Student Transformation: in Mom & Dad's Words
Student Transformation: Matthew L.
Our aim at Discover Term is to empower teens at critical growth stages to awaken their senses, activate their untapped potential, and ignite their passion for life, learning, and adventure.
We’ve had the privilege of serving many young people who continually teach us and fuel our desire to continue expanding our mission. Matthew was one such student, who attended our first-ever Surf Term, and has described his experience with us in Nosara as ‘the absolute best month of my life!’
His parents (Mark & Jen) said, in short, ‘He loved ALL of it!’ and that it was a ‘life-changing experience for our son.’ Matthew left traditional public school for five weeks to join Surf Term. Leaving school for five weeks is concerning for some parents, and Jen even mentioned in Matthew’s application that Matthew does well with very clear expectations of what is required of him and that he doesn’t do well with a lot of ambiguity. While our programs are very structured, our education curriculum does offer students a lot of freedom to explore various topics that they’re interested in, becoming the leader of their own learning journey.
Lessons Learned From Surf Term
After returning from Surf Term, Mark and Jen said “Matthew learned two big lessons. 1. if he puts 100% focus into a subject/lesson/class/project then he will be successful. He was pleased with how prepared he was for math class when he returned to school. He also made the observation that "regular school" is SO boring and that he wished he could just learn like he did every day at Surf Term. On one hand, Surf Term provided Matthew the opportunity to really think about the ways he learns best. He is a visual, hands-on learner who needs time to process information and not be rushed. On the other hand, he realized that most K-12 schools do not create such an interactive and fun experience and Matthew will need to manage around that.”
One of the biggest reflections we hear from parents is how five weeks without a phone sharply confronts their child’s understanding of just how powerful, and even destructive, their phone can be. Matthew’s mom said, “Matthew realized post Surf Term how distracting his phone really is! He now asks us to take his phone away so that he can read or do homework without interruptions. That is a WIN!” His Dad mentioned that before Surf Term “Matthew had never asked us to take his phone away when he needs to complete homework, so he is focused.” In a time when phones create perhaps one of the biggest distractions and limiters on us reaching our potential, it’s pretty special to see many Discover Term students re-shape their relationships with their devices.
Student Transformations at Surf Term
Some of the other big buckets of transformation Jen & Mark mentioned:
“Surf Term has made Matthew a more curious person! He is asking WHY questions. He is curious about things going on in the world. He is curious about how my day was. The gift of curiosity is a special thing for anyone to have!”
“The parts of Matthew's character that we have seen the most impact: Independence, Discipline, Empathetic, Kind, Curious.”
“Matthew never asked me before now "How was your day at work Dad? What did you do?" or doing the dishes without being asked”
“The importance of discipline... and focusing on something to get better. This builds confidence which is so critical for Matthew, especially at this stage in his life.”
Discover Term programs can be just as much about the development and learning for parents as for students. Some of the most powerful reflections Mark and Jen shared about their learnings and growth are:
“I got to see the type of environment that Matthew truly thrives in. He likes to be physical, social, and learn by doing. It's my job as a parent to provide opportunities for him that include those three elements.”
“Matthew is capable of much more when given the opportunity. As parents, we should not limit his growth but continue to challenge him and to embrace all the lessons he's taken away from Surf Term.”
“Surf Term taught us to be even more proud of the son we're raising. He's growing into a fine young man and Surf Term has made an incredibly positive and life-changing impact on him.”
Five weeks fly by, and for all the parents who have trepidation about ‘what will my kid miss out on at school or in their sport?’ or ‘is that too long to be away from their parents and community?’ Mark and Jen said:
“5 weeks isn't very long and the time your child is gone will fly by”
“Send your child! It will be the best 5 weeks of their life!”
Lasting Friendships From Surf Term
The people we surround ourselves with have one of the biggest impacts on our life. Discover Term programs create environments and adventures where students are empowered to create life-long friendships. To this point, Mathew’s Mom said, “10 kids came together from different schools, states, backgrounds, with different friend groups and different interests. They all had to be open, to new ideas and new people, be genuine (it would be hard to hide your true self for 5 weeks), and risk doing something hard together, surfing. Matthew enjoyed spending time with every single kid at Surf Term and he learned a lot from each of them.”
The relationships were so strong that the students even planned their own Surf Term reunion to surf in San Diego together (see the picture below)!
But when it comes to the best gift of Surf Term, Jen said “He might not realize it now but, NO cell phone for 5 weeks was the BEST GIFT we ever gave Matthew!”
What life-long gift might your child walk away from a Discover Term program with? If you’re ready for the adventure of a lifetime, apply for Surf Term or Powder Term.
