Doing well in the traditional school setting is one thing, but I didn’t really get energized about learning until my MBA program. It was then that I experienced what it was like to work with others who wanted to be a part of something greater.

The professors expected much from us, and we were rewarded for our ingenuity. Jeff Sandefer, founder of Acton Academy, was one of those professors and he became a mentor for me. So when he mentioned to me one day about this new school he and his wife Laura were developing, I instinctively knew I wanted this for my own kids. It wasn’t until I visited his pilot program in Austin, TX that I became fully convinced.

The students had a totally different demeanor than at a typical school. They were busy, engaged, and fully in charge of their own learning and their own community.

While planning and building Acton ABQ, I’ve interacted with over a dozen other amazing and visionary leaders who are launching Acton Academy schools from California to Kuala Lumpur. We all share a common belief that our students are capable of much more than most people ever expect of them and that given the opportunity to find their own Hero’s Journey, they will engage in incredible ways and change the world.