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"There is no task of greater importance than to give our children the very best preparation for the demands of an ominous future, a preparation that aims at the methodical cultivation of their spiritual and their moral gifts. As long as the exemplary work of the Waldorf School Movement continues to spread its influence as it has done over the past decades, we can all look forward with hope. I am sure that Rudolf Steiner's work for children must be considered a central contribution to the twentieth century and I feel it deserves the support of all freedom-loving thinking people."
-Bruno Walter, Composer and Conductor
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Rebecca Lomnicky, CWS class of 2006, is a senior at Corvallis High School. Rebecca has travelled the country and the world as both a volunteer and very accomplished musician. During the summer of 2006, Rebecca travelled to New Orleans as part of the First Presbyterian Youth Group and helped "mud-out" and "gut-out" people's houses. According to Rebecca, "this means we went into people's homes and, using bins, dumped all their personal belongings-photo albums, stuffed animals, kitchenware, musical instruments, clothing-onto the curb to be carted away, the people that owned the houses were so grateful. I will never forget the stories they told us."
As an accomplished violin and Scottish Fiddle player, Rebecca has received numerous honors and awards. Most recently, last November Rebecca was first honored with an invitation to the "Olympics of Scottish Fiddling" the 20th Scotland, and then WON the competition beating out seven other world-class fiddlers.
Of her Waldorf education, Rebecca said, "Waldorf has been my core foundation throughout high school. It sculpted the way I think, believe, and perceive the world. Waldorf will be a part of me forever, no matter where my life leads me". "In fact, just a few days ago I was discussing 'Her Highness Minus' and 'Mr. Multiple Times' with my Waldorf friends." As for the friendships she formed at CWS, Rebecca said, "my friends from Waldorf are my best friends." Although she has made other friends in high school, "I've known my best friends since we first played with silks and tunics in Waldorf kindergarten as four-year-olds."
If she could give one bit of advice to future CWS graduates, it would be "to take honor's classes, which is the best thing that happened to me. Honors classes are for the students that are high achievers, want to work hard in school, are mature, and all around great people." Rebecca loves knowing and working together with her 'honors' friends.
Rebecca is also a member of Heart of the Valley Children's Choir and the Camerata Strings Orchestra. Next year she plans to attend a university with a strong liberal arts program. She also plans to study abroad in Scotland (or go to a university there) to support her love of Scottish Music.
If you would like the opportunity to hear Rebecca play her fiddle, plan on attending the Sierra Club Benefit Concert on Feb. 27th. For more information, visit http://rebeccalomnicky.com/.
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Alana Schaffer, CWS class of 2006, is a senior at Corvallis High School. Alana has financed trips to Costa Rica as part of the Unitarian Fellowship, and to China, England and France as part of Heart of the Valley Choir. According to Alana, however, it is her Waldorf education that has shaped her life – “The whole education had the most profound effect on my life and perspective. It has shaped who I am today….at Waldorf I was not required to memorize facts and figures, but guided to discover them for myself. Imagination, creativity and individuality were encouraged but also actively cultivated. Waldorf has nurtured in me a love of learning and discovery. Because of this, I want to learn and succeed.” Besides Heart of the Valley Choir, Alana is also involved in ballroom and modern dance, cross country skiing and running, and is a “Senior Girl” for Mr. Spartan, a major fundraiser for local charities. She is undecided about what she’ll do after she graduates, but hopes to attend a small liberal arts college. When asked about her lasting impression from the time she spent at the Waldorf School, she answers, “Waldorf was an amazing place to grow up. It was and is still a second home to me. The friendships I formed are priceless”.
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Emily Black, CWS Class of 2006, is a senior at Crescent Valley High School. She started attending CWS in the second grade after moving from Germany to Corvallis. She immediately felt connected to the school because of its belief in rhythm and tradition, many of them German. Emily has enjoyed her time in high school and particularly enjoyed time spent on the soccer and softball teams. Outside of school, Emily participates in Heart of the Valley Choir and enjoys helping coach her younger sister’s (Sunitha, 1st grade), soccer team. Last year Emily spent six months in Argentina as part of the AFS Exchange Program. Of her Waldorf education, Emily said, she “not only enjoyed the diverse education but also the strong friendships that developed over the years.”
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Troy Schaffer is an alumnus of the Eugene and Corvallis Waldorf Schools, and was a member of the Corvallis High School graduating class of 2009. While in high school, Troy earned the rank of Eagle Scout, financed travel to England and France with the Heart of the Valley Children’s Choir, and participated in service work in Costa Rica. Troy is currently attending the Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, Oregon and will earn a double major in mechanical and manufacturing engineering, with a minor in applied mathematics. After earning his bachelors degree, he’d like to complete his masters in Aerospace Engineering. During the summers, Troy keeps very busy as a wild land firefighter. Of his Waldorf education, Troy said, “CWS was 100% successful in its mission to make me a well-rounded person. I am constantly surprising people with my diverse abilities; fellow students are always surprised to find out that I can knit, sew, felt and cook! I did not realize how different the Waldorf curriculum was until I started attending public school. A lot of the opportunities I had in at the Waldorf School are not available to kids in other schools, such as making a cob dragon in third grade, carving a totem pole in fourth grade and throwing the javelin in fifth grade. Even though I’m in mechanical engineering, I still manage to express my artistic side! Just recently I made a ring-tailed lemur out of bolts and scrap metal!"
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Jake Kloper-Owens, CWS class of 2002, is a junior at Lewis and Clark College in Portland. He is majoring in Math and International Affairs. As a junior at Crescent Valley High School, Jake spent an exchange year at an International school in India. He returned to Corvallis with a much different perspective about his life in the U.S. “Life if hard for many of the Indian people and I now appreciate what I have here.” Jake also commented that the experience in India “helped me forge an independent relationship with myself, and made me more resourceful and independent”. Of his Waldorf education, Jake said, “I was able to take advanced subjects in high school because Waldorf prepared me well and instilled in me a love for and an excitement for learning. I do not always see the same enthusiasm for learning in my peers. I continue to appreciate the wisdom of my CWS education.”
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