From the time I was nine years old, Saturday Academy gave me the chance to program computer games, compose electronic music, and design bridges to withstand earthquakes—among many other things. The classes and camps I participated in provided exposure to new ideas and concepts beyond the traditional elementary and middle school classroom. They offered a creative outlet that I remain grateful for illuminating skills I didn’t know I had. Flash forward. As a lawyer today, these skills have found a home in a profession that combines my love for writing, speaking, and crafting arguments, with my passion for history and analysis, which were inherent in Saturday Academy’s STEAM focused programming. These formative experiences set me on a path towards law school by the time I reached college.
Today, I’m a more well-rounded lawyer and person because of those opportunities. Now as a Board Member of Saturday Academy, I have come full circle in service to the organization that gave me so much.
This past summer, my daughter, Fiona, participated in her first Saturday Academy Summer Camp—officially making us a multi-generational Saturday Academy family. She spent the week exploring art and forging bonds with her peers. “Making our own creations made me really happy because I got to work together with a friend and turn our ideas into actual stuff,” she shared. Our family anticipates sharing many more memories like this one.
Saturday Academy has overcome great odds to be able to celebrate 42 years.
The past several years, however, have proven difficult, and we need your support.
Your contributions are critical to ensuring that Saturday Academy can continue offering dynamic and meaningful educational programming across the state of Oregon. From Classes and Camps, to Apprenticeships and School Residencies, each experience is designed for students to discover their voice through Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. Our mission is only possible through the support of those, like yourself, who personally know the impact of Saturday Academy’s work.
I hope you’ll join me as the year comes to a close to ensure the
next generation of innovators has the space for their own full circle story.