Class of 2009

The below testimonials are the stories of success written by our graduates from the Class of 2009.  Congratulations to all!

 

Abra Furgerson

Form 8 was an amazing experience, as was everything that led up to it. Delphian didn’t change me, but it helped me to bring out all of my best qualities.

Academically, I feel confident in my knowledge. I am sure of everything I know, and that I will be able to apply it many times in life. The courses were all amazing, especially Leadership, Public Speaking, Health and Religion. They taught me academics but in the most practical way possible.

In the practical area, I gained so much. I am no longer afraid to be the one responsible; instead, I am excited to take on new responsibilities. I’ve been given the tools to do this, and I am very ready to use them in life!

 

Alea Amidei

 

Nobody will tell you that graduating from Delphian is easy. It isn’t meant to be. I was challenged far beyond what I thought I was capable of, only to find that I was underestimating myself.

I developed many life skills here. I became certain of who I was, what my viewpoints were and how to stand up for them. I learned how to make ethical decisions instead of just “getting by.” I learned how to lead a group. Most importantly, I learned the importance of individuals. I realized that one person can be truly powerful and make a difference.

Alex Bouneff

To fully understand the achievement of becoming a Delphian graduate, you must have lived it. Graduation has been a true test of my abilities and my integrity. It has raised my self-confidence and power as a person. 

Here at Delphian, I have faced tough decisions, and these decisions defined the person I have become. 

Academics are important, but in order to experience a rich, fulfilling education, it is vital to understand what they will be used for. This is exactly what Delphian does. Whether it is through Student Council, projects, apprenticeships or even daily life, each and every student actually uses what he or she has learned so that these skills become second nature. I have now graduated, and I feel confident that the person I am is the person I want to be.

I know that I will be able to make a difference for the better, and I am excited to start.

 

Alex Jessup

 Delphian provided me with the most rewarding experience of my life. I came to the school as a young boy who was thirsting for knowledge and experience. Most of all, I wanted to learn about myself as a person. What I was searching for, without knowing it, was integrity and a sense of ethics.

Through the program, I have discovered these values in myself, and I am far more capable and happy than I ever dreamed I would be. I know that at this point, I can face any obstacle in life and come out on top enriched by the experience. This is invaluable to me, and no words of mine can truly explain how thankful I am or how beautiful the program is.

 

Amanda Oliver

When I came to Delphian, I didn’t know anything about myself. I didn’t know what I wanted to achieve or who I wanted to become. However, by being at the school, I have advanced in ways I never thought possible.

By doing all the courses and the literature that you do on Form 8, I found out a lot about myself. By reading books such as 1984, Antigone and The Crucible, my eyes were opened to many problems
that society is faced with today. Before reading these books, I thought I knew everything about society and its problems, but I found that I was actually quite ignorant in many ways. Each
book has a major paper at the end, and through the writing process, I really had to stretch myself to figure out how I could help prevent or solve some of the problems that we are faced with
today. I couldn’t just rely on the viewpoints of others, but I had to determine what was real for me and come to my own conclusions about how best to resolve these issues.

Delphian has helped me to dream huge dreams, which I know I can achieve. It has taught me responsibility, hard work, communication skills, leadership, and so much more.

 

 Ana Sofia Garza

 My experience at Delphian has been incredible. I have gone through some wonderful changes. I began as a person who was lost and didn’t really know what to do with her life. I had no idea what it meant to be a leader. I had never heard the word “integrity,” and I had a very dim idea about responsibility. Being here has taught me those values and given me abilities. I have gained the ability to be a leader and have responsibility. I have also learned exactly what it means to have integrity. These are things which I find invaluable in life.

Since gaining these values and abilities, I have been able to figure out what I want to do with my life. By figuring out exactly who I am, I have been able to improve myself and come closer to being the person that I want to be. I am very excited to go out in life and apply what I have learned here. I know that if I use the tools that I’ve been given, I can be a successful person who accomplishes her goals. I consider coming to Delphian the best decision that I have made in my life so far.

 

 Brendan Delaney

 Wow! Eight years ago when I first came to Delphian, I never would have expected to be able to finish it. Graduation seemed almost unobtainable—something only a few select people could actually accomplish.

Going through the Delphi Program, I learned about religion, leadership and public speaking, but I gained more in life skills than in any other area. Gaining the ability to think and come up with my own conclusions was most rewarding.

I can now take a subject and logically think with it to come up with new data. This I learned was a very useful tool, as it made my views unique. Everything I gained here is far more than I expected when I first started out. In the end, this program truly was amazing.

 

 

Conrad Radzik

I have changed a lot since coming to Delphian, and I’m thoroughly happy with what I have gotten from the program and with the person that I’ve grown into.

 

 Cynthia Dalloul

 WOW! I did it! Form 8 was amazing. It was just what I needed to top off my Delphian career. The courses on it were perfect, and each one has given me a new ability. Form 8 tied up everything that I had learned earlier and completed a beautiful package.

I have been going to Delphian since the Lower School. Each step of the program gave me something new: from learning to write in Beginners 1, to Math Facts on Form 1, to discovering how much I love reading on Form 3, to Public Speaking on Form 8. I have gained so much from this program. But besides academics, Delphi has also given me the ability to do things competently. I can use what I learned from my academics and the abilities I gained from the practical area to actually make a difference in the world—and to me, that’s the most important thing of all.

Delphian has given me the ability to make changes not only for myself, but for others as well. Now, I not only know that I can set high goals, but I know how I’m going to achieve them.

 

David Lee

 “ Priceless” is the only word to describe the experiences I had at this amazing place. I learned how to listen, understand and speak comfortably in English. I also became more responsible over my own actions. Before I came to Delphian, I could not have dreamed of such responsibility as being in charge of over a hundred boys living in the dormitories. I was able to acquire and practice my leadership skills and refine my responsibilities through various projects and student council positions. I became a leader, an intelligent man and a responsible man. I also made life-long and valuable friends.

 

 Elaina Perpelitt

I’ve always been a writer, but here I am stumped. The Delphi Program is beyond words. I’ll do my best to put a divine experience onto this simple piece of paper.

I sort of see the Delphian staff as a team of superheroes. They are saving the world, one graduate at a time. The product of this school is a competent, ethical leader who can take on the world, and I’m prouder than I can say to be a part of that. Delphian has a truly beautiful program.

I ran into problems on the program, just as everyone else does. It was in overcoming these barriers that I had the biggest wins and gains of my life. I learned the lessons I needed to, and I can now go out into the world and do anything I want. That is an amazing thing to be able to say, and it is in thanks to this school that I can say it. Then again, these words don’t mean much—you have to experience it for yourself. When you do, you’ll understand.

 

 

Elliot Alexander

 

Form 8 provides the comprehensive conclusion to the Delphian experience, enabling a person to graduate with knowledge and the ability to apply it. During this Form I did courses I wouldn’t have thought I could have done when I first came here, and I read books I previously had no interest in. The courses done build on knowledge previously gained and provide an amazing conclusion to a great experience. I became a better, more intelligent and more competent person at Delphian, and I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

Evan Franklin

My journey to becoming a graduate from Delphian, as is the case with all graduates, was unique. Through all facets of the program, I was challenged to make ethical and good decisions, and from this I have gained the one thing I wasn’t sure I could become: me.

The Delphi Program provided me with the means to teach myself anything I wish to learn and to apply this knowledge in all areas of my life. All of my experiences and all of my groups and activities taken up collectively have peaked at this point of my life, and I can proudly say now that I am who I am.

 

Gloria Chan

Before I came here, my main goals in life revolved around such things as high fashion and fine dining. Delphian helped me to look way beyond that. I found what really makes me happy, and it’s not just materialistic, physical needs and wants. It’s being able to give a 15-minute speech, helping other students learn music, or being able to organize a dance. Obviously, these are simple things, but I can see that my mind is not as narrow as before. 

I know that there are many more challenges yet to come in the future, and I look forward to learning from new mistakes and to achieving new goals. I don’t exactly know what will happen to me in the future, but isn’t that what makes it exciting?

 

James Clarizio

 

Previous to coming here, I had no idea where I was going or what I was going to do in life. I was getting low grades in school, and rarely put much effort into doing my homework. I wasted class time by talking to others, and even skipped a class once when I didn’t want to go. But now I am a graduate, and Delphian has completely changed my life. I now have a purpose, I know what my potential is and what my capabilities are, and I have the tools to achieve my goals.

Two important things that I learned along the way are that life is actually just a game, and all it takes to really accomplish anything is a decision. I can honestly say that there is no challenge in my life that can’t be faced if I just decide to do it. So, here I am world. Are you ready?

Jeff Hanson

 Delphian was an experience I will treasure forever. It wasn’t the conventional education one usually thinks of. This education was a test run of life. Before I came to Delphian, I was a very young person in both mind and body. I now have a purpose for my life, which I did not have before coming to Delphian. It is a purpose which I am proud to have, and I know will be with me for the rest of my life.

The academic part of Delphian is unmatched. I can say that confidently for several reasons. The first was that it was not easy. If it had been easy, I wouldn’t have noticed it. The fact that it was hard made it worthwhile. Another reason is because everything I learned, I learned for myself. I never took up a subject that I had no purpose for. If I didn’t start it with a clear purpose, I would find one before learning it.

In conclusion, I have become a person who knows he is limited only by himself and that whatever he wishes to accomplish can be accomplished.

Jenna Slevin

I could never have imagined the skills that I would gain from this program. Reading and writing the papers for books like The Crucible, Orwell’s 1984 and Irving’s Agony & the Ecstasy enabled me to discover more about myself and my personal beliefs. I discovered my own ideas and opinions. 

Each course on the program gave me tools to be able to go out into life and solve any problem that I might come across. I never thought that I would be able to become a good leader of a group or be able to comfortably give a speech in front of others.

Without these tools and without Delphian, I would never have known that I was capable of becoming the person I am now.

 

 Ji Young Kim

 I came here as a teenage girl who did not know what to do with her life. I was selfish and only saw what I wanted to see. I was not a type of person who cared about other people or their viewpoints.

Then I came to Delphian, and everything changed. From English-as-a-Second Language to Form 8, I turned into another person. However, I learned that I do not have to be someone else to be a good friend, a good sister or a good daughter. Delphian taught me how to do it.

There were some instances when I wasn’t sure I wanted to stay at Delphian. However, in the end when I finished Form 8, I was sure that I had made the greatest decision of my life: to graduate from Delphian.

I found out who I want to be. I am going to pursue my goal of life and use what I learned at Delphian to do it.

 

 Katie Mitchel

Coming to Delphian was the best decision I’ve ever made. I didn’t know what I was getting into at first, but it proved to be well worthwhile. Aside from all the knowledge I gained in history, math, English and other subjects, I also gained so much in the other points of the Delphian logo. My integrity and leadership grew immensely, and I know that people who knew me five years ago would not know me today.

I am very happy that I made the decision to do this program, and I am happy for all that I gained.

 

 

 

Kursten Neuhauser

 

Throughout the Delphi Program, I gradually found out who I am and what my abilities are. I didn’t find out that I had just some abilities and not others, but I found that I had the ability to do anything that I also had the intention and willingness to do.

When looking over my entire Delphian experience, I can see that this was the best thing I could have done to start my life off in the direction I would like it to go. This education has allowed me to become a confident individual.

 

 Lee Rector

Delphian was a truly incredible experience. There is no doubt in my mind that it was worth the time and energy.

It was here that I found myself. I learned what an individual can accomplish and how powerful any one person can be. I discovered that each and every one of us has the ability and potential to make and be the difference.

A defining characteristic of the school is its individualized program, but Delphian is so much more than that. It is a place where an individual really becomes an individual—someone that can cause something.

Now, as I look back over my years here, I have come to understand the miracle that is Delphian.

 

 Lily McKevitt

 I used to be too scared to even think about graduating from Delphian. I was afraid that I would fail and disappoint not only myself but also everyone who was supporting me. Form 8 helped me overcome that fear, and to realize my true capabilities and potential. I realized I could do so much more than I had thought, and that I could push myself towards my goals, so my goals turned from a dream to a reality.

 

 

 

Marcus Meisler

I came to Delphian as a thirteen-year old boy with no sense of direction in life. I thought success and fortune would just fall into my lap, but I had no idea of the work I had ahead of me to become a Delphian graduate.

As time went by, I began to receive more projects and responsibility by becoming a part of groups like Student Council and the fellowship program. At the same time, I had to make progress on my academic program, although I thought that it would be impossible to balance the two.

By the end of the Delphi Program, I had learned to balance the two, and I felt like my abilities were endless. I realized that I had achieved the success and fortune that I spoke of; graduating was my success, and education was my fortune.

 

 

Mark Baritz

 

This is fantastic! By going through this program, I realized my full potential. I can now excel at whatever I do, and nothing can stop me or hold me down. I realized that I am only as capable as I make myself, and Delphian has allowed me to show my capabilities. No longer do I need to think I’m not good enough. I can always be good enough, I can always help, I can push through any barriers that come my way.

Of course, this cannot be taken with a serious attitude. Anybody can do this, and anybody can refuse to let barriers stand in their way. Just make a game out of it. It’s fun!

 Melissa Trevens

 I never expected to experience so much change in my years at Delphian. The school has given me the tools I needed to become truly literate. I now have the ability to understand books from authors such as Charles Dickens, Shakespeare and Plato. My views on government, family, religion and philosophy expanded with every page and gave me a broader view of history and of life.

In addition to academics, I also learned how to lead people and how to handle situations in my life that weren’t going well. This took a lot of practice, but I eventually shaped these skills. I can now work competently with others, and I feel I have the know-how to pursue any project or goal that comes my way. The skills I have gained here have proven to be invaluable, and have already helped me to achieve what I thought were unobtainable goals.

I know there will be many difficult challenges yet to come, but I feel confident that with these tools and abilities I can overcome them and be a winner in the game of life.

 

 Scott Superville

 It would be impossible for me to express in a few words how Delphian has changed my life. I literally came here on a whim, but I’m leaving now as a completely different person. I have resisted change all my life, which is sort of funny because I’ve undergone so much change through my time at Delphian that I feel that the only thing that stayed the same about me was my name. But through that change and by becoming a Delphian graduate, I know that I can accomplish whatever I want to later in life.

Now, as I’m ready to walk out those doors and into life, I can say quite honestly that the proudest achievement I have ever reached was the ability to call myself a Delphian product.

 

Skylar Mundy

Through all of the experiences at Delphian, you can’t help coming to the end of your road and realize that you’ve become someone that you never thought you could be. That is where I stand today, at the end of one road and the start of another, on the road to becoming the person I know I can be.

By participating in the choir and in plays and taking on various projects, I realized that I am an artist. I learned to find art in things that previously I had never considered “beautiful” or “artistic,” and this included such things as math, science and leading an activity. I learned that artists make peaceful revolutions every day, and that they breathe new life into society. I learned what shape I wanted my world to be, and I now have the tools and knowledge to help me mold it.

Mainly, I realized that we are the change and the people that we have been waiting for. I can’t wait to go out with my fellow graduates and help to sculpt the world into the beautiful work of art that it’s capable of becoming.

 

  

Tony Holesworth

 The Delphi Program is designed in such a way that it provides the perfect gradient for one to really become educated. Just a few years ago, I was spending all my free time playing computer games and ping-pong. In contrast, just two weeks ago, I studied thirty-one hours in one weekend. What’s more, I enjoyed every minute of it, because I knew that I was learning key data that would help me to expand my horizons and my general knowledge.

There is so much beauty in the Delphi Program. From the sports teams, to choir, to the plays, to all the projects and academics, Delphian gave me the opportunity to engage in all my chosen endeavors. And by engage, I do not mean I was just dabbling in many fields. On the contrary, I was able to approach each activity professionally and obtain high quality results. Thanks to Delphian, I have the tools and skills necessary to conquer any subject or field I so desire.