“Every four year old, every fourteen year old, and every forty year old who walks into the school notices immediately the trust that allows individuals of all ages to lead their lives in ways that are purposeful and intense. To be trusted means that you are free to go about your day in whatever way you wish, and to pursue your education and your happiness, whether in ways that look traditional or in ways that look decidedly different. Because so many decisions go into utilizing such complete freedom each day, every person learns, first and foremost, to trust themselves and their own methods of learning and growing.”

-The Pursuit of Happiness, the Lives of Sudbury Valley Alumni,
by Daniel Greenberg, Mimsy Sadofsky, and Jason Lempka, 2004

I have spent the last four days devouring The Pursuit of Happiness, Sudbury Valley’s latest publication and the most recent study of their graduates. Every word, every sentence, has brought joy to my heart. Each quote from an alumnus, each chart and graph has created a sense of peace and trust in the Sudbury model, and in our young (one could even say infant) Sego Lily School.

This study of 119 graduates of the Sudbury Valley School (SVS) in Framingham, Massachusetts, seeks to illuminate the paths that people take after attending a school like SVS. Unlike Legacy of Trust, written by Greenberg and Sadofsky in 1992, which was primarily a factual study, The Pursuit of Happiness dives into topics such as “Why do you like or not like the jobs you have held?” and “Does your life reflect your values?” The lengthy interviews done with graduates are transcribed for the reader’s benefit, and synthesized (when possible) statistically.

I have shared with many people that my main reason for starting Sego Lily School was my own children. I want for them an education that instills a knowing of oneself, a trust in oneself, and the clear sense of values, passions, and happiness that comes from a serious process of self-reflection and inquiry. I have always had complete trust and faith that the Sudbury model would provide this for my children. However, in reading the words of graduates both older and younger than myself I am instilled with an even deeper level of trust. Knowing that, for example, the job satisfaction of SVS graduates comes from “service to others, teamwork, fun, and hands-on work,” fills me with great pride in our school and great hopes for the futures of our students. As Po Bronson states in What Should I Do With My Life?, “It’s impractical to settle for less than a life that we love.” SVS Graduates are living lives in pursuit of their dreams and passions.

There is much more to The Pursuit of Happiness – studies of relationships, families, values and influences are all elucidated. The book is easy to read, fascinating to inquire into, and, at least for me, a welcome response to the often asked question, “This sounds great, but how will they adjust to the “real world” when the leave the school?”

Copies are now available in the office for check-out, or you can buy your own from the SVS website, www.sudval.org.