Read what Watershed alumni have to say about how their high school education provided them with the tools they need to succeed in college:
"Watershed helped me get my priorities straight. [The college I attend] is competitive, and it is easy to think that your grades are everything. Watershed's focus on the joy of learning ingrained in me a genuine desire to learn that has endured throughout college. In addition, I am able to take advantage of my small classes, because I had four years of practice in dialogue and active participation at Watershed! I have established close relationships with professors, in part because I had four years of practice in learning how to listen and how to value the wisdom of others. Lastly, I am very grateful to Watershed for having taught me that in order for a community to stay healthy and cohesive, each member must do their part...In part because of my high school experience, I do not take my community for granted, and treat others and my environment with respect."
"A comfort level with discussion based classroom settings, and the ability to write a well researched and organized paper served me well throughout my post high school academic career. The ability to think outside the box, work towards consensus, and listen to those with opinions that differ from my own, are skills that I began developing at Watershed and have been continuing to work on ever since. The friends and mentors from my Watershed days have continued to be a source of strength and comfort!"
"Academically, Watershed couldn't have prepared me any better. That was the easiest part of going to college for me. What I learned at Watershed was how to be a critical thinker and a skeptic. Most importantly, I've made and strengthened some very close relationships from my time at Watershed. You only have a few very close friends in your life if you're lucky, and I feel lucky to have had those people in my life. Thanks to Watershed."
"Watershed provided me with a strong background in writing that allowed me to transition into the rigorous collegiate workload. I greatly valued the freedom I had at Watershed to do my own research and explore independent topics. This has enabled me to delve fully into my course work and get the most out of my education. Watershed encouraged curiosity and integrity that set the stage for life-long learning."
"I was very prepared to take college courses...I was also not afraid to demand what I wanted out of my education as an empowered learner with better communication skills than most people my age."
"Watershed taught me how to cultivate meaningful relationships with teachers, it taught me how to budget my time, and it taught me how to find inspiration in almost any topic. The faculty at Watershed taught top-notch classes, but more than that, they were great role models for how to live life."
"My first weeks at college so far have been some of the best in my life, and Watershed has not a little to do with it. From an academic vantage point, the amount of homework assigned by my professors is not only manageable, but expected after doing what essentially amounted to college-level thinking for four years at Watershed. Writing a paper in any subject has become an interesting challenge rather than a mental slog thanks to my classes on organizing information."
"I look back at my four years at Watershed with so much gratitude. I can credit my teachers, peers, and mentors for teaching me how to learn and expanding the scope of my curiosity. Watershed taught me how to write, how to engage with professors both as mentors and as friends, and how to ask probing questions and think critically."
