Luke, High School Student, CA
I think we have school as a society so that everyone can have an education and not just be lazy staying home, doing nothing, playing video games.
Luke is a high school student in California. He was interviewed by a fellow student, Tyler, as part of a #schoolpartnership #studentvoice project with REENVISIONED, in which students interview each other and adults in their lives, and reflect together on school and what makes a good life. #Costanoa
Tell me about yourself, and how would your friends describe you?
They would describe me as hardworking, caring, and a leader.
Imagine you're all grown up, let's say you're thirty, what are three essential things you think will make a good life?
I think being financially stable, having a good job that you like, and having a family.
What would you like your school to do, ideally, to help you get to that in life?
Just support me in whatever I want to do - and just get to the point where I could graduate.
Do you think this school will do that for you? If yes, why?
Well this school is meant to help you catch up on credits, and I think it's helped me a lot to catch up right where I need to be.
Can your school play that role for all students in the school? If not why not?
It can play that role for all students if they are trying.
Why do you think we have school as a society?
I think we have school as a society so that everyone can have a education and not just be lazy staying home doing nothing playing video games.
What is something you feel like adults should know when they are working with high school students?
They should know that students have a short attention span, and to maybe take their phone if you need them to concentrate. Make them feel comfortable.
What advice would you give to a new high school teacher at your school?
It’ll take you awhile to get used to it - do not let the students take advantage of you.
What advice would you give to a new 9th grader about how to navigate high school well?
Just do your work - it's not that hard, we don't have homework so you can do it.
If you had a magic wand, what is one thing you would change about school?
Maybe, have a longer and off campus lunch.
10,000 Stories. One Shared Vision.
REENVISIONED is a national movement to redefine the purpose of school. We believe schools should foster flourishing individuals and a thriving democratic society. But what does it mean to thrive or flourish?
To answer this, we're building the world's largest collection of stories about what it means to live good lives and the role schools should play in helping create them: 10,000 stories from people across the country. We'll use the stories to learn about our shared values and dreams and to create a new vision for why we send our children to school.
We work with people like YOU across the country: Catalysts - individuals, classrooms, schools, and community organizations - who interview people in their communities and foster empathy nationwide by sharing the stories on our website and social media: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook (@reenvisioned).