This is Dude, an energetic all-star player of rough-and-tumble games, an art-room creator, and a genuine devotee of friendship. Dude, as his nickname implies, is an archetypal expression of his age, 10. He is to 10-year-old shenanigans and fun as LeBron is to basketball: a virtuoso, a quintessential expression. At Hudson Valley Sudbury School, this path of natural development is what is on offer. Students are supported to fully express their gifts and proclivities day-to-day, to embody their developmental stage and their own genius, and as a result they grow into effective adults unobstructed by the agendas of proscribed development. Dude also gave a superb interview, which will speak for itself in this profile.
At school Dude can most often be found playing outdoors with his pals. He says, “I love all the outside freedom here…my favorite part is there are so many options for exploring.” Currently his favorite spot is the back hill, since there is ice and snow. He says, “I love doing crazy stunts [sledding and snowboarding].” In warmer weather he fancies the tree net in our new satellite playground in the woods off the parking lot. During our interview he added, “having the freedom [to be outdoors whenever I want] feels so great. I feel so…free.”
When he isn’t hard at play, Dude is typically working on his cardboard or paper creations in the art room. He says, “I really like to work at paper. I learned a lot on YouTube. And then I customize things. I had tried with cardboard but it was always so hard for me. Then I saw examples of paper stars, I tried various papers and techniques and now I’ve learned to do it…Anyone can do anything they put their mind to.”
Dude says he has also learned he can express and advocate for himself at school. He contrasts this with his previous experience, saying, “at my old school it didn’t seem like a positive thing [when I spoke up]. But it is here. I would get in trouble for drawing on a test or something. Here I can just draw!” Part of self-advocacy at school that Dude appreciates is democratic process. He says, “I like that kids have the vote, not just grownups. It’s a good system. It might even bring up a few good lawyers!” He added, “this school is a great community and you don’t have to be afraid to express yourself here.!”
Dude is beloved by his pals. When we asked him what makes a good friend, he told us the core of a good friendship is trust. We find this to be an astonishing insight, and one we believe also applies to the development of human beings. We come, outfitted by millions of years of evolution, designed for development and growth. Just like every other organism on our planet, what we need to manifest that growth is a healthy habitat and a supportive community. It is always a beautiful moment when we see that the young people here who are experiencing this understand it, even more clearly than we do. Dude says, “an adult is successful if they are still happy and complete the things they want to.” Thank you, Dude, for reminding us. We are so grateful to have you here in our midst, doing your thing and enjoying your childhood. Thank you, so much, for sharing this with us, and for all your gifts to this great community.”