In public school I studied math, science, social studies, and English.

As a student at The Circle School, I planned every detail of a two-week field trip to Europe, contributed to the school’s chore system and judicial system, and helped to host admissions visits where we would talk about the school with prospective families.

In public school I did the homework I was assigned, I went to class when it was time, and I put in the bare minimum effort to receive an A.

At The Circle School I weighed my priorities, managed my time, and got real feedback when I fell short.

The content fades over the years, but the process of each was enduringly formative.

The public school process taught me to follow instructions, to please others, and to slack off as a way of increasing the difficulty of work that was below my capacity.

The Circle School process taught me self-inquiry to discover what was genuinely important to me, to balance various commitments in order to pursue these personally valuable endeavors, and to reach for the stars.

It’s the process, not the content.

Cody Unger ’09
Cody graduated from The Circle School in 2009 and returned in 2021 as a staff member.