It was heartwarming and a relief to learn all that was out there for our daughter, thanks to Linda’s guidance and support.
— Emma’s mom
Results
Emma is attending a boarding school this fall that fits the bill: all girls school, kind community, strong learning center, swim team, and an equestrian program (another passion not on the original checklist, but a great addition). And, she was awarded a merit scholarship, in addition to financial aid, making the opportunity feasible for the family.
One More Thing
This match of student and thrive school almost didn’t happen: Emma’s dad was very skeptical at the beginning and it took him almost 3 months to agree to work together. He remained skeptical throughout, concerned there was not a school out there for Emma. After visiting the school that Emma now calls home, he was overwhelmed to see his daughter so happy.
Linda… you have turned out to be a great asset for us - and one of our better decisions of late. Thanks for being there and helping us navigate through all of this. — Emma’s previously skeptical dad