During the early years, I was fascinated by the storytelling. I was captivated. The exposure to the arts-even though I didn't consider myself a talented artist-allowed me to express myself. I got a tremendous amount from that. And I was very fortunate to have a teacher who had a keen sense for the needs of children. If you think of the many benefits to a child of the parental relationship, to then have a teacher who spends more time with you than your parents, to have someone you can trust and who will grow with you for eight years, that's a rare gift.

I think the end result of Waldorf Education is to raise our consciousness. There is a heightened consciousness of what our senses bring us from the world around us, about our feelings, about the way we relate to other people. It taught me how to think for myself, to be responsible for my decisions. Second, it made me a good listener, sensitive to the needs of others. And third, it helped establish meaningful beliefs. In all the main block lessons-in history, science, philosophy-we really probed the importance of values and beliefs. In dealing with a lot o[ complex issues and a lot of stress, if that isn't balanced by a core of meaningful beliefs, you really will just be consumed and fail.

Mr. Chenault received his B.A. from Bowdoin College, and his J.D. from Harvard Law School. 

"The first time I understood the benefit of a Waldorf education was my first week in college. Students around me were flipping out because they were afraid of writing papers. At High Mowing we had at least ten pages to write every night. It was such a big part of our education that I became very confident in my writing. I still have my Faust main lesson book with me.  We had to analyze each scene, then write the analysis. When I wrote about it, I was able to expand my thinking and make it my own. That’s what’s so wonderful about Waldorf Education. You’re exposed to many different ideas, but you’re never given one view of a topic. You’re encouraged to think as an individual.

Dante’s Inferno, that was another thing. I did a six-foot painting of all the stages in the Inferno – it took three and a half weeks. That’s how I understood every character in the book. It allows you to see things visually and not just intellectually, and without that, I don’t think I could be a good actress.

When I get a script, it’s my job to interpret that script. I do it exactly as I would have to do a main lesson book. I envision a character completely separate from the script and I make her my own. Then I return to the script and per her into it. That way I create my own character, and the feedback from directors is always, 'that was very interesting'. It might not be their interpretation, but they’re interested. I think that’s one of the greatest gifts of Waldorf Education, that if you do the inner work, and you make a choice, that choice is valid. I think that comes from this whole culture of making you feel comfortable in the world and learning that being an individual is a wonderful thing.”

Ms. Margulies received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College.

For the Waldorf student, music, dance, and theater, writing, literature, legends and myths are not simply subjects to be read about, ingested and tested - They are experienced. Through these experiences, Waldorf students cultivate a lifelong love of learning as well as the intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual capacities to be individuals certain of their paths and to be of service to the world.

Read more about Why Waldorf Works...

Some excerpts from the AWSNA publication: "Learning to Learn", Waldorf Alumni Reflections.