January 2021 – Several ROBS teachers received the below email from a grateful ROBS past parent during her son’s senior year of high school.
Happy New Year!
I just wanted to reach out to say “thank you.” As you may remember, Maxx is a senior at St. John’s and has recently been accepted to Yale, his first choice school. I have always accredited a strong academic, spiritual and emotional support system that attributed to his success and it started at ROBS with what each of you have individually poured into him.
We laugh all the time that Maxx used to hate writing and when he arrived to Mrs. Meija’s (at the time, Ms. Ormand) class all of his paragraphs included the word “awesome” as if that was the only adjective he knew. Because of COVID, much emphasis was placed on the college application essay since most schools are now test optional and in-person community service efforts were halted. Thank God you all stretched Maxx beyond the word “awesome” because now his writing is so poignant, significant, focused, passionate and disciplined that landed him an Ivy League education.
We come from a family that believes in “it takes a village to raise a child” and I thank you for being a part of Maxx’s village.
Please continue to keep Maxx in your prayers as he begins this next chapter.
Praying that you all are safe and healthy during these uncertain times.
Appreciatively,
Shannon H. and “Doc”
(Maxx’s Mom and grandmother)
Pictured above: Maxx during his eighth grade year at ROBS, 2016-2017. Fun fact: Maxx was the only male staffer on the Yearbook staff that year!
