Student Stories

Suzie

A lovely teenager with a hunger to learn, Suzie has been identified as academically gifted. In spite of her intellectual ability and good attitude, Suzie came to Wye River unable to name any friends with whom she spent time, in school or out. Suzie struggles with social skills and understanding social cues to an extent that it sets her apart from her peers, and in fact, she had been regularly tormented at school. Teased and bullied, she would lash out at peers and even teachers. Her grades, along with her spirit, suffered. Recognizing Suzie’s strong ability and motivation, Wye River accepted her in the 10th grade. She loves languages. She has progressed to Spanish IV and is writing her own science fiction novel. As she approaches graduation, her academic record is outstanding and she has found creative ways to develop her considerable talents, for example, by sharing a “blog” in Latin with her teacher and by enrolling in pre-Calculus even though she would not describe herself as a math enthusiast. She has assimilated into a group of friends who welcome her in projects, on various sports teams, and at lunch. Suzie describes herself today as being more mild-tempered and more tolerant because of her environment. She explains that her teachers really care about her and want her to succeed in both academics and in life.

Peter

Graduation Peter, who graduated from WRUS in 2007, is now a third year student at Garrett College in McHenry, Maryland. His goal of attaining an A.A. degree in Adventure Sports is within sight. An emigrant from Romania at age nine, Peter had spent the first several years of his U.S. life learning English, and with the love and support of his adoptive family, he struggled to overcome the challenges brought on by his early life in a Romanian orphanage. At WRUS, he found the small, flexible, nurturing environment that encouraged his confidence and self-esteem. His mother, who had researched boarding school options as well as day schools throughout the Eastern Shore and the Baltimore-Washington corridor, remains convinced that without Wye River Upper School, Peter’s college study would hardly have been a dream much less a reality.

Missy

Now a sophomore at Davis and Elkins College in West Virginia, Missy is a talented vocalist and pianist. Though her dedicated music studies in Bethesda, Maryland had gone almost unnoticed at her large suburban high school, a mild mood disorder and a disabling joint disease made her stand out all too easily. On a drive to visit family on the Eastern Shore, Missy’s parents discovered Wye River Upper School. They were ready to make a change and were thrilled to enroll her as a sophomore. In her three years at WRUS, Missy refocused her energy toward her passion for music and musical performance. By joining the school swim team, she nurtured her joints and improved her stamina. And in her senior year, she found the courage to join the women's basketball team. At times, she struggled to run the length of the court, but not to win the enthusiastic support of her teammates and the wider school community. Missy graduated from Wye River with a belief in herself and her abilities that are the foundation of her success in college.

Claire

Claire struggled in school from the beginning of first grade. Fortunately, she attended a very small Montessori-based school where she receive a great deal of individual attention; however, a few years later in public school, she could not keep up with her peers. With a preliminary diagnosis of ADD, her parents agreed to try out medications to help her stay on task, unfortunately with little effect. Soon, every school day was a miserable day – not only for Claire but for her family. Further testing revealed that Claire’s apparent “ADD” was really a mix of learning differences, including pragmatic language disorder, a short-term memory deficit and an auditory processing delay. Since she enrolled at Wye River in 9th grade, her reading comprehension has advanced beyond her grade level, and thanks to specific teaching strategies that complement her learning style, she has maintained a strong GPA. From a somewhat reticent child, she has grown into a confident teenager who is quick to sign up for new activities and to set an example of cooperation and respect among her fellow students.

Wye River Upper School * P.O. Box 36 * Wye Mills, MD 21679 * 410-827-5822