Wasatch Academy - Review #1

I was blessed with the opportunity to attend Wasatch as a teenager, and the experience shaped my life. In the years that followed, I have continued to follow the school, and I hope to one day send my son there.Student empowerment is central to the Wasatch experience. The vast level of support allows students to pursue their individusl strengths. Personal achievement is celebrated without sacrificing the tightly-knit community.I left Wasatch with a firm belief my ideas were worthy of sharing, and I could use them to shape the world. Decades later, that has never changed. Of the friends I have followed over the years, I have seen several who have gone on to be influencial in their areas of interest.I am deeply grateful for my parents' sacrifice to send me to Wasatch.

My family didn't have much money, and my parents struggled mightily to fund the expense - even with work study and scholarship funding. I left Wasatch after my freshman year, but Wasatch never left me. I finished out in a public school.The rest of my time in school, I continued to press myself in the same way my Wasatch teachers had pressed me before. I never saw another good art class, but my Wasatch teacher had given me a great start and expert advice. That got me an art school scholarship three years later.I can't state it enough. Wasatch was a powerful influence in my life.

I wish I had appreciated how much the staff and faculty were interested in supporting me from the beginning. I went in with a public school mindset that they were there to ensure compliance. They were instead there to help me develop my own talents, and I missed some opportunities by not understanding that.

Wasatch helped me become a better me.

You don't need to be anybody but yourself. Wasatch will help you learn more about and then improve yourself.

In general, the quality of instruction was superior to that I received anyplace else in K-12, college, or other professional training. This came from genuine faculty interest in seeing me develop and succeed.

Sports wasn't my thing, but the school offered a wide variety of options. The teams were higly supported and celebrated by all.

The art program was incredible. We had excellent facilities, and the faculty gave lots of time for individual development. The subjects were well-taught, and the teachers were expert in knowledge, talent, and experience. I don't recall my grades, but the personal advice on improving my own style has stayed with me.

The school offers numerous and diverse weekend, summer, and intersession activities. The school is in a mountain valley of central Utah. The location provides countless options for outdoor activities, but there were various cultural activity trip to the city as well.During longer breaks, there were options for student groups to travel regionally and beyond.

I was a townie. I didn't live in the dorms, but I spent a fair amount of time in them.It was a structured evening environment that struck a balance between ensuring adequate study time and leisure.Dorm parents did a good job of letting students have a good time without letting it all descend into chaos.

The dining hall always served good food in a casual atmosphere.

Mt. Pleasant is a great little town, surrounded by mountains. The campus is centrally located, making all services within walking distance and the historic downtown just a short walk away. The local community is safe, clean, and friendly.

The school did a great job at involving students in planning the social calendar. It felt very-much like a big family of teens and adults from every background and from around the world.