Sweet and adorable in 2019, the students – Mia Bouyoucef ’25, Thomas Crowley ’24, Kaitlyn Gonzalez ’24, Tyira Jackson ’24, Zoe Katsoufis ’24, T.J. Malone ’25, Daniel Mendelson ’25, Francisco Gomez Rivas-Vazquez ’24 and Sindhu Talluri ’25 – will astound you with the poise, authenticity, empathy and perspective they displayed during this surprise video shoot in late September. David and I became emotional listening to their spontaneous, genuine and heartfelt comments on kindness and the way those comments intertwined with our core values. 

Please enjoy a glimpse of that session by watching this video.

This reunion far surpassed our hopes for it. With great maturity, all of the students showed the ability to step outside of their daily experiences to see the bigger picture of what it means to be a student at Ransom Everglades. Each talked earnestly and passionately about our mission and core values. They shared how they felt supported by their peers, their teachers and the RE alumni community, and how they have experienced diversity and inclusion, joy and wellbeing, honor and excellence and service and outreach. David and I had intended to lead the conversation; however, once the students began talking, we just listened. 

We build our classroom instruction around a pedagogy of inquiry at Ransom Everglades. From the day they arrive, RE students are urged to step outside of their comfort zones, express their views in front of their peers, listen to what others have to contribute, and work collaboratively to find novel solutions to challenging problems. That dynamic represents a fundamental part of the academic experience at RE. That dynamic is at the heart of this video.

David and I expected to see growth in our students. We didn’t expect to witness a transformation. We left the classroom that day feeling amazed and grateful. These students will soon be sent out into the world. We have absolutely no doubt they and their peers will take our mission and core values with them, living out and sharing The RE Way so that – in the great tradition of our school – they leave the world better than they find it.