Stories From Former Students
Stories From Former Students
Sometimes the best way to learn about an experience is to hear it directly from those who have been through it.
“Summit Achievement was an experience that was equal parts rewarding and challenging, and resulted in the most profound growth period of my life. When I arrived at Summit I was anxious and scared. Throughout my first few days at Summit, all I could think about was that I wanted to go home. I wanted to be anywhere else. Once I made the decision to accept my situation however, I experienced growth, happiness, and serenity – none of which I had felt for over three years….In order to experience growth and healing throughout your time at Summit you only need two things; perseverance and a desire to change. Summit will help to equip you with the tools to manage any experience you may face, as well as learning about yourself and your emotions. Choosing to face my fears and go to Summit Achievement not only saved my life, it set me on a path to find my own happiness and find work that I am passionate about..”
“While I was at Summit I was able to find a traditional high school that I applied to and was accepted. I started at that high school after I graduated from Summit Traverse, and was able to graduate from that school and continue on to college. I would not have been able to continue with school if it had not been for Summit, because Summit helped me learn about my own learning styles and develop the skills I needed to succeed in school. After college, I decided to return to Summit for a period of time as a guide. Summit was so impactful for my life that I wanted to help others have an experience similar to mine. To this day, I still view Summit Achievement and Traverse as the place that changed and saved my life, as a collection of dedicated people who devote their lives to helping others.”
– Anonymous
“Summit allowed me an opportunity to “pause” my outside life and stressors and focus on myself, my healing, and identifying who I was as a person in this world.”
“The skills I learned to manage my anxiety, depression, and find self-motivation have carried me through my whole life since being at Summit. I created some lifelong bonds and still speak with other students from my cohort. Summit set me on my path to help others and I do so as a social worker every single day now. I left Summit with such a sense of pride and accomplishment. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about it! Summit changed my life, for the better. I can’t even imagine a more supportive, cohesive, and comprehensive staff and program.”
– Anonymous
“Being taken to the middle of the woods of Maine to live with strangers for a minimum of six weeks is scary. Having to do challenging work and be honest with yourself and family is scary. But the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. If you are scared as I was, as hateful towards yourself as I was, wishing you had someone who can understand like I was, then you have a golden opportunity to work on yourself and make a positive change. If my parents picked me up that first week, I would have robbed myself of one of the greatest experiences in my life.”
– Anonymous
“The community that makes up Summit is defined by it’s leaders, both students and staff. While there is a disparate amount of power between the two, they each play an equal role in the process. I cannot put my feelings into words in regards to everyone here. There’s just something about this place…Thank you for your service, thank you for making me feel comfortable to be myself, thank you for caring about me, thank you for helping me up when I fell, thank you for changing my life, thank you for everything. I wish you a life filled with success, good health, and bountiful joy.”
– Anonymous