What do Senate
chaplain Barry Black,
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actor Clifton Davis,
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and yours truly, have in common.
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Stay tuned to find out.
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My name is Yvonne Lewis
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and you're
watching Urban Report.
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Hello and
welcome to Urban Report.
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My guest today
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is the headmistress
of Pine Forge Academy,
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Nicole Hughes.
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Welcome to Urban Report, Nicole.
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Thank you for having
me. So happy to be here.
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Oh, it's so great to have you.
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You know, the
question and the tease was
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what do Barry Black,
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Clifton Davis,
and I, have in common.
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We all went to Pine Forge.
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Wow! Look at that.
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Pine, Pine Forge
was such a blessing.
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I was there, I
won't say what year.
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Probably not
longer after it opened
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and it just celebrated
its 70th anniversary, right?
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It did.
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I went there and my
dad was the dean of boys.
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So I lived in
the boy's dormitory.
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Oh, what an experience!
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That was, that was
quite an experience.
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The only girl
walking up the hill, right.
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But it was a
great, great experience.
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Tell us about Pine Forge.
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It has such a legacy,
tell us about Pine Forge.
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Pine Forge Academy
is an awesome school.
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It is the only
historically black
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Christian Seventh-day Adventist
boarding school of its kind
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in the entire nation.
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We service students in
grades 9, 10, 11, and 12.
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They come from over
25 different states,
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and nationalities,
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and people, and when
you get to Pine Forge,
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there's just something sacred
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and special
about the environment
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and you feel it in your
interaction with the students
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and in your
interaction with the families
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but quite candidly,
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in who you see
the students become,
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like you, time down the line.
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Oh, praise the Lord.
You know, praise the Lord.
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It's so interesting
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because I just
recently visited Pine Forge
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and that's where I met you.
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I brought my granddaughter
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'cause I really wanted
her to check out the school.
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And you're right,
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there is something so
sacred about the grounds.
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There's just this feeling
that you get when you're there.
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And the
students seem to love it.
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How many students do
you have enrolled there?
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So it ranges, one year,
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we had 160, this
year, we have 139.
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In the past, we've had
as low as 120, but no matter
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the compilation or
the number of students,
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the energy is always the same.
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So academy students are known
for being great singers, right?
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But that's not all. Yeah.
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They're great thinkers,
they're awesome leaders,
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they're caring, and
they're compassionate.
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They do a whole host of things,
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from giving shoes and socks
to the homeless on MLK day,
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to going to the
nursing homes on the weekend,
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and leading all
types of extracurriculars.
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They bring a excited
passion to the campus
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and to our experience as adults.
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That's tremendous,
that is really tremendous.
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I felt it when I was there,
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visiting this last
time and the choir sang.
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The choir was such a big part
of my musical development too.
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'Cause at the time,
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Mr. Anthony was
the choir director
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and he just
inspired you to wanna sing.
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The kids there,
play instruments,
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sing, I mean,
there's so much talent there,
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it's just, it's amazing.
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Give us some, a
little history of the school.
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How did the school come to be?
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So Pine Forge Academy is
on truly remarkable land.
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It sits on about 575 acres.
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And right through the property,
the Manatawny River runs.
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What's interesting about that,
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is that the
Manatawny River is named
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after a group of
Indians that lived there,
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native Americans, excuse me.
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And they were
named the Manatawny.
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We've come to find
out through some research
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that they were sabbatarians,
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who actually
inhabited the land at that time.
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In the early
1700s, the land was deeded
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from William
Penn to Thomas Rudder.
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The William Penn?
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The William Penn. Okay.
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The William Penn deeded
the land to Thomas Rudder
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who also in his
family kept the Sabbath.
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It's known as a location
on the underground railroad,
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literally a stop where
former slaves were liberated
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on their ways to freedom.
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And since then, has
had such a civil rights
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impact in its own special way.
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Now, what I mean
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by that is the
Academy in 1946 was founded
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with the 90
pioneers, and those pioneers
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and subsequent alumni
have gone to do amazing things
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for people of color or
just the general community.
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An example, our first graduate,
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Dr. Margaret Dixon,
was also the first woman
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in her university to
earn a doctorate in nursing.
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It's amazing to know
that this is the legacy,
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this is the impact that
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Pine Forge Academy
students are making,
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not just on the
campus but around the world.
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That's tremendous, and
they are making an impact.
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The whole history
though of Pine Forge
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being a part of the
underground railroad,
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I mean, that area,
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that land being a part
of the underground railroad,
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that is tremendous.
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So in 1946, was it? Mm-hm.
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The school was
founded, who founded the school?
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Principal Moran.
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Now the interesting thing
about Principal Moran is that
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he was actually one of the first
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or early
presidents of Oakwood College.
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I remember him.
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I think one of the
first African Americans
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and so when he
came to Pine Forge,
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the vision was the
great Oakwood of the North.
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Creating a school
for high school students
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that would have a
vigor and an academic vigor
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and create professionalism,
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so that students can
go out into the world
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and do those amazing things.
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So the story goes that
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many folks at
the time were excited
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but nervous about the
cost to acquire the land
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and start the school
and so Allegheny East,
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and it wasn't Allegheny
East Conference at the time,
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my apologies,
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Allegheny
Conference at the time.
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Right, right, right.
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Their leaders put
out a pitch saying,
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"Hey, this is an awesome
potential to do God's ministry.
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Can we raise the money?"
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And they raised,
some debate and say,
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it was 46,000, others say,
it was 49,000, nevertheless.
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They raised the money in a year.
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Pledges, donations,
the money came pouring in
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and the land was purchased.
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In the early stages, the
students and the faculty,
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they all lived in
the very similar housing,
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one such building is
called the Manor House,
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it has been there
since Thomas Rudder himself,
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who was there.
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So it's quite a
historic building.
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And so they all lived
in that same environment
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and they often
say, our pioneers,
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"It felt like family.
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It felt like
home away from home."
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And even today,
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that's what the
academy is known for.
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Creating a family among
young Adventist Christians
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who go on to keep those bonds
and friendships for a lifetime.
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That is so true.
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I have friends from Pine Forge
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that I've had
from when I was there,
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I was there in the ninth
grade, I was 13 years old.
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Yeah, I was 13
in the ninth grade.
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I was, I was 13,
and my best friend
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then is still my
friend today, Beverly Von.
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And she's very
involved in still,
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in the divas and all that.
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And some of those friends
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that I had from then
are still my friends today,
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it's amazing.
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You make lifelong
friendships there.
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The other thing that,
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that strikes me
about the school is that
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it does create leaders.
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Oh, absolutely.
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Let's talk about the
intention involved in that.
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What, how do you,
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how do you shape
tomorrow's leaders?
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You know, that's
such a great question
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because part of
it is intentionality
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and also design.
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So the boarding
school environment creates
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a mini collegiate
experience for the students.
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They're away from home,
some as early as ninth grade,
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some joining us
as upperclassmen.
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And they learn
how to be autonomous,
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they learn to self manage,
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they learn to
balance the dynamic of
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so many different
relationships here.
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Your dean, your
teachers in Wagner Hall,
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your roommates,
maybe even floor mates
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who don't always make you smile.
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They learn to balance
all of those experiences
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and so when they
go off to the college,
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they're very well verse.
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They have
emotional intelligence,
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they know how to
manage their time,
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they know how to
prioritize their tasks.
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So that part of it is
the boarding school element.
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The other element is
the Pine Forge element.
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And what I mean by that
is the worship experience,
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the spiritual experience,
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it's so important to
everything that we do
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and rather than doing
it ourselves as faculty
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and students, I
rather, faculty and staff,
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we push the students out.
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So they're the ones
leading praise and worship,
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they're the ones
leading in divine worship,
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they're the ones that are doing
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the Wednesday
night prayer meetings.
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Just last week,
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I heard a ninth grade
student give a fabulous devotion
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that he himself wrote during
Wednesday night prayer meeting.
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Where else do you
get that opportunity
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to be a leader among your peers?
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That's tremendous.
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See, it's interesting
because I hadn't thought about
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the whole autonomy thing.
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When you're there,
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I lived at home
at that time but,
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but if I had been a
dorm student, you know,
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you do learn to manage
your time, you do have to,
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you know, learn to prioritize,
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you have to hone
your people skills,
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because you're living in
a dorm with other people.
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So there are things that,
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skills that can be
generalized into life.
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Absolutely.
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That you can use as
you're, as you're getting older,
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more mature, you can take
those same skills and hone them.
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So that, that is tremendous.
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What would you say
are some of the challenges
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that face the young
people that come to Pine Forge?
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So there are two major
hosts of challenges I'd say.
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And the first is that
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for many people
in our community,
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and when I say, the community,
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I mean, the Adventist community.
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The boarding school
paradigm is not as exciting
00:11:00.76\00:11:05.26
as a day school option.
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And so many families
are nervous and anxious
00:11:07.03\00:11:10.53
about letting their children
go off to a boarding school.
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They want those final
few years with them at home.
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So that's one of our
challenges so to speak.
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The other
challenge quite candidly
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is getting used
to an environment
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that really espouses
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all of the true
ideals of Adventism.
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When you first
get to the campus,
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you're like, "What?
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It's vegetarian."
00:11:32.22\00:11:33.56
Or "Oh, ma'am, my
skirt must be to my knee,"
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which are, it sounds
like such a silly thing
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but if you are in a environment
where you're used to that,
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at first, it creates a
little bit of reluctance
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until you meet the upperclassmen
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who'll explain it all to you,
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until you're
interacting with your teachers
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on a day to day basis
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and they're explaining
00:11:54.41\00:11:55.74
the Biblical
principles behind it for you,
00:11:55.78\00:11:58.51
until you're meeting with alumni
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who are able to
recite scripture,
00:12:00.92\00:12:03.15
who are able to
recite actual lines
00:12:03.18\00:12:05.99
and verbiage from different
Ellen G. White documents,
00:12:06.02\00:12:09.76
who are able to share
with you black history facts,
00:12:09.79\00:12:12.73
who can point to,
00:12:12.76\00:12:14.30
"This is what a Pine
Forge man or woman looks like."
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And that's why we wear
our blazer, and our bow, tie,
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and our sweaters.
00:12:20.20\00:12:21.54
All of those things
then help the students
00:12:21.57\00:12:23.97
and the families
understand, you know what?
00:12:24.01\00:12:26.34
Boarding school is
a refining opportunity
00:12:26.37\00:12:30.41
and the Adventist lifestyle
00:12:30.45\00:12:33.15
that's a practical
Christian one is desirable
00:12:33.18\00:12:37.35
especially in today's climate.
00:12:37.39\00:12:39.69
Hmm.
00:12:39.72\00:12:41.86
You know what? You
are a great spokesperson.
00:12:41.89\00:12:47.23
No, really because
your passion for it,
00:12:47.30\00:12:50.43
it's
infectious, and that's what,
00:12:50.50\00:12:52.57
that's what you
need as principal,
00:12:52.60\00:12:54.37
as headmistress of this school.
00:12:54.40\00:12:56.84
You have to have
that passion for.
00:12:56.87\00:12:58.64
Where does that
passion come from?
00:12:58.67\00:13:00.51
Let's talk a bit
about your journey.
00:13:00.58\00:13:02.41
And we're gonna
comeback to Pine Forge.
00:13:02.44\00:13:03.85
Okay.
00:13:03.88\00:13:05.21
Where did you,
where did you grow up?
00:13:05.25\00:13:07.88
How did you get
involved in education?
00:13:07.92\00:13:09.58
Let's talk about your journey.
00:13:09.62\00:13:10.99
Dr. Lewis, I have
to tell you honestly,
00:13:11.02\00:13:13.02
I think I
stumbled into education.
00:13:13.05\00:13:15.22
Really?
00:13:15.26\00:13:16.59
Well, nothing is
ever stumbling with God.
00:13:16.62\00:13:18.29
Yeah, yeah. But, for
me, it was stumbling.
00:13:18.33\00:13:20.00
He knew all along.
00:13:20.03\00:13:21.50
But I was born and
raised in Hartford, Connecticut.
00:13:21.53\00:13:24.33
I attended Faith
Seventh-day Adventist church
00:13:24.37\00:13:26.40
my entire life.
00:13:26.43\00:13:28.20
And was really privileged to go
00:13:28.24\00:13:29.64
to a number of
outstanding schools.
00:13:29.67\00:13:31.27
So I attended a
private high school.
00:13:31.31\00:13:34.08
I was able to
attend Yale University
00:13:34.14\00:13:36.81
which is also in Connecticut.
00:13:36.85\00:13:38.81
And that is when
the stumbling happened.
00:13:38.85\00:13:41.25
You went to Yale? Wow! I
went to Yale. I went to Yale.
00:13:41.28\00:13:44.25
And we'll talk about this later
but my husband went to Yale
00:13:44.29\00:13:47.32
and we didn't meet each
other while we were there.
00:13:47.36\00:13:50.23
So you know God was in the
mix. Absolutely, absolutely.
00:13:50.29\00:13:54.40
Yeah, so I went to Yale,
00:13:54.46\00:13:55.76
and I really thought that
I was going to be a lawyer,
00:13:55.80\00:13:58.87
and then maybe a judge.
00:13:58.90\00:14:00.34
I just had it in my mind that
that's what I was going to do.
00:14:00.37\00:14:03.10
I applied to
Vanderbilt Law School.
00:14:03.14\00:14:05.47
Got a full ride, my
parents were excited
00:14:05.51\00:14:08.28
and I said, "You know,
before I go to law school,
00:14:08.31\00:14:10.55
I'd like to try,
00:14:10.58\00:14:11.91
Teach for America
00:14:11.95\00:14:13.28
or New York
City teaching fellows
00:14:13.31\00:14:14.85
and figure it out."
00:14:14.88\00:14:16.38
Long story short.
00:14:16.42\00:14:17.75
I did end up teaching
in Brooklyn for one year,
00:14:17.79\00:14:20.76
and then two years,
and then three years,
00:14:20.79\00:14:23.83
and then my parents said,
00:14:23.86\00:14:25.43
"Hey, what's going
on with law school?
00:14:25.46\00:14:27.20
Are you going or not?"
00:14:27.23\00:14:28.53
And I realized that
the Lord actually called me
00:14:28.56\00:14:31.10
not to go to law
school but to be an educator.
00:14:31.13\00:14:34.24
And I realized that
by having interactions
00:14:34.27\00:14:37.57
with students of color,
00:14:37.61\00:14:38.94
who said, "You've pushed me
00:14:38.97\00:14:40.84
to achieve and do far
more than anyone else."
00:14:40.88\00:14:43.81
And knowing that I
could have that impact,
00:14:43.85\00:14:46.58
made me realize,
00:14:46.61\00:14:47.95
"This is what
God wants me to do."
00:14:47.98\00:14:49.35
Yes.
00:14:49.38\00:14:50.75
Now getting to Pine Forge
was definitely a God moment.
00:14:50.79\00:14:55.06
Let's come back, let's, let's do
00:14:55.09\00:14:56.79
with your
upbringing for a minute.
00:14:56.83\00:14:58.43
Sure. Were you
in a Christian home?
00:14:58.46\00:14:59.86
Oh, yes. Oh, definitely.
00:14:59.89\00:15:02.00
So your parents gave you,
00:15:02.03\00:15:04.67
instilled in you the
values of Christianity.
00:15:04.70\00:15:08.00
Oh, absolutely, absolutely.
00:15:08.04\00:15:10.11
My parents are
Seventh-day Adventists.
00:15:10.14\00:15:12.17
Raised in a
Seventh-day Adventist home
00:15:12.21\00:15:13.78
where literally the manchow was,
00:15:13.81\00:15:15.38
"Only what you do
for Christ will last."
00:15:15.41\00:15:17.81
So as children
we did everything.
00:15:17.85\00:15:20.12
Pathfinders,
choirs, at one point
00:15:20.15\00:15:23.89
we sat on the
church board, we AYS,
00:15:23.92\00:15:26.49
everything that
we could possibly do,
00:15:26.52\00:15:28.22
my parents felt,
00:15:28.26\00:15:29.59
it was so important
to have a church family,
00:15:29.62\00:15:32.66
to have
relationships, to be in service,
00:15:32.69\00:15:36.00
and to really give
your best for Christ.
00:15:36.03\00:15:38.80
And I can remember some
stories of my parents going up,
00:15:38.83\00:15:43.20
where I would
tell a children story,
00:15:43.24\00:15:44.87
or I would be on the rostrum,
and I would do the scripture.
00:15:44.91\00:15:49.48
And afterwards, my
parents would evaluate me.
00:15:49.51\00:15:53.38
They'd let me know how did I do.
00:15:53.42\00:15:55.18
Did I perform in the
way that I should have?
00:15:55.22\00:15:57.62
And I'm laughing because
00:15:57.65\00:15:59.32
we do that to the
kids at Pine Forge now.
00:15:59.35\00:16:03.16
It's a part of that
grooming experience,
00:16:03.19\00:16:06.19
giving them that
feedback to help them
00:16:06.23\00:16:08.63
be their absolute best.
00:16:08.66\00:16:10.10
That's tremendous, yes, yes.
00:16:10.17\00:16:11.77
So you grew up
in a Christian home,
00:16:11.80\00:16:14.57
you decided that you
were gonna go to law school.
00:16:14.60\00:16:17.84
You applied, got
a full scholarship
00:16:17.87\00:16:21.28
but before you went,
you started teaching?
00:16:21.31\00:16:23.48
Yes. And you just loved it?
00:16:23.55\00:16:25.41
Loved it, loved it.
00:16:25.45\00:16:27.32
What level were you
teaching? High school.
00:16:27.35\00:16:29.32
So I taught...
00:16:29.35\00:16:30.69
What class? History. History.
00:16:30.72\00:16:32.62
I taught high school
History to the 11th grade.
00:16:32.65\00:16:35.69
And...
00:16:35.72\00:16:37.53
Was it public
school? It was public school.
00:16:37.56\00:16:39.39
In Brooklyn? In Brooklyn.
00:16:39.43\00:16:40.80
Oh. In Brownsville.
00:16:40.83\00:16:42.66
Brownsville, Brooklyn, so
New Yorkers will understand.
00:16:42.70\00:16:45.90
And I remember my
first few days at school,
00:16:45.93\00:16:49.84
preppy teacher,
00:16:49.87\00:16:52.94
glasses and the, you
know, the whole nine.
00:16:52.97\00:16:55.68
And I told myself I
wasn't going to smile
00:16:55.71\00:16:58.01
that first day at school.
00:16:58.05\00:16:59.65
So not only did I not smile,
00:16:59.68\00:17:01.38
I gave a quiz on
the first day of school.
00:17:01.42\00:17:04.69
Oh, oh, they must've loved that.
00:17:04.72\00:17:06.05
I gave, I gave a Geography
quiz and that same day,
00:17:06.09\00:17:09.52
some of the students
who were very friendly
00:17:09.56\00:17:11.63
with the principal marched
down to the office and said,
00:17:11.66\00:17:14.00
"She has to go."
00:17:14.03\00:17:15.46
She has to go, she has to go.
00:17:15.50\00:17:17.67
Now for my educators out there,
00:17:17.70\00:17:20.04
I did give them a
chance to redeem themselves.
00:17:20.07\00:17:22.14
It was a Geography quiz.
00:17:22.17\00:17:23.51
And I did give them a
chance to redeem themselves
00:17:23.54\00:17:25.51
after that initial shock.
00:17:25.54\00:17:27.28
But I wanted them to
know that I was serious.
00:17:27.31\00:17:29.84
And I wanted them to know
00:17:29.88\00:17:31.21
that they had to be serious too.
00:17:31.25\00:17:34.12
That there was
nothing more important
00:17:34.15\00:17:35.95
than the
cultivation of their mind,
00:17:35.98\00:17:38.25
and, of course, in time,
00:17:38.29\00:17:39.65
they also learned
that I was a Christian
00:17:39.69\00:17:41.72
and a Seventh-day Adventist.
00:17:41.76\00:17:43.26
And they asked me at some point
to lead the Christian club.
00:17:43.29\00:17:46.70
So I was able
to do my work ethic
00:17:46.73\00:17:49.13
and through our relationships,
00:17:49.16\00:17:50.53
begin to bear a witness
00:17:50.57\00:17:52.53
in direct ways
and in indirect ways.
00:17:52.57\00:17:55.20
My time in Brooklyn I think,
has been among my favorite time
00:17:55.24\00:17:58.74
because even now
I see my students
00:17:58.77\00:18:01.18
and they are getting married,
they're having children,
00:18:01.21\00:18:04.55
they're getting
advanced degrees.
00:18:04.58\00:18:06.45
And they'll say,
Miss Falkner then.
00:18:06.48\00:18:08.58
"Miss Falkner,
you changed my life."
00:18:08.62\00:18:10.22
"Your notes for my
class, I use them in college.
00:18:10.25\00:18:13.15
Because you were so
hard on me in my writing,
00:18:13.19\00:18:15.49
I now, I'm doing X."
00:18:15.52\00:18:17.46
And that's way more rewarding
00:18:17.49\00:18:19.86
and than sitting in
an office somewhere.
00:18:19.89\00:18:22.30
Oh, you know,
it's so interesting
00:18:22.33\00:18:24.43
because many of, as you
know being in education,
00:18:24.47\00:18:28.67
there's this educational divide
00:18:28.70\00:18:31.37
where a lot of our
children are under achieving
00:18:31.41\00:18:34.71
and the misconception
is that they can't learn.
00:18:34.74\00:18:37.75
Oh, that's not it.
00:18:37.78\00:18:39.11
That they're, absolutely not,
that they're slow, that, no.
00:18:39.15\00:18:43.05
Many times we
don't demand from them
00:18:43.08\00:18:46.62
what they can give or
they don't have the tools.
00:18:46.65\00:18:49.59
Let's talk a little bit
about the intercity children
00:18:49.62\00:18:51.66
because intercity
children attend Pine Forge too.
00:18:51.69\00:18:54.30
Oh, yes.
00:18:54.30\00:18:55.63
And our audience is
focused on the intercity.
00:18:55.66\00:18:58.90
Tell us about the challenges
of educating intercity youth.
00:18:58.93\00:19:03.74
The primary thing
and you've nailed it,
00:19:03.77\00:19:05.61
is a sense of willingness
on the part of the educator.
00:19:05.64\00:19:09.74
As the adults,
00:19:09.78\00:19:11.11
we have literally all
the power in our hands.
00:19:11.15\00:19:13.78
Children only rise
00:19:13.85\00:19:15.45
to whatever
expectation you give of them.
00:19:15.48\00:19:18.25
Oh, say that again.
00:19:18.29\00:19:20.19
That is music to my
ears, that is music to my ears.
00:19:20.22\00:19:22.96
Would you please say that again?
00:19:22.99\00:19:24.36
It's, it's true.
00:19:24.39\00:19:25.73
They only rise,
or, and I'll say it,
00:19:25.76\00:19:27.23
unfortunately, fall
to whatever expectation
00:19:27.30\00:19:30.37
we have of them as adults.
00:19:30.40\00:19:32.63
I've never heard a child
who even if there was bickering
00:19:32.67\00:19:36.37
and groaning in the beginning,
00:19:36.40\00:19:37.74
who did not
rise to the occasion.
00:19:37.77\00:19:40.71
And you see that at a
place like Pine Forge,
00:19:40.78\00:19:43.24
here's a perfect example.
00:19:43.28\00:19:45.55
We have a student, he is
now the USM body president.
00:19:45.58\00:19:48.92
And when he came to Pine Forge,
00:19:48.95\00:19:50.49
he was determined.
00:19:50.52\00:19:51.89
He said, "I'm going to
graduate in three years.
00:19:51.92\00:19:54.72
I'm going to take classes
at the community college.
00:19:54.76\00:19:57.73
I, in my future, I'm going to be
00:19:57.76\00:19:59.66
one of the
Seventh-day Adventist senators
00:19:59.69\00:20:02.70
that would be in Congress."
00:20:02.73\00:20:04.13
And from the
first day he came in,
00:20:04.17\00:20:06.00
I said, "Clifford Fields,
00:20:06.03\00:20:07.44
not only can you do
it, you will do it."
00:20:07.50\00:20:11.31
And we've
nurtured and encouraged him
00:20:11.34\00:20:13.34
every step of the
way, he did skip a grade,
00:20:13.38\00:20:16.18
he has completed courses
at the community college.
00:20:16.21\00:20:19.55
In fact, he's
one of our students
00:20:19.58\00:20:21.32
who in our partnership
00:20:21.35\00:20:22.82
with the Montgomery
County Community College
00:20:22.85\00:20:24.89
is taking science courses
during the school year now.
00:20:24.92\00:20:28.09
He's done a
wonderful job as USM President.
00:20:28.12\00:20:30.96
And, yes, he's
achieving everything
00:20:30.99\00:20:34.00
that his heart
has desired so far.
00:20:34.03\00:20:36.50
I believe it's because
as adults, we believe him.
00:20:36.53\00:20:39.40
Yes, yes.
00:20:39.43\00:20:40.77
We believe him
and quite honestly,
00:20:40.80\00:20:43.37
a Christian
environment just doubles that.
00:20:43.44\00:20:46.61
It magnifies it
00:20:46.64\00:20:48.21
because we can
pour into Clifford
00:20:48.24\00:20:50.68
who understands
his capacity in Christ.
00:20:50.71\00:20:54.05
But we can also pour in someone
who doesn't understand that.
00:20:54.08\00:20:57.35
We can expose him
to scriptures that say,
00:20:57.42\00:20:59.75
"You are fearfully
and wonderfully made."
00:20:59.79\00:21:02.79
We can show
them Bible characters
00:21:02.82\00:21:04.69
who faced a host of challenges
and still was able to overcome.
00:21:04.73\00:21:09.06
And by pouring that into them,
00:21:09.10\00:21:11.60
we can help them to believe
and then in turn, to achieve.
00:21:11.63\00:21:15.87
I love, I love school.
00:21:15.90\00:21:17.27
I love it.
00:21:17.31\00:21:19.17
Well, you know what? I
love school. Let me tell you.
00:21:19.21\00:21:21.58
I love the fact that we have
an institution like Pine Forge
00:21:21.61\00:21:26.88
where you can
pour into the kids.
00:21:26.92\00:21:29.08
Absolutely.
00:21:29.12\00:21:30.45
Where you can...
00:21:30.49\00:21:31.82
I did an interview,
00:21:31.85\00:21:33.72
this was a couple of
years ago with the, an author,
00:21:33.76\00:21:38.16
Paul Tough, who
wrote a book called,
00:21:38.19\00:21:39.96
"How Children Succeed."
00:21:40.00\00:21:41.70
And he said,
"Academics are important
00:21:41.73\00:21:44.20
but the research is showing
that it's beyond academics,
00:21:44.23\00:21:48.60
it's character development,
00:21:48.64\00:21:50.87
it's
persistence, and perseverance,
00:21:50.91\00:21:53.91
and their whole ability
to differ gratification,
00:21:53.94\00:21:57.85
and to focus, and
to create integrity,
00:21:57.88\00:22:01.65
help them to be honest,
00:22:01.68\00:22:03.92
and all of
these things and that,
00:22:03.99\00:22:07.26
that's what helps to
create successful people.
00:22:07.29\00:22:09.89
That's why our
schools like Pine Forge,
00:22:09.92\00:22:12.86
can create leaders
00:22:12.89\00:22:14.56
because the focus
is not just academics,
00:22:14.56\00:22:17.37
it's character development.
00:22:17.43\00:22:19.53
And that's what
you guys are doing,
00:22:19.57\00:22:21.07
I mean, I just think
it's just phenomenal.
00:22:21.10\00:22:23.51
Yeah, it's exciting work.
00:22:23.57\00:22:24.94
And we literally
take that approach
00:22:24.97\00:22:27.58
and we call it,
3H, in some cases, 4H.
00:22:27.61\00:22:30.31
In the first H is the
Head, intellectual rigor,
00:22:30.35\00:22:33.72
critical thinking.
00:22:33.78\00:22:35.12
We want them to be
career and college ready.
00:22:35.15\00:22:38.12
But you have to
combine that with the second H
00:22:38.15\00:22:40.36
which is the Heart,
00:22:40.42\00:22:42.06
we want them to
have the character
00:22:42.09\00:22:43.79
and the compassion of
Christ in everything they do.
00:22:43.83\00:22:47.60
We want them to see the
Creator's designs for them
00:22:47.60\00:22:51.07
and be able to fulfill that.
00:22:51.10\00:22:52.90
The third H is the Hand
00:22:52.93\00:22:55.40
and Pine Forge Academy
is well-known for this.
00:22:55.44\00:22:58.31
Throughout the
'60s and the '70s,
00:22:58.34\00:23:00.98
the work program was the
life blood of the Academy.
00:23:01.01\00:23:04.48
So many of our students today,
00:23:04.51\00:23:07.25
their parents who
are alumni at the school,
00:23:07.32\00:23:09.85
share with me working
in the apple orchards,
00:23:09.88\00:23:12.99
working in Little Lake
Industries creating furniture,
00:23:13.02\00:23:16.29
going down to the
factories in Pottstown
00:23:16.32\00:23:19.06
and learning how
hard work translates
00:23:19.09\00:23:22.90
into integrity of character.
00:23:22.93\00:23:25.20
And then learning other
skills like perseverance
00:23:25.23\00:23:28.24
and preparation but, of course,
00:23:28.27\00:23:30.07
we also believe in
that last H of health,
00:23:30.11\00:23:33.11
that vegetarian lifestyle,
00:23:33.14\00:23:35.04
that organic lifestyle,
exercising, and, of course,
00:23:35.08\00:23:39.65
and it's so bright that
the kids coming up all now,
00:23:39.68\00:23:42.22
understanding our role
00:23:42.25\00:23:44.15
as the stewards
of God's green Earth.
00:23:44.19\00:23:46.09
Yes, yes, indeed.
00:23:46.12\00:23:48.46
Well, you brought some pictures?
00:23:48.49\00:23:49.82
Oh, yeah.
00:23:49.86\00:23:51.19
I wanna kind of look
at those and discuss those
00:23:51.23\00:23:52.83
because this school is just,
00:23:52.86\00:23:55.86
Pine Forge is just
an exceptional school
00:23:55.90\00:23:58.47
and we are so
thankful to have you there.
00:23:58.50\00:24:01.80
It's good to be here.
00:24:01.84\00:24:03.17
It was just kind of,
it's a blessing to have you.
00:24:03.20\00:24:05.34
So let's put up our pictures
and take a look at, now, just,
00:24:05.37\00:24:09.21
let's just go though this,
00:24:09.24\00:24:10.58
this is Pine Forge
00:24:10.65\00:24:12.05
just celebrated an
important anniversary.
00:24:12.08\00:24:15.02
Tell us about that.
00:24:15.05\00:24:16.38
Pine Forge Academy in September
00:24:16.42\00:24:18.12
celebrated its 70th anniversary.
00:24:18.15\00:24:20.49
Seventieth year. Wow!
00:24:20.56\00:24:22.49
Seventy years in existence.
00:24:22.52\00:24:24.39
And so we celebrated
at our commencement in May
00:24:24.43\00:24:27.76
with key speakers,
00:24:27.83\00:24:29.36
Barry Black as well
as the DeVon Franklin
00:24:29.40\00:24:31.87
and then we celebrated
again during our alumni,
00:24:31.90\00:24:34.80
alumni association, forgive me,
00:24:34.84\00:24:38.57
festivities that
happened in September.
00:24:38.61\00:24:41.18
And so what you'll
see or saw in the photo
00:24:41.21\00:24:43.75
are the iconic Pine
Forge Academy sweaters,
00:24:43.81\00:24:46.61
and bow ties.
00:24:46.68\00:24:48.62
So in alumni weekend,
00:24:48.65\00:24:50.49
everyone comes out
with their sweaters
00:24:50.55\00:24:52.32
and their bow ties
00:24:52.35\00:24:53.72
and it's a symbol
00:24:53.76\00:24:55.09
of being the Pine
Forge Academy men or women.
00:24:55.12\00:24:58.39
So it was a spectacular weekend,
00:24:58.43\00:25:01.00
gala, choir singing,
00:25:01.03\00:25:03.40
the kids had a great time
and so did all the alumni.
00:25:03.47\00:25:06.07
Oh, that is so great.
00:25:06.10\00:25:08.27
Well, let's take a look
at, let's go back in history.
00:25:08.30\00:25:11.44
The first student
body, tell us about this.
00:25:11.47\00:25:14.28
This picture is taken outside
of our very own Manor House.
00:25:14.31\00:25:20.52
The Manor House as
I mentioned earlier is
00:25:20.55\00:25:22.62
about 300 years old.
00:25:22.65\00:25:24.29
Wow!
00:25:24.32\00:25:25.65
And it was there
from Thomas Rudder
00:25:25.69\00:25:27.89
and from William Penn.
00:25:27.92\00:25:29.96
So here are all of the students
00:25:30.03\00:25:32.83
that trekked
throughout the nation
00:25:32.86\00:25:34.93
to be among the first
students at Pine Forge Academy.
00:25:34.96\00:25:38.33
What's important
about this picture
00:25:38.37\00:25:39.70
that you can't
see, is behind it,
00:25:39.73\00:25:41.77
is the Pine Forge bell.
00:25:41.80\00:25:43.77
They will ring the bell
00:25:43.81\00:25:45.34
like we're ringing
our bells mechanically now
00:25:45.37\00:25:48.08
to symbol the
beginning of the day,
00:25:48.11\00:25:49.78
the end of the day, but
also for really fun events.
00:25:49.81\00:25:52.88
So when, when the
choir came back from a trip,
00:25:52.91\00:25:55.62
they had to ring the bell.
00:25:55.65\00:25:56.99
Decades later,
when the basketball team
00:25:57.05\00:25:58.95
would have a
success or a great game,
00:25:58.99\00:26:01.56
they would ring the bell.
00:26:01.59\00:26:02.92
The bell became the icon
of excitement on the campus.
00:26:02.96\00:26:07.03
It also became the icon of
commencement in graduation.
00:26:07.03\00:26:11.30
So before the students
00:26:11.33\00:26:12.77
would actually
take that last walk,
00:26:12.80\00:26:15.27
as you know, up the hill,
00:26:15.30\00:26:17.71
they would ring that
bell on graduation day,
00:26:17.74\00:26:20.41
and walk up to
our main building,
00:26:20.48\00:26:22.18
Wagner Hall,
00:26:22.21\00:26:23.55
symbolizing the end of
their Pine Forge career.
00:26:23.58\00:26:25.75
Oh, nice, nice.
00:26:25.78\00:26:28.32
We have a
picture of a graduation
00:26:28.35\00:26:30.59
that took place.
00:26:30.62\00:26:31.95
Now what graduation is this?
00:26:31.99\00:26:33.46
You know, I
can't candidly remember
00:26:33.49\00:26:35.46
which one it is
but the reason why
00:26:35.49\00:26:37.23
that photo is so important is
00:26:37.26\00:26:39.26
because those
early commencements were
00:26:39.29\00:26:41.63
at Wagner Hall.
00:26:41.66\00:26:43.10
The significance of Wagner Hall
is that the faculty, the staff,
00:26:43.13\00:26:47.00
the students, many supporting,
supporters of the Academy
00:26:47.04\00:26:50.67
actually built the structure.
00:26:50.71\00:26:52.91
They built the structure...
00:26:52.94\00:26:54.44
The students and the faculty?
Yes, they did. Yes, they did.
00:26:54.48\00:26:57.41
The Pine Forge Academy is known
00:26:57.45\00:26:59.28
for having an
Industrial Arts program.
00:26:59.31\00:27:01.72
And so the
walkways on the campus
00:27:01.75\00:27:03.62
and some of the buildings,
that one in particular,
00:27:03.65\00:27:06.05
the students had a hand
in actually constructing,
00:27:06.09\00:27:09.22
and so at that
particular commencement,
00:27:09.26\00:27:11.36
it was the year
00:27:11.39\00:27:12.73
that the students
were able to construct it,
00:27:12.76\00:27:14.50
it's videotaped
00:27:14.56\00:27:15.86
and they were able
to etch their names
00:27:15.90\00:27:17.47
on secret parts of the building,
00:27:17.50\00:27:21.00
to commemorate the fact that
00:27:21.04\00:27:22.54
they literally helped
bring their campus to life.
00:27:22.57\00:27:25.44
Wow, so is there still
an Industrial Arts program
00:27:25.47\00:27:28.64
at Pine Forge?
00:27:28.68\00:27:30.05
There is, there is.
00:27:30.08\00:27:31.71
Part of our strategic
efforts going forward is
00:27:31.75\00:27:34.02
actually to
reshape and revitalize
00:27:34.05\00:27:36.25
that in two ways.
00:27:36.28\00:27:37.99
Number one, we intend
to bring back our garden
00:27:38.02\00:27:41.66
and our apple orchards.
00:27:41.69\00:27:43.63
We are blessed to
have received a USTA grant
00:27:43.66\00:27:46.73
that will allow us to do that.
00:27:46.80\00:27:48.56
And so we pile it at our
garden in the previous summer
00:27:48.60\00:27:52.90
and we had wonderful
results, great zucchini bread,
00:27:52.93\00:27:55.24
I should have brought you some.
00:27:55.27\00:27:56.60
Oh, wow!
00:27:56.67\00:27:58.71
And now in this upcoming summer,
00:27:58.74\00:28:00.61
we'll be transitioning
to fully outline our garden
00:28:00.64\00:28:04.18
and our apple orchards.
00:28:04.21\00:28:05.98
That is tremendous.
00:28:06.01\00:28:07.98
We have a, a graphic of
the mission of the school.
00:28:08.02\00:28:11.82
Let's put that up.
00:28:11.85\00:28:13.19
What is the
mission of the school?
00:28:13.22\00:28:15.06
Simply put, the mission
at Pine Forge Academy is
00:28:15.09\00:28:17.46
to prepare students
spiritually, academically,
00:28:17.49\00:28:20.76
socially,
physically, emotionally,
00:28:20.83\00:28:23.67
for service to God and to man.
00:28:23.70\00:28:26.30
That encapsulates it
all. And that's true.
00:28:26.33\00:28:29.67
I mean, when you think about it,
00:28:29.70\00:28:31.07
it's all about service.
00:28:31.11\00:28:32.44
Absolutely.
00:28:32.47\00:28:33.81
Service to God and
man, that's beautiful.
00:28:33.88\00:28:36.31
You have some
very impressive alumni.
00:28:36.34\00:28:39.58
One of them spoke
recently at, at your graduation,
00:28:39.61\00:28:43.79
tell us about that.
00:28:43.82\00:28:45.22
So the Pine Forge Academy
graduate, I have to say it,
00:28:45.25\00:28:48.39
I've never heard of
a school like this one.
00:28:48.42\00:28:51.03
Really and truly,
00:28:51.06\00:28:52.46
every Pine Forge
graduate has gone on to do
00:28:52.49\00:28:54.63
amazing things.
00:28:54.66\00:28:56.00
And so we're blessed
00:28:56.03\00:28:57.37
that among so many of
our outstanding graduates,
00:28:57.43\00:29:00.17
we do have a Senate chaplain,
00:29:00.20\00:29:02.54
Barry Black, as one of them.
00:29:02.57\00:29:04.37
He was a member
of the class of 1966.
00:29:04.41\00:29:07.94
So during our 70th
anniversary celebrations,
00:29:07.98\00:29:10.81
his class was having
their 50th class anniversary.
00:29:10.88\00:29:14.15
Oh, nice.
00:29:14.18\00:29:15.52
This class is really well noted.
00:29:15.55\00:29:17.55
Primarily, because this
was the class coming of age
00:29:17.62\00:29:20.99
during the Lyndon B. Johnson era
00:29:21.02\00:29:22.89
and administration.
00:29:22.92\00:29:24.26
So, many of them
received funding to go on,
00:29:24.29\00:29:27.03
to receive college degrees
as well as advanced degrees.
00:29:27.03\00:29:31.60
This class has doctorates,
and doctors, medical doctors,
00:29:31.63\00:29:36.57
engineers, and
lawyers, corporate executives,
00:29:36.60\00:29:40.08
and so forth.
00:29:40.11\00:29:41.44
And so, at our
alumni weekend festivities
00:29:41.48\00:29:44.38
where Barry Black also spoke,
00:29:44.41\00:29:46.45
we happened to have
one of the daughters
00:29:46.48\00:29:48.58
of Lyndon B. Johnson,
00:29:48.62\00:29:50.49
coming out to pay homage
00:29:50.52\00:29:52.32
to the class of 1966 for
their amazing achievements
00:29:52.35\00:29:56.32
and for fulfilling her
father's hopes and dreams
00:29:56.36\00:30:00.03
as he led and
initiated so much of the efforts
00:30:00.10\00:30:03.53
that they were
able to benefit from.
00:30:03.57\00:30:05.30
Right, because he
signed the Civil Rights act.
00:30:05.33\00:30:06.84
That's right.
00:30:06.90\00:30:08.24
Isn't that
something, so she came...
00:30:08.27\00:30:10.67
She did.
00:30:10.71\00:30:12.04
To see there was Lady Bird,
who was the wife, was it Linda?
00:30:12.07\00:30:16.54
Yes, it was. Okay, all right.
00:30:16.58\00:30:19.01
And so she came and she
gave a congratulatory speech.
00:30:19.05\00:30:22.62
She did, she gave a
speech, she took pictures,
00:30:22.65\00:30:25.29
she was in all the entire event
00:30:25.32\00:30:27.69
and we're looking for her
to spending sometime with her
00:30:27.72\00:30:29.66
in the upcoming year.
00:30:29.69\00:30:31.03
Nice, nice.
00:30:31.06\00:30:32.39
What do you see as
the goals of Pine Forge?
00:30:32.43\00:30:38.10
Where do you want it to go?
00:30:38.13\00:30:40.27
Yeah.
00:30:40.30\00:30:41.64
We have five key
elements to our strategic plan.
00:30:41.67\00:30:44.81
The first is we
always want to preserve
00:30:44.84\00:30:47.01
the spiritual
culture of the Academy.
00:30:47.04\00:30:49.38
Christ is the center
of everything that we do,
00:30:49.41\00:30:51.81
and so every single
event, activity, interaction,
00:30:51.85\00:30:56.22
must exude Christ first.
00:30:56.25\00:30:58.12
So it's important
for us to maintain
00:30:58.15\00:31:00.16
the integrity of that,
00:31:00.19\00:31:01.52
especially in this day and age.
00:31:01.56\00:31:03.63
We do want to continue to
have a college ready curriculum,
00:31:03.66\00:31:08.40
honor classes, AP classes,
dual credit with Andrews,
00:31:08.43\00:31:12.20
with the local
community college.
00:31:12.23\00:31:13.90
It's important to us.
00:31:13.94\00:31:15.27
We have our
students take the ACT Aspire
00:31:15.30\00:31:18.31
multiple times
in the school years,
00:31:18.34\00:31:19.87
so we can asses their learning.
00:31:19.91\00:31:21.51
And then as teachers,
re-teach what they don't know
00:31:21.54\00:31:24.51
or what they need to
know in order to prepare them
00:31:24.55\00:31:27.48
for that college rigor.
00:31:27.52\00:31:30.15
Let me just tell
you something. Sure.
00:31:30.19\00:31:31.52
When, and we'll come,
we'll come to number three
00:31:31.55\00:31:34.02
but when they
come to Pine Forge,
00:31:34.06\00:31:37.49
sometimes if
they're academically
00:31:37.53\00:31:39.63
not up to par,
00:31:39.66\00:31:41.36
what do you do to
bring them up to that level?
00:31:41.40\00:31:44.10
A whole host of things.
00:31:44.13\00:31:45.47
So the first thing
we do is we test them
00:31:45.50\00:31:46.87
at the very beginning.
00:31:46.90\00:31:48.24
And we test them
against the ACT College writing
00:31:48.27\00:31:50.24
standards for their grade level.
00:31:50.27\00:31:51.61
So you establish a
baseline to see where they are?
00:31:51.64\00:31:53.17
Absolutely, absolutely.
00:31:53.21\00:31:55.31
And then in the last two
years, the teachers have,
00:31:55.34\00:31:58.61
begin to work together
and what we call data teams,
00:31:58.65\00:32:01.62
and we use the
teams to assess the data.
00:32:01.65\00:32:04.39
How are our
students doing on the skills?
00:32:04.42\00:32:06.76
Where do we need remediation?
00:32:06.79\00:32:08.46
Where do we need advanced work?
00:32:08.49\00:32:10.06
We look at the
class holistically
00:32:10.13\00:32:11.99
and we look at
students individually.
00:32:12.03\00:32:13.90
And then we change our teaching.
00:32:13.93\00:32:15.83
It's that simple.
00:32:15.86\00:32:17.43
We adjust our
teaching to meet the needs
00:32:17.47\00:32:20.40
that we see in the data.
00:32:20.44\00:32:22.57
See, that's tremendous.
00:32:22.60\00:32:23.97
And you're able to
do that for the students
00:32:24.01\00:32:26.84
who are just a little bit
below grade level or something,
00:32:26.88\00:32:30.21
to help to bring
them up to grade level.
00:32:30.25\00:32:32.18
And the, the aim
is actually to do it
00:32:32.21\00:32:33.92
for both ends of the spectrum.
00:32:33.98\00:32:35.62
Our kids who are easily bored,
who get things right away,
00:32:35.65\00:32:39.92
who need a
challenge, our goal and desire
00:32:39.95\00:32:43.16
is to create a
customized experience
00:32:43.19\00:32:45.83
that meets the needs of
each bracket of student.
00:32:45.86\00:32:49.46
Wow, so how do you do that?
00:32:49.50\00:32:52.77
How does the teacher do that?
00:32:52.80\00:32:54.17
If you have 15 students
in the class and this is,
00:32:54.20\00:32:58.17
this is your basic class work,
00:32:58.21\00:33:01.48
how do you help the
student that is above or below?
00:33:01.51\00:33:04.91
Planning.
00:33:04.95\00:33:06.72
Quite a bit of planning.
00:33:06.75\00:33:08.82
And so one of
the things that we do
00:33:08.85\00:33:10.72
is spend an
enormous amount of time
00:33:10.79\00:33:13.99
creating our assessments,
00:33:14.06\00:33:15.62
creating our rubrics,
00:33:15.66\00:33:17.36
thinking about our lesson plans,
00:33:17.43\00:33:19.16
we have what we called a
Dean of Instruction on staff.
00:33:19.19\00:33:22.06
She meets with
teachers individually
00:33:22.10\00:33:23.93
and coaches
teachers through experiences.
00:33:23.97\00:33:26.53
We actually videotape lessons
00:33:26.57\00:33:28.47
and watch them not
for student behavior
00:33:28.50\00:33:31.51
but to see what
can the teacher do
00:33:31.54\00:33:33.44
a little bit differently
00:33:33.48\00:33:34.81
to meet the needs of the student
00:33:34.84\00:33:36.71
in the classroom.
00:33:36.75\00:33:38.08
So we use the whole
host of best practices
00:33:38.11\00:33:40.42
that are focused on
quality and effective pedagogy.
00:33:40.48\00:33:44.59
This is, this is so wonderful.
00:33:44.62\00:33:47.72
If I had, my kids are
up and out, obviously.
00:33:47.76\00:33:51.43
I have grandchildren,
I have a grandchild
00:33:51.46\00:33:53.46
now that I want to come
there and this is an amazing...
00:33:53.50\00:33:59.27
It's amazing work you're doing,
praise the Lord, it's amazing.
00:33:59.30\00:34:02.27
So we got to number
three in the strategy.
00:34:02.30\00:34:06.17
The first is that
it's Christ-centered.
00:34:06.21\00:34:07.84
Absolutely.
00:34:07.88\00:34:09.21
Right, give us the
second, and the third...
00:34:09.24\00:34:11.31
The second has strong academics
00:34:11.35\00:34:13.11
for career and
college readiness.
00:34:13.15\00:34:15.45
And the third is talent.
00:34:15.48\00:34:17.59
Talent. Talent.
00:34:17.62\00:34:18.95
So, great teachers
create a wonderful environment
00:34:18.99\00:34:23.12
that produces great kids.
00:34:23.16\00:34:25.03
And so our goal
is to always nurture,
00:34:25.06\00:34:28.26
provide
professional development,
00:34:28.30\00:34:29.76
support, booster,
00:34:29.80\00:34:32.67
encourage our
faculty and our staff,
00:34:32.70\00:34:35.60
especially in a
boarding environment
00:34:35.64\00:34:37.57
where they literally do it all.
00:34:37.61\00:34:40.48
Yes.
00:34:40.54\00:34:41.88
In the interview
process, we say, "Okay,
00:34:41.91\00:34:43.35
get ready to be a mom or dad.
00:34:43.41\00:34:45.75
Get ready to be a bus driver.
00:34:45.78\00:34:47.68
Get ready to be
a carpool leader.
00:34:47.72\00:34:49.55
Get ready to be a club leader.
00:34:49.58\00:34:51.49
Oh, by the way, you're
probably coaching us a sport."
00:34:51.52\00:34:54.52
There is so many acts that
faculty and staff, they were,
00:34:54.56\00:34:59.23
and I'm always amazed at them
00:34:59.26\00:35:02.00
and I try to say, thank you,
00:35:02.03\00:35:03.87
and I probably need to
say, thank you, even more
00:35:03.90\00:35:06.00
because they do so
much, they do so much.
00:35:06.03\00:35:08.07
Tell us about your faculty.
00:35:08.10\00:35:09.90
They are amazing. I love them.
00:35:09.94\00:35:11.47
Quite candidly.
00:35:11.51\00:35:13.01
Couldn't ask
for more reflective,
00:35:13.04\00:35:15.84
honest, communicative,
00:35:15.88\00:35:18.01
passionate set of
adults who put Christ first
00:35:18.05\00:35:21.98
and want the best for the kids.
00:35:22.02\00:35:24.29
We have a whole host of
different personalities.
00:35:24.32\00:35:27.16
Mr. Fielder,
take it for example,
00:35:27.19\00:35:28.56
he's our vice principal,
he's been there for 30 years.
00:35:28.59\00:35:32.03
All four of his children
have gone through the Academy
00:35:32.06\00:35:35.16
and many people
watching who know him,
00:35:35.20\00:35:37.37
will know him as Coach Fielder.
00:35:37.43\00:35:38.97
Because he was the first
00:35:39.00\00:35:40.34
to bring
athletics to the school.
00:35:40.40\00:35:42.80
The students in the
beginning would play
00:35:42.84\00:35:44.71
with the church
league and now they play
00:35:44.74\00:35:46.88
with the local
high school inter,
00:35:46.94\00:35:49.04
scholastically,
00:35:49.08\00:35:50.41
under the current
athletic director,
00:35:50.45\00:35:52.15
Eric Cantrell.
00:35:52.18\00:35:53.88
Another personality
of source is Miss Wilson,
00:35:53.92\00:35:56.48
it's Vanessa Wilson.
00:35:56.52\00:35:57.85
She's our History teacher
and she brings history to life.
00:35:57.89\00:36:02.16
Most recently the students did
00:36:02.19\00:36:03.79
a reenactment of
the underground railroad
00:36:03.86\00:36:06.83
at the Manor
House and videotaped it.
00:36:06.86\00:36:09.46
Another personality,
Dr. Andrew Marshall,
00:36:09.50\00:36:12.47
he hails from
Jamaica, West Indies,
00:36:12.50\00:36:14.67
and he's our choir director.
00:36:14.70\00:36:16.34
And he does a fantastic job
00:36:16.37\00:36:19.34
of not just
creating a quality sound
00:36:19.37\00:36:22.18
but including band
and orchestra music.
00:36:22.21\00:36:25.51
So you have a
well rounded experience
00:36:25.55\00:36:28.35
when you go to
a Pine Forge choir
00:36:28.38\00:36:30.49
and everyone else
is going to be upset
00:36:30.52\00:36:32.19
that I didn't call them by name.
00:36:32.22\00:36:34.49
I know, I've put you
in a really bad spot.
00:36:34.52\00:36:36.46
It doesn't mean that they're
not doing a fabulous job.
00:36:36.49\00:36:38.63
No, they're doing a great job.
00:36:38.66\00:36:40.00
You just picked a few,
00:36:40.03\00:36:41.33
you just picked a
few from, that's great.
00:36:41.36\00:36:43.73
That is so
great because, really,
00:36:43.77\00:36:46.74
in order to be there
00:36:46.80\00:36:48.47
and to do that
job, it's a calling.
00:36:48.50\00:36:51.01
It is. It's not just a job.
00:36:51.04\00:36:52.87
Oh, no.
00:36:52.91\00:36:54.24
It's a, it has to be,
00:36:54.28\00:36:55.61
because you are
wearing so many different hats.
00:36:55.64\00:36:57.61
You are the counselor,
mom and dad aren't there,
00:36:57.65\00:37:00.15
and these are young kids.
00:37:00.18\00:37:01.72
So they need
somebody to talk to,
00:37:01.75\00:37:03.82
they need all of that,
00:37:03.85\00:37:05.19
the counsel, but
also the shaping,
00:37:05.22\00:37:07.79
the sculpting into
tomorrow's leaders.
00:37:07.82\00:37:12.06
Absolutely.
00:37:12.09\00:37:13.43
And our deans do a
wonderful job at that
00:37:13.46\00:37:15.93
because they are the
moms and dads of the campus
00:37:15.96\00:37:18.37
and so everything from having
worship experiences in the dorm
00:37:18.40\00:37:22.84
that are catering
to an immediate need,
00:37:22.87\00:37:25.14
something that they're sensing
00:37:25.17\00:37:26.91
on the pulse of
what the students
00:37:26.98\00:37:28.31
are feeling or thinking,
00:37:28.34\00:37:29.68
to walking the
hallways and making sure
00:37:29.71\00:37:31.48
that someone
has on their blazer.
00:37:31.51\00:37:33.95
They literally are the
mom and the dad of the campus.
00:37:34.02\00:37:38.02
We have a picture of
some of today's students
00:37:38.05\00:37:40.46
and them in their sweaters,
00:37:40.49\00:37:42.36
and their blazers, and all that.
00:37:42.39\00:37:44.43
Let's show that.
00:37:44.46\00:37:46.46
Look at that. Yeah.
00:37:46.49\00:37:47.83
So this is actually a
photo from our graduating class,
00:37:47.86\00:37:50.93
the most recent graduating.
00:37:50.97\00:37:52.30
Okay. The class of 2016.
00:37:52.33\00:37:54.00
Okay.
00:37:54.04\00:37:55.37
And this class continued
that heritage and legacy
00:37:55.40\00:37:58.44
of 100% college acceptance
00:37:58.47\00:38:01.11
and so they were accepted
to a whole host of colleges,
00:38:01.14\00:38:04.28
Oakwood, Southern,
New York University,
00:38:04.31\00:38:07.48
Cornell University, Hampton,
00:38:07.55\00:38:10.05
I can't begin to
name all of them.
00:38:10.12\00:38:13.29
And so we're excited by their
success and their achievement.
00:38:13.32\00:38:16.42
It's a 100%.
00:38:16.46\00:38:17.79
A 100% acceptance
to college, a 100%.
00:38:17.83\00:38:20.93
And this is, this
is a Pine Forge legacy
00:38:20.96\00:38:22.83
that I walked into.
00:38:22.86\00:38:24.20
So it's just an honor
00:38:24.27\00:38:25.60
to be a part of the
legacy of Pine Forge, 100%.
00:38:25.63\00:38:29.10
100%.
00:38:29.14\00:38:30.71
Tell us some stories
of some of the students
00:38:30.74\00:38:32.87
that have gone to Pine
Forge and, and their successes.
00:38:32.91\00:38:37.18
Oh, there are so many.
00:38:37.25\00:38:38.58
Our students have gone on to
do a tremendous number of things
00:38:38.61\00:38:42.02
and from our students
who recently graduated,
00:38:42.05\00:38:44.65
who have developed
apps for smart phones,
00:38:44.69\00:38:48.16
who are now marketing
themselves as a brand,
00:38:48.19\00:38:51.66
creating their own
entrepreneur opportunities,
00:38:51.69\00:38:54.60
who have become journalists
00:38:54.63\00:38:56.36
or photo journalists
developing their websites,
00:38:56.40\00:38:59.70
who've, have gone on to places
that may not be Adventist,
00:38:59.73\00:39:02.94
let's say,
Morehouse and Spelman,
00:39:02.97\00:39:04.54
and they're winning
competitions for singing,
00:39:04.57\00:39:08.18
for performing, for writing,
they achieve a great deal,
00:39:08.21\00:39:11.95
our recent graduates.
00:39:11.98\00:39:13.95
And some of our
not so recent graduates
00:39:13.98\00:39:16.72
are equally well known
00:39:16.75\00:39:18.09
in our leading churches,
conferences, and schools,
00:39:18.12\00:39:22.32
most knowably is
Pastor Myron Edmonds.
00:39:22.36\00:39:25.09
In this area, he
participated in our commencement
00:39:25.13\00:39:28.63
just the year previous.
00:39:28.66\00:39:30.67
And he is doing
an outstanding work
00:39:30.70\00:39:33.34
in the Ohio region.
00:39:33.37\00:39:34.70
So they're doing well.
00:39:34.74\00:39:36.91
Yeah, you know...
00:39:36.94\00:39:38.27
They're doing well.
00:39:38.31\00:39:39.64
Again, it's beyond academics.
00:39:39.67\00:39:41.94
It is. It's just
beyond academics.
00:39:41.98\00:39:44.28
It's the whole legacy
that that school creates
00:39:44.31\00:39:48.68
by the grace of God,
00:39:48.72\00:39:50.42
because again,
it's Christ-centered.
00:39:50.49\00:39:52.45
It is Christ-centered. It is.
00:39:52.49\00:39:54.46
So what would you
say to that parent
00:39:54.49\00:39:56.93
who has been thinking
about putting their child
00:39:56.96\00:40:00.63
in a Christian school
00:40:00.70\00:40:02.20
but it's just not there?
00:40:02.23\00:40:04.73
Talk into that camera,
00:40:04.77\00:40:07.70
and talk to that
parent that's thinking
00:40:07.74\00:40:10.47
about putting their
child into Pine Forge.
00:40:10.51\00:40:14.04
So one of the things I'd
share with that parent is,
00:40:14.08\00:40:16.95
that initial fear
or anxiety you may feel
00:40:17.01\00:40:20.78
when it comes to
relinquishing your child,
00:40:20.82\00:40:23.25
give that over to Christ.
00:40:23.28\00:40:25.82
Because that fear and
that anxiety is unwanted
00:40:25.85\00:40:31.23
because the
boarding school environment
00:40:31.26\00:40:33.66
is where the
child is cultivated,
00:40:33.70\00:40:37.10
where the character is refined,
where the mind is sharpened,
00:40:37.13\00:40:41.77
and partly so,
00:40:41.80\00:40:43.37
because the
child is leaving home.
00:40:43.44\00:40:45.84
And I know that sounds crazy
00:40:45.87\00:40:47.44
and you feel as if
00:40:47.51\00:40:48.84
you'll never be able
to have that interaction
00:40:48.88\00:40:50.41
with your
child, that's not true.
00:40:50.48\00:40:52.35
You'll be there
every step of the way,
00:40:52.38\00:40:55.12
but by allowing them to
go to a boarding school,
00:40:55.15\00:40:57.52
you give them a
headstart on life.
00:40:57.55\00:41:00.36
They're like a
Joseph, they're like a Moses,
00:41:00.39\00:41:03.26
going out into an experience
00:41:03.29\00:41:05.23
where they'll be
cultivated carefully by Christ,
00:41:05.26\00:41:09.40
to exhibit characteristics
that their peers won't have,
00:41:09.43\00:41:13.74
because they wouldn't
have had that experience.
00:41:13.80\00:41:16.14
So to family members,
I'd say, let go of the fear.
00:41:16.17\00:41:20.54
You can trust
us and in so doing,
00:41:20.58\00:41:23.61
you're giving your child
something that no other school,
00:41:23.65\00:41:27.88
no other
experience can give them.
00:41:27.92\00:41:30.75
An opportunity to grow
in Christ, to be refined,
00:41:30.79\00:41:35.02
to learn at high levels,
00:41:35.06\00:41:37.09
and to learn how to
be an independent leader.
00:41:37.13\00:41:40.40
You can only do that in a
Christian boarding school.
00:41:40.46\00:41:43.03
That is great, that is great.
00:41:43.06\00:41:46.87
What is for you,
00:41:46.90\00:41:50.07
when you, when you
go out every morning
00:41:50.14\00:41:53.51
and you sit in that chair,
00:41:53.54\00:41:57.58
what, what are
some of the feelings
00:41:57.61\00:41:59.81
that you get everyday
as you're at Pine Forge?
00:41:59.85\00:42:02.62
I'm excited.
00:42:02.65\00:42:04.39
I'm always excited
about what God can do
00:42:04.42\00:42:06.79
and what He's already doing.
00:42:06.86\00:42:08.62
Pine Forge Academy
has had so many blessings
00:42:08.66\00:42:11.36
in the last two
and a half years,
00:42:11.39\00:42:13.90
from the USTA.
grant that I shared,
00:42:13.93\00:42:16.30
to a very successful
00:42:16.33\00:42:17.77
National Pine Forge Academy
Alumni Association Campaign,
00:42:17.80\00:42:21.47
that will bring $270,000
00:42:21.50\00:42:24.61
worth of
renovations to the campus.
00:42:24.64\00:42:27.44
And most notably, you
are the first to know,
00:42:27.48\00:42:30.01
so we're kind of
announcing it on your show.
00:42:30.05\00:42:32.38
Oh, yeah.
00:42:32.41\00:42:33.78
A partnership with one
of our local companies,
00:42:33.82\00:42:35.92
TE Connectivity,
00:42:35.95\00:42:37.29
where they have pledged a
$50,000 grant to the Academy
00:42:37.35\00:42:41.62
to create a TE
Stem Space for Robotics
00:42:41.66\00:42:46.06
and for
Engineering on the campus.
00:42:46.09\00:42:48.16
Wonderful.
00:42:48.20\00:42:49.53
It's exciting news, or the
fact that in less than a year,
00:42:49.56\00:42:53.87
in the upcoming school year,
00:42:53.90\00:42:55.34
we'll be able to
have our organic garden
00:42:55.37\00:42:57.87
and our students
will be able to learn
00:42:57.91\00:43:00.11
the benefits of working the land
00:43:00.18\00:43:02.14
and get us back a little bit
to our traditional EGY routes,
00:43:02.18\00:43:05.91
when it comes to
industry for our students,
00:43:05.95\00:43:09.02
that makes me
excited to go to work.
00:43:09.05\00:43:13.46
Absolutely.
00:43:13.49\00:43:14.82
Because those
things are exciting
00:43:14.86\00:43:17.06
in and of themselves.
00:43:17.13\00:43:18.46
But the fact that our
students will benefit from that
00:43:18.49\00:43:22.50
and they'll be
stretched, and they'll grow,
00:43:22.53\00:43:25.30
and then here is the kicker,
00:43:25.33\00:43:27.20
that exposure
00:43:27.24\00:43:28.90
will help them become
their ultimate best selves,
00:43:28.94\00:43:31.91
that makes me even more excited.
00:43:31.94\00:43:35.54
Oh, that's so great.
00:43:35.58\00:43:37.01
So, so let's
come back to you again
00:43:37.05\00:43:40.22
because this whole idea
of, you know, your excitement,
00:43:40.28\00:43:45.02
your passion about
these young people,
00:43:45.05\00:43:47.66
it so shows,
00:43:47.69\00:43:49.02
when I brought my
granddaughter to meet you,
00:43:49.06\00:43:51.86
you were just so personal
00:43:51.89\00:43:53.96
and so real and just
so lovely toward her.
00:43:54.00\00:43:57.20
And I just feel
like this is the person
00:43:57.23\00:44:00.07
that needs to be
sitting in that chair.
00:44:00.14\00:44:02.30
This is a calling,
it's so obvious to me
00:44:02.34\00:44:05.27
that you were called
to do what you're doing.
00:44:05.31\00:44:07.98
How did you get to Pine
Forge from being, you know,
00:44:08.01\00:44:13.35
just teaching,
how did you get there?
00:44:13.42\00:44:15.52
Well, what I will say
before I answer that is,
00:44:15.55\00:44:18.35
that's actually one of
the toughest parts of the job,
00:44:18.39\00:44:20.99
is because when you're a
headmaster or a principal,
00:44:21.02\00:44:23.19
you actually spend most
of your time with adults
00:44:23.22\00:44:25.79
and I love them,
to death, it's great.
00:44:25.83\00:44:28.36
But sometimes you miss
that classroom interaction,
00:44:28.40\00:44:31.07
so I walk down
the hall and I'm like,
00:44:31.10\00:44:32.90
"Hi, honey, how is
it going, sweetheart?"
00:44:32.93\00:44:35.04
And the kids are like,
00:44:35.07\00:44:36.40
"Why is she so happy
to see us in the hallway?"
00:44:36.44\00:44:39.44
It's because I
miss that interaction
00:44:39.47\00:44:42.64
because as a headmistress,
00:44:42.68\00:44:44.65
you spend most of your
day working with adults
00:44:44.68\00:44:46.72
which is great too.
00:44:46.78\00:44:48.12
But back to
your point, you know,
00:44:48.15\00:44:49.72
literally the Lord spoke to me
00:44:49.75\00:44:51.42
and I'm not saying
that in a facetious way,
00:44:51.45\00:44:54.62
I mean with all candor.
00:44:54.66\00:44:56.02
I was a principal in
Trent, in New Jersey,
00:44:56.06\00:44:59.23
at a Charter high
school that I had founded.
00:44:59.26\00:45:02.00
And I'd been at
that school for about
00:45:02.03\00:45:03.47
four and a half, five years.
00:45:03.50\00:45:05.17
And I felt on
one particular day,
00:45:05.20\00:45:07.27
restless in my spirit,
00:45:07.34\00:45:09.37
so much so that I felt
the Holy Spirit saying,
00:45:09.40\00:45:11.74
"Go home."
00:45:11.77\00:45:13.11
And it was a summer,
00:45:13.14\00:45:14.48
so there were no
kids on the campus.
00:45:14.51\00:45:15.84
I went home.
00:45:15.88\00:45:17.25
I left Trent and
drove all the way to my home
00:45:17.28\00:45:18.91
in Philadelphia.
00:45:18.95\00:45:20.32
And I had been reading
a fictionalized account
00:45:20.35\00:45:22.55
of Joseph at the time.
00:45:22.58\00:45:24.19
And I plopped onto the couch
00:45:24.22\00:45:25.95
and I started reading it
and the Holy Spirit said,
00:45:25.99\00:45:27.76
"No, I want you to
spend time with me.
00:45:27.79\00:45:29.72
I want you to pray."
00:45:29.76\00:45:31.39
And so I
immediately began to pray.
00:45:31.43\00:45:34.63
And this particular prayer,
00:45:34.66\00:45:36.00
I guess, made me
feel a little sleepy
00:45:36.03\00:45:37.37
because I feel the sleep.
00:45:37.43\00:45:40.14
And two hours
literally to the dot later,
00:45:40.20\00:45:43.61
a girlfriend
called and woke me up.
00:45:43.67\00:45:45.71
I said, "Hi."
00:45:45.74\00:45:47.08
She said, "I'm
thinking about you
00:45:47.14\00:45:48.48
and I felt
impressed to call you.
00:45:48.51\00:45:50.31
Do you know that
Pine Forge Academy
00:45:50.35\00:45:51.78
is looking for a principal?"
00:45:51.81\00:45:53.72
I said, "No, I
didn't know that."
00:45:53.78\00:45:55.82
And after we got
off the phone, I said,
00:45:55.85\00:45:57.45
"Is that why you
disturbed my spirit, Lord?
00:45:57.49\00:46:01.02
Is that why you sent
me home early, Lord?"
00:46:01.06\00:46:04.36
And I prayed about it
00:46:04.39\00:46:05.93
and the overwhelming
peace of mind that came to me,
00:46:05.96\00:46:10.27
I knew right away.
00:46:10.30\00:46:11.67
So I went back to work
the next day, thankfully,
00:46:11.70\00:46:14.27
it was a summer and I
said, "This is so unorthodox,
00:46:14.30\00:46:18.41
and I don't want to feel like
00:46:18.44\00:46:20.18
I'm leaving the
school at a lurch.
00:46:20.21\00:46:21.94
I've trained
these vice principals
00:46:21.98\00:46:23.95
to take my place
if I'm ever to leave.
00:46:23.98\00:46:26.82
And I feel that
God's calling me to leave."
00:46:26.85\00:46:30.12
Now the
interesting part about that is
00:46:30.19\00:46:31.99
I had met superintendent
Den, love her, she's awesome.
00:46:32.02\00:46:35.06
How is she? She is awesome.
00:46:35.09\00:46:36.42
She and I went to
Oakwood together, so...
00:46:36.46\00:46:37.93
So you know her? She is awesome.
00:46:37.96\00:46:39.39
Oh, I know her.
She is wonderful.
00:46:39.43\00:46:40.80
I had met her through
another school project,
00:46:40.83\00:46:42.53
unrelated, few months previous.
00:46:42.56\00:46:45.93
And I found out, after I applied
00:46:45.97\00:46:48.64
and earned the position
or received the position,
00:46:48.67\00:46:52.11
that when she saw my name
00:46:52.14\00:46:54.34
come through
with the application,
00:46:54.38\00:46:56.85
she and a few colleagues
began to walk the school
00:46:56.91\00:47:00.35
at Pine Forge seven times a day,
00:47:00.38\00:47:03.62
praying that the
Lord would send me,
00:47:03.65\00:47:06.62
move on my heart and
send me to the Academy.
00:47:06.65\00:47:11.63
She already knew you.
00:47:11.66\00:47:12.99
She had known me
from one brief interaction
00:47:13.03\00:47:16.46
with another
Adventist school project
00:47:16.50\00:47:18.77
in the city of Philadelphia.
00:47:18.80\00:47:20.74
And the Lord had impressed
00:47:20.77\00:47:22.10
and prayed that
this girl will come,
00:47:22.14\00:47:24.74
and can you, can you...
00:47:24.77\00:47:26.34
It literally...
I can't even speak.
00:47:26.37\00:47:28.38
it literally gives me
shivers to think about that.
00:47:28.41\00:47:32.28
It, it just gives me...
00:47:32.31\00:47:33.65
That's how I
ended up at Pine Forge.
00:47:33.72\00:47:35.18
Walking around the
school and praying,
00:47:35.22\00:47:38.62
walking around seven times.
00:47:38.65\00:47:39.99
And praying, seven
times, seven times.
00:47:40.06\00:47:42.52
She said, when my application
came through, she said,
00:47:42.56\00:47:44.66
"Is this whom
you're sending, Lord?"
00:47:44.69\00:47:46.70
And she prayed.
00:47:46.73\00:47:48.03
And as she was
praying, I was answering prayer.
00:47:48.06\00:47:51.63
I didn't think about Pine
Forge until the Lord said,
00:47:51.67\00:47:54.14
"It's, it's time to go.
00:47:54.20\00:47:56.10
It's time to go."
00:47:56.14\00:47:57.81
Wow! What a great story!
00:47:57.84\00:48:00.41
What a great story!
00:48:00.44\00:48:01.78
So how long have you been there?
00:48:01.81\00:48:04.11
Two and a half years now, yes.
00:48:04.18\00:48:06.38
You are outstanding
and, and while there,
00:48:06.41\00:48:11.35
you have another
great part of your story,
00:48:11.39\00:48:13.69
tell us about the personal side.
00:48:13.72\00:48:16.52
Well, while there,
before arriving at Pine Forge,
00:48:16.56\00:48:19.86
I met my husband,
00:48:19.89\00:48:21.20
who wasn't my
husband at the time.
00:48:21.23\00:48:23.23
So while there, I have
married my husband Casey Hughes
00:48:23.26\00:48:27.14
who also
attended Yale University,
00:48:27.17\00:48:29.14
we overlapped by two years.
00:48:29.17\00:48:31.04
How did you meet him?
00:48:31.07\00:48:32.41
We lived in
adjacent dorms at Yale.
00:48:32.44\00:48:35.14
He's from Connecticut
and I'm from Connecticut
00:48:35.18\00:48:37.25
and we still didn't meet.
00:48:37.28\00:48:38.61
You're both Adventists?
00:48:38.65\00:48:40.55
Was he an Adventist?
00:48:40.62\00:48:41.95
No, no, no. Okay.
00:48:41.98\00:48:43.32
And so I think that's just God,
00:48:43.35\00:48:45.69
we literally met in
a Barnes and Nobles,
00:48:45.72\00:48:48.59
Starbucks, in
Philadelphia, at the book store.
00:48:48.62\00:48:52.39
Wow! At the book store.
00:48:52.43\00:48:54.73
We had a mutual colleague
00:48:54.76\00:48:56.63
who ended up
performing at our wedding
00:48:56.67\00:48:58.67
but that's how we met.
00:48:58.70\00:49:00.17
And so while at Pine
Forge, married my husband,
00:49:00.20\00:49:03.30
and literally
had a honeymoon baby,
00:49:03.34\00:49:09.11
within 11 months of our wedding,
00:49:09.14\00:49:11.55
we had our first son,
00:49:11.58\00:49:14.48
who's now
almost five months old.
00:49:14.52\00:49:16.62
Yeah. That was so sweet.
00:49:16.65\00:49:18.15
So you were a new mom.
00:49:18.19\00:49:20.12
New wife. New wife.
00:49:20.19\00:49:22.36
And new principal.
00:49:22.39\00:49:23.86
And new principal.
00:49:23.89\00:49:25.23
Your plate isn't full.
00:49:25.26\00:49:28.46
It is full, it is full.
00:49:28.50\00:49:29.83
And, you know, I have to say,
00:49:29.86\00:49:31.50
my hats off to every
working mom out there.
00:49:31.53\00:49:34.40
I've learned so
much about myself.
00:49:34.44\00:49:37.51
What have you learned?
00:49:37.54\00:49:38.87
You know, I've, I've learned
00:49:38.91\00:49:40.58
that sometimes
you wanna do it all
00:49:40.61\00:49:43.01
as a professional and as a woman
00:49:43.04\00:49:45.18
and as a, an
ambitious young person.
00:49:45.21\00:49:48.08
And that you have
to draw close to Christ
00:49:48.12\00:49:51.72
to learn what to prioritize.
00:49:51.75\00:49:55.09
And what will have
the greatest impact
00:49:55.12\00:49:56.86
and quite candidly,
00:49:56.93\00:49:58.26
what He wants you to do
versus what you want to do.
00:49:58.29\00:50:01.23
So, so new motherhood
has really been teaching me
00:50:01.26\00:50:03.93
how to balance,
00:50:03.97\00:50:05.30
how to
prioritize, how to make time,
00:50:05.33\00:50:08.10
for my personal
time with Christ,
00:50:08.14\00:50:10.51
set before my
family time with Christ.
00:50:10.57\00:50:13.38
And then quite candidly,
00:50:13.44\00:50:15.48
I think that it's also
helping me to understand
00:50:15.51\00:50:17.91
how to empathize
with others in a way
00:50:17.95\00:50:20.08
that I never could
have imagined before,
00:50:20.12\00:50:22.95
I've always loved kids,
00:50:22.98\00:50:25.89
and I've always
been very careful
00:50:25.92\00:50:27.92
to treat other people's children
00:50:27.96\00:50:30.19
as the gems that they are.
00:50:30.23\00:50:32.13
But when you have your own,
00:50:32.16\00:50:35.93
you take that
even more seriously,
00:50:35.96\00:50:38.70
because I want everyone to treat
00:50:38.73\00:50:41.00
my own little precious son
00:50:41.04\00:50:42.50
like the wonderful
child of God that he is.
00:50:42.54\00:50:45.27
And so it makes me even
that much more conscientious
00:50:45.31\00:50:49.51
to do the same with
every child at Pine Forge.
00:50:49.54\00:50:51.85
Oh, that's so good.
00:50:51.88\00:50:53.55
How do you
discipline the students?
00:50:53.58\00:50:57.22
If a student is
really out of control,
00:50:57.25\00:51:00.16
like what are some of
the modes of discipline
00:51:00.19\00:51:02.36
that you use there?
00:51:02.39\00:51:03.73
Well, there is so many rules,
00:51:03.76\00:51:05.49
because, or so means rather
because children are different,
00:51:05.53\00:51:08.76
and so we can't
treat children equally,
00:51:08.80\00:51:11.47
we have to treat them equitably,
00:51:11.50\00:51:13.07
giving them each what they need.
00:51:13.10\00:51:14.90
So we operate within
the context of the rules,
00:51:14.94\00:51:17.57
of course, but we do
try our best to hold the bar
00:51:17.61\00:51:21.18
knowing that
they'll rise to the bar
00:51:21.21\00:51:24.01
but at the same time,
we try to listen and hear
00:51:24.05\00:51:27.38
and be willingly to compromise.
00:51:27.42\00:51:30.75
Now let me be very
careful what I mean by that.
00:51:30.79\00:51:33.56
We have something at the Academy
00:51:33.62\00:51:35.02
called Dean's Council,
00:51:35.06\00:51:36.56
faculty and staff
sit on the Dean's Council
00:51:36.59\00:51:39.43
and then
administer a consequence
00:51:39.46\00:51:41.43
based on the behavior,
00:51:41.46\00:51:42.86
and a parent also
sits on that council.
00:51:42.90\00:51:45.17
Last school year,
00:51:45.20\00:51:46.53
after speaking with me, the USM.
00:51:46.57\00:51:48.47
officer and
president said, "Mrs. Hughes,
00:51:48.50\00:51:50.74
we think we would
like a hand in it as well."
00:51:50.77\00:51:52.77
And so we went back
00:51:52.81\00:51:54.48
to the Student Body Constitution
00:51:54.51\00:51:56.78
and read that there is
00:51:56.81\00:51:58.15
a student
disciplinary council as well.
00:51:58.18\00:52:00.98
And so we began to train
them to actually hear cases
00:52:01.02\00:52:05.79
and then
administer what we call,
00:52:05.82\00:52:07.49
restorative justice.
00:52:07.56\00:52:09.49
Colleagues,
students, hearing each other
00:52:09.52\00:52:12.16
advising and
counseling each other,
00:52:12.19\00:52:14.73
and then, of course,
with the faculty approval,
00:52:14.73\00:52:17.27
administering a
preset consequence of sort.
00:52:17.33\00:52:20.90
Last school year, we
found that it worked very well,
00:52:20.94\00:52:23.20
it allowed the students to
have a bind to the culture,
00:52:23.24\00:52:26.84
the rules, and the
framework of the school.
00:52:26.88\00:52:30.51
Really good, really good.
00:52:30.55\00:52:32.25
So is there...
00:52:32.28\00:52:36.79
Like a timeout,
00:52:36.85\00:52:39.85
you know, is there,
00:52:39.89\00:52:42.92
I'm just trying to get a center
00:52:42.96\00:52:44.29
because, because the
natural inclination is,
00:52:44.33\00:52:46.96
okay, so if my
kid is out of control,
00:52:47.00\00:52:48.86
what's gonna happen to him?
00:52:48.90\00:52:50.23
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:52:50.30\00:52:51.63
There is a fear, you know,
00:52:51.67\00:52:53.00
like how is he or she
gonna be brought back into...
00:52:53.03\00:52:56.24
Into the fold. Yeah.
00:52:56.27\00:52:57.74
So we do try to do things
in a way that's compassionate,
00:52:57.77\00:53:01.71
has a character of Christ.
00:53:01.74\00:53:03.11
What I mean by that is before,
00:53:03.14\00:53:04.71
the first system is
called the demerit system.
00:53:04.75\00:53:07.02
Before a student can receive
a demerit for any infarction,
00:53:07.05\00:53:10.99
every faculty
member including me,
00:53:11.02\00:53:12.89
were asked to take 24 hours
to really pause, think, pray,
00:53:12.92\00:53:19.39
before we administer
00:53:19.43\00:53:20.90
the discipline.
00:53:20.93\00:53:22.76
The idea is that we
never want to consequence
00:53:22.80\00:53:25.53
or punish in
anger or in emotion,
00:53:25.57\00:53:28.74
that's not how Christ operated.
00:53:28.77\00:53:30.81
Now once those
demerits are administered,
00:53:30.87\00:53:33.84
they have a
range of consequences
00:53:33.88\00:53:35.44
depending on the size.
00:53:35.48\00:53:37.31
It might just be a warning,
"You've got some demerits."
00:53:37.35\00:53:39.85
It might be, "You
have too many demerits.
00:53:39.88\00:53:41.85
You can't go to Open Rack
00:53:41.88\00:53:43.25
or the Saturday night activity."
00:53:43.28\00:53:45.49
It might be, "You
have quite a few demerits
00:53:45.52\00:53:47.42
and you need to
go to Dean's Council.
00:53:47.46\00:53:50.19
And you might need to go home
to reflect for a little bit."
00:53:50.23\00:53:54.23
But it ranges, but we, we
try to really start small.
00:53:54.30\00:53:57.93
Having those conversations,
00:53:57.97\00:53:59.67
having those
relationships where as adults,
00:53:59.70\00:54:02.64
we can really talk with
you and help you to understand
00:54:02.67\00:54:06.71
and then having
someone on the campus
00:54:06.78\00:54:08.61
who can be your liaison,
who can mediate for you,
00:54:08.64\00:54:11.98
quite frankly
but usually ends up
00:54:12.01\00:54:14.02
being one of the vice principals
00:54:14.05\00:54:16.15
or one of the deans.
00:54:16.18\00:54:17.52
But we're trying
actually in this school year,
00:54:17.59\00:54:21.46
not just to focus on demerits
but also focus on merits.
00:54:21.49\00:54:25.96
Okay.
00:54:25.99\00:54:27.30
Because there are
so many more students
00:54:27.40\00:54:30.37
doing what they're supposed to.
00:54:30.43\00:54:32.33
There are so many
more hidden warriors
00:54:32.37\00:54:35.87
and heroes who are
always doing the right thing.
00:54:35.90\00:54:39.21
You can ask them,
what would Jesus do?
00:54:39.24\00:54:40.58
And they're doing it.
00:54:40.64\00:54:41.98
Oh, that's so good.
00:54:42.01\00:54:43.35
And so for those students,
00:54:43.38\00:54:44.71
we're trying to focus on
awarding them with merits,
00:54:44.75\00:54:46.68
giving them incentives,
00:54:46.72\00:54:48.25
allowing them to
have benefits on campus
00:54:48.28\00:54:50.95
that others might not have
00:54:50.99\00:54:52.32
because they've earned it.
00:54:52.35\00:54:54.56
That is so good.
00:54:54.59\00:54:55.99
So your whole,
00:54:56.02\00:55:00.53
your whole goal
00:55:00.56\00:55:01.86
really for taking the
school to the next level
00:55:01.90\00:55:05.73
is to stay focused on
Christ and then the 3H's, right?
00:55:05.77\00:55:11.11
And then you just
wanna see your kids succeed.
00:55:11.14\00:55:16.68
That just seems to
be where your heart is,
00:55:16.75\00:55:18.68
let's see these
kids be their best,
00:55:18.71\00:55:20.95
the best that they can be.
00:55:20.98\00:55:25.39
What students do you have that,
00:55:25.42\00:55:27.92
you could talk about in
these last couple of minutes,
00:55:27.96\00:55:30.66
that stand out as just,
they started not achieving
00:55:30.73\00:55:36.40
and ended up
being super achievers.
00:55:36.43\00:55:39.43
There are a host
of that. Give us one.
00:55:39.47\00:55:41.54
There's one I'm
thinking of right now,
00:55:41.57\00:55:43.87
who recently graduated
00:55:43.91\00:55:45.24
and he's now at
Lincoln University.
00:55:45.27\00:55:49.18
I'm just smiling
00:55:49.21\00:55:50.61
because he would
come to my office
00:55:50.65\00:55:53.31
or go to the dean's office
00:55:53.38\00:55:54.72
and complain
about a few teachers.
00:55:54.75\00:55:57.85
And his complaint was
they were pushing him too hard,
00:55:57.89\00:56:00.49
or the work was too much,
00:56:00.52\00:56:01.89
or he didn't like so
and so's tone of voice,
00:56:01.92\00:56:04.16
or whatever it would be.
00:56:04.19\00:56:06.09
And I'm laughing and smiling
00:56:06.13\00:56:08.10
because he would really
give some of our teachers a run
00:56:08.13\00:56:10.90
for their money.
00:56:10.97\00:56:13.00
And just as he
was probably sharing
00:56:13.03\00:56:14.74
some words with the deans,
00:56:14.77\00:56:16.10
the teachers are probably
sharing some words with me,
00:56:16.14\00:56:17.74
what are we gonna
do with so and so?
00:56:17.77\00:56:19.37
What are we gonna
do about such and such?
00:56:19.41\00:56:21.74
Now I'm smiling so hard
because when we visited him
00:56:21.78\00:56:25.25
and his colleagues who
are at Lincoln University,
00:56:25.28\00:56:28.12
our whole staff went,
we went to meet our alumni,
00:56:28.15\00:56:32.59
our recent
alumni and say to them,
00:56:32.62\00:56:34.89
"What are we doing well
00:56:34.92\00:56:36.83
and what do we
need to do differently?"
00:56:36.86\00:56:38.63
Nice. You are our product.
00:56:38.66\00:56:40.53
You're in college now.
00:56:40.60\00:56:42.20
Based on our
training, what can we do better?
00:56:42.23\00:56:44.97
And what do we do well?
00:56:45.00\00:56:46.70
And he paused for a little bit
00:56:46.74\00:56:48.24
among the group of four students
00:56:48.27\00:56:49.77
and then he said, "I
would like to say that
00:56:49.80\00:56:52.67
you guys do a really
good job, disciplining."
00:56:52.71\00:56:57.55
We all laughed and we said,
"What do you mean by that?"
00:56:57.61\00:56:59.45
He said, "Well, I don't
just mean the discipline part.
00:56:59.48\00:57:01.48
I just mean that you
were so tough and hard on us,
00:57:01.52\00:57:05.49
that now I see
it was all worth it
00:57:05.52\00:57:08.92
and everything that
you've instilled in me,
00:57:08.96\00:57:10.86
I'm actually
doing now in college,
00:57:10.89\00:57:13.13
so I tell you,
don't change that part."
00:57:13.16\00:57:16.13
Oh, that's great, that's great.
00:57:16.16\00:57:17.50
I wanna put your address up
real quick on the screen. Okay.
00:57:17.57\00:57:19.67
Because, folks are gonna wanna,
00:57:19.70\00:57:22.24
they're gonna wanna
get in touch with you.
00:57:22.27\00:57:24.34
You can reach Nicole
Hughes at Pine Forge Academy
00:57:24.37\00:57:27.84
by going to the
website PineForgeAcademy.org
00:57:27.88\00:57:31.41
or email at
PFA@PineForgeAcademy.org,
00:57:31.45\00:57:36.48
or call (610) 326-5800.
00:57:36.52\00:57:41.79
Or again (610) 326-5800.
00:57:41.82\00:57:46.90
Thank you so much,
my dear, for visiting
00:57:46.93\00:57:50.37
and for just
sharing your insight.
00:57:50.43\00:57:52.67
It was absolutely wonderful.
00:57:52.70\00:57:54.34
May God bless you.
00:57:54.37\00:57:56.04
And may God bless you.
00:57:56.07\00:57:57.41
Join us next time
'cause you know what?
00:57:57.47\00:57:59.91
It just wouldn't be
the same without you.
00:57:59.94\00:58:02.88