Compass Graduates frequently stay in touch with teachers and staff after graduation, and we enjoy sitting down with alumni to reflect on the Compass Experience.
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ARI FOX, CLASS OF 2012
Northeastern University, B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a minor in Psychology
What you are doing now? I am now working as an Electrical Engineer for Lutron Electronics in downtown Boston. I work as part of a small team that focuses on new product development in the lighting and lighting controls industry.
Most interesting experience at Compass? I would have to say the trip to the Dominican Republic. It was my first time traveling out of the country, and the experience is one I'll remember forever. Plus, near the end of those two weeks I could just about hold a conversation in Spanish!
How has Compass helped you in your current life? Compass helped develop my soft skills more than anywhere else, and I've found that extremely valuable in both my personal and professional life. Both college and Compass prepared me for the technical and academic aspects of my job search, but I wouldn't be where I am today without the communication and interpersonal skills that Compass emphasized and helped develop.
What do you tell others now about Compass? I talk about how Compass is a lot more like college than it is like a traditional high school. There's so much value in having the freedom and opportunity to explore and learn about topics of your choosing, and not having to strictly follow a predetermined curriculum. I got to work on projects related to what I was passionate about, and that made me look forward to doing schoolwork instead of dreading it.
What do you value most about your Compass experience? I think the most valuable part of my Compass experience was the love of learning that it helped cultivate. To somewhat restate the above, I found that when I was writing a paper about a topic that interested me, it didn't feel like work at all. That feeling stuck with me, and when I left Compass I made sure to set myself up for a job that would be interesting enough to me that it wouldn't feel like work at all.
KAILEY RINDER, CLASS OF 2012
University of Vermont, major in Art and Sociology
What you have been up to since leaving Compass School? I tried out art school for a year in Ohio, then transferred to the University of Vermont. I joined the ultimate frisbee team to make some friends (the entire time I regretted that I hadn’t played at Compass), I volunteered at a prison, I worked on a farm, and I had an internship in NYC with a fashion designer. Throughout, I made a lot of art. I graduated with a bachelor's in Studio Art with a minor in Sociology and started my career as a production material coordinator at Commando (responsible for organizing and shipping fabric, elastic, lace, thread, etc). Six months later I got a promotion and now I’m responsible for quality control!
How Compass has helped you in your current life? Between Winterm, Junior/Senior project, and, even, Exploratories-- there was always encouragement to reach out to people beyond the Compass community for help, support, or ideas. I’ve gotten internships, grants, and jobs, simply by shooting an email expressing that I was excited by someone’s work. I wouldn’t have known how likely people are to say yes to help and talk to a stranger without my experiences at Compass.
What do you tell others now about Compass? I tell people about the small intimate class size, the honest and informative Health Week, Giving Day, how in every assignment we were encouraged to be creative, and the list goes on. I’ve talked so highly of my experience at Compass that my boyfriend frequently asks if the school is hiring.
What do you value most about your Compass experience? I value the dedication of the teachers at Compass. I am so amazed by the amount of work and time that all of the staff devoted to the school. I barely survive 40 hours a week without feeling drained-- I don’t know how the Compass staff does it but I’m glad they do. The teachers make the school the amazing place it is.
WILSON SCHREIBER, CLASS OF 2007
Vermont Technical College, Major in Electromechanical Engineering
Most interesting experience at Compass: The experiences that my senior project created. A partner and I worked on research for an electromyography device that we developed to encourage physical therapy among persons with muscular impairment. We went down to Atlanta, GA to do some of this, we did a lot of it at Compass, and it was an extremely rewarding experience.
How Compass has helped you in your current life: Compass has opened my eyes to the realm of possibility and creativity. I have the notion now that there is no obstacle that I can’t overcome, and almost no problem that can’t be solved, which is what led me to become an engineer and want to help the world.
What you tell others now about Compass: I tell others that Compass is an incredibly amazing place that still nurtures creativity that is often shunned in most high-school settings. When I was given a problem at Compass, there was that old saying that one should think outside of the box. I soon realized at Compass that there was no box, there were no limits on what we could learn, and that I was free to build on my knowledge in ways that benefited me immensely.
What you value most about your Compass experience: I was able to find many subjects that interested me at Compass . Once I found them, I was able to use the fine resources and teachers at Compass to build a passion for them. My interest was mechanics and electronics. I know that without Compass, I wouldn't have found this passion that makes everyday a joy for me knowing that I will be giving back to the world someday very soon.
ANNA BOWLER, CLASS OF 2007
Manhattanville College, Major in Political Science, Minors in Dance and World Religions
Most interesting experience post-Compass: I have had many interesting experiences from living in the jungle in Costa Rica to participating in a model UN conference at Harvard University. Most of all I have enjoyed exploring philosophy and political theory and how it relates to life as it is lived. Currently, I am formulating a thesis for next semester on the development of sustainable communities in the American liberal democratic system.
Most interesting experience at Compass: I thoroughly enjoyed being on Student Council. It was this experience that inspired my Political Science studies and further exploration of leadership.
How Compass has helped you in your current life: Compass has taught me how to be a student and learn from every experience I have.
What you tell others now about Compass: Now I tell people that Compass showed me what I wanted and needed out of my education. It developed my unique world view that has served me so well as a student of politics.
What you value most about your Compass experience: What I value most about Compass was the opportunities it gave me to travel and explore the world. Compass allowed me a holistic world view that put my own life in context.