A Community Built on Gratitude

By Ava Smart, Class of 2026

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

One of my most special and joyful weeks for me at One Stone is Gratitude Week. Gratitude Week is a time when we pause to celebrate connection and reflect on the big and small things that bring meaning to our lives. Through expressions of love, care, and service, we practice gratitude as a community—whether it’s by sharing our stories, volunteering, or simply appreciating one another. 

It might seem almost surprising to you all when I tell you that we have a full week dedicated to gratitude. Why is it important to have gratitude? This question is one I have thought about a lot myself and I have formed an understanding that gratitude is so much more than simple. While in the sense that it can be easy to perform a gesture, gratitude feels so much more complex. It impacts your wellbeing, education and relationships. Gratitude can change a life, and it has changed mine.

My parents got divorced when I was 9 years old, so my family looks pretty different from what is traditionally advertised. I was taught that I would grow up, get married, and have kids—that this was the path to happiness and what a family was supposed to look like. I was never taught that around 40 to 50% of marriages in the U.S. end in divorce, or that it’s very common for parents to no longer love each other in the same way they once did. Over the years, I’ve met many new people who are now part of my growing family. Kimo is my mom’s partner and it feels weird to say out loud but he's actually also one of my best friends. He makes me proud to be who I am. He has been in my life for 6 years now and he has two daughters who are like siblings to me. Although it is often still tough, I wouldn’t change a thing. I am extremely grateful for how my family exists in the world, and that perspective has truly changed my life for the better. 

I’ve learned so much from Gratitude Week. It’s not only helped me practice gratitude in my own life and with my relationships, but it has also impacted my education. I have become a better learner and a better teammate. I have not always been in the best mindset about my education and going to school everyday. I still struggle with waking up early to get ready for school but gratitude is one of the many reasons I feel empowered to move forward with my day. 

So when we have those little moments, when we share our stories and express what we’re grateful for, this makes One Stone feel like a true community. One Stone has helped me practice gratitude. Being able to open up to each other and hear about what brought everyone here creates a connection that’s hard to find in most educational spaces. It’s different from any experience I've had in a traditional school setting because it’s not just about academics or projects; it’s about genuinely supporting and valuing each other as individuals. These moments of gratitude give me a sense of belonging. They help me to grow by reminding me of the impact kindness and connection can have, both on myself and others.

Learn more about how One Stone’s high school inspires students to do good, feel connection with others, and make the world a better place.

Racing Toward Growth

By Marien Reed, Class of 2025

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

One Stone hosts summer camps every year that explore different topics for kids of various ages in the area. My second year at One Stone, I was part of the STEM summer camp for kids in 3rd and 4th grade. This summer, I was about to change, and I didn’t even know it would happen. I changed because of my buddy, Chet. 

Chet was a quiet and introverted kid who was younger and smaller than the other kids. Many of the kids coming to camp already had friends, but Chet was alone and scared. When I first met him, I set a goal for myself: to make this camp as fun for him as possible. Chet was hesitant to talk to anyone, but once I took a motherly approach and asked him about his cool Crocs, he lit up. After that, he was glued to my side. Chet followed me around the entire camp and hardly interacted with the other campers. Every so often, I’d see him longing to play with the other boys and girls.

By the end of camp, though, Chet had gained so much confidence and was interacting with others little by little. On the last day, I knew we needed to take a big step forward. Our activity for the day was making toothbrush robots, which was a big hit with all the kids, especially Chet.

But soon, Chet fell behind during the instructions and seemed to shut down. I crouched down to his level, looked him in the eye, and told him, "You're doing amazing." After that, he took a deep breath and quickly caught up. Overcoming this struggle made him feel especially proud of himself. His robot was working perfectly, and he loved it. With this boost of confidence, I knew it was time. With my hand on his back, gently guiding him forward, I asked, "Do you want to race your robot with the other kids?"

He seemed surprised and got nervous. After thinking it over and with me reassuring him, he said yes—if I went with him. He asked another camper to race, and the other kid happily agreed.

Once they raced, there was no stopping Chet. He was running around with the other kids, laughing, connecting, and making friends. That moment made me rethink how I view change and new experiences. Chet reminded me of myself, and seeing him succeed and be happy gave me a sense of pride I had never felt before. Whenever I face a challenge or encounter a setback, I think of Chet—the little guy taking a deep breath and jumping into his struggles headfirst.

Holding Chet’s hand that day made me realize how much I love helping others. Seeing him step out of his comfort zone with confidence and watching him make more friends than he could count inspired me to do the same. Chet will continue to impact and inspire my life, even though I most likely won’t see him again. But I owe him so much for what he taught me.

Because of Chet’s influence, I’ve accomplished things I never thought possible, such as paying my tuition on my own and connecting with strangers, even just for a moment, so they feel seen. I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity, and I truly believe that we both changed and helped each other for the better.

Learn more about how One Stone’s high school empowers students to do good, help others, and make the world a better place.

From Passions into Learning Experiences

By Avary Partin, Class of 2028

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

At the beginning of my journey at One Stone, I wasn't very confident in my skills and communication at all. I had almost never worked in a team before One Stone, and I didnt have a very good relationship with my peers in my old school. I was really nervous to see fellow students at all, let alone work with them. It was a new, unique, and unfamiliar experience, filled with challenges and fears, but I'm happy I persevered through. The first few days were filled with uncertainty. If I'm honest, it didn't feel like school at all. But, throughout all of this uncertainty, I was looking forward to one thing: Learning Experiences starting. Once I saw the option for a global warming experience, I jumped at the opportunity to join it. NOTE: At One Stone, we don’t have “classes” because students don’t sit in rows, we don’t raise our hands to speak, and we don’t ask permission to go to the bathroom. We believe learning is an experience that happens everywhere, and we are trying to change the perception of what school even is.

I was always interested in global warming, and I was extremely excited to learn more about it and discuss my opinions and beliefs about it. About half way through this experience, we were assigned the project to make a model for the Boise WaterShed. We had to choose a problem relating to global warming, and I chose natural disasters. I got grouped into a team with two of my peers, and I was extremely nervous in the beginning. My team and I began researching which natural disasters are affected by global warming and found the most connections in earthquakes. Global warming has been increasing precipitation in the world, and we found some evidence behind seismic activity being affected by precipitation. I thought this was good evidence, so I presented it to our group as important information to include in our model. 

After our research, we began brainstorming about how we could construct a model. We wanted a shake table for our model, but shake plates are extremely expensive and way outside our budget. We brainstormed many different ideas, but, in the end, we decided that instead of purchasing a fancy shake table, we would have the participants in our activity shake the table instead. This way, it was not only easier but more interactive and fun. After solving this problem, we began constructing our model. We used cardboard, popsicle sticks, and lots of hot glue to slowly piece it together. About half way through was when we encountered a second problem. We wanted people to make a house for our model that they could then shake on our table to see if their house would survive an earthquake, but we had trouble figuring out what they would build the house out of. First, we thought of using Jenga, but I thought the kids wouldn't want to build the tower at all. We then thought of legos but realized they were way too grippy and wouldn’t fall apart. Lincoln Logs could have worked, but they were pretty expensive.  Finally, we thought of using magnet-tiles. They were just strong enough to stay together and just weak enough to fall apart. They were also toys that were appealing to our targeted age demographic. With that, we had finished our model.

It was finally time to go test our model at the Boise WaterShed. We set it up on a small outdoor table and watched as kids came by to try our model. Overall, it went great! Our model was extremely successful, and all of the kids enjoyed it. I was really happy with the results!

During this learning experience, I think I grew a lot in my brainstorming skills, and it was the first time here I felt confident enough to throw out ideas and come up with solutions in a group.  I'm really grateful for the opportunity this experience gave me to grow. It was a ton of fun, and I could rant on and on about how much I enjoyed working and creating with my team!

Learn more about how One Stone’s high school empowers students to learn and develop relevant skills by working to solve real world problems.

Happiness is Key

By Brock Elvidge, Class of 2028

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

I have felt hope, optimism, warmth, joy, and happiness during my first term at One Stone, but I’m going to say... 

I think I have felt happiness the most. This feeling came from many different things—like my friends, the building in general, and even just being at school. Being happy is like the key to life; it helps me show kindness, be sincere, and even when something dramatic happens, I can just put a smile on my face, and it feels better.

Since I’ve been at One Stone, I’ve thrived when it comes to friendships. I find happiness through friends a lot of the time, and it’s my relationships that help me get through the things I’m not always excited about. Some people say that having friends around can be distracting during work or school hours, but for me, it’s different. I feel like I can get more work done when I’m with a friend (=Happiness).

This year, I feel like I’ve become more engaged in doing things I love, and I feel more comfortable being myself. I find that I often express my feelings through my outfit each day. For example, if I’m feeling sad, I’ll wear a hoodie, and if I feel happy, I’ll wear shorts and a tank top—or just shorts in general. I love shorts! Before I came to One Stone, I was very shy. In 7th grade, I was super, super shy, but I got better because I was constantly interacting with people. Then in 8th grade, I started doing presentations. I would get so uncomfortable and bright red during them.

Then my 8th grade class took a tour of One Stone. At first, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go because of the size of the building and the population. But then I saw the quote on the wall: “MAKING STUDENTS BETTER LEADERS AND THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.” I also saw the Ripple Studio and the Foundry, and I started to think, "I really want to be here." Afterward, I was sure because I had two friends who also wanted to come. We all applied, got interviewed, and were accepted. I was so happy when I got my email. I was excited to see the quote on the wall because I really want to become more of a leader, and helping people definitely falls into the category of "...THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.” I love helping people who need it; it just feels good and rejuvenating when I can make a difference, even in small ways.

For example, the other day I gave a dollar to a homeless man, and I volunteer at my old school. Little things like that make me feel good. Since I’ve come to One Stone, I feel like I’ve been improving a lot—both socially and in terms of my self-worth. I’ve even improved in math. I’m so happy I get to go to One Stone, and I think it will help me a lot over the next three years of high school.

Learn more about how One Stone’s high school achieves academic excellence by helping students to become better leaders and make the world a better place.

A Rock in the Rapids

By Cadence Kirst, Class of 2025

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

Since being at One Stone, I have felt this warmth, this positivity, this sense of hope. It wasn't a feeling that spawned from an experience, the One Stone community, or even me, but instead a person. Those joyous feelings were given to me by my mentor Sam Johnson. Sam has slowly become more and more of a beacon of light in my One Stone experience over the past four years. When I am trying to start a new project, he's there to offer me suggestions and new techniques. When I have accomplished something I am truly proud of, he's there to hype me up and show me how he's just as proud of me as I am of myself. When I am struggling and need to advocate for myself, Sam stands beside me to back me up and be my secondary voice. 

Attending One Stone I’ve learned to embrace the unknown, to expect the unexpected, and to never have a set schedule. Things are constantly changing. At times that can just be the flow of One Stone, and other times it's incredibly stressful. But for me, Sam has been the one single constant. No matter how wild my One Stone journey gets he's there to help light the way. One mentor meeting can change my entire outlook on the day. I know I can come into school being stressed out of my mind, anxious about a Two Birds project, excited, sad, looking forward to a concert, confused, upset, and also thinking about 'what on earth am I going to write my research paper about', and simply walk into a mentor meeting holding all those feelings in a tangled ball. Then, Sam will meet me with a conversation, some awesome advice, a random side project, a silly story from when he was in high school, and plain old normality. I will walk out of my mentor meeting with the tangle of thoughts and feelings sorted out into a neat stack of priorities with a smile on my face. 

Funnily enough, I haven’t always felt this way. My first year at One Stone I pushed back against having Sam as my mentor. I would actively avoid mentor meetings, try to stay out of Sam’s general path, and overall ignore his existence (sorry Sam). But my mom put me in check real quick. She told me to keep in mind that as much as I hate taking time out of my day to meet with Sam, he was also taking time out of his day to meet with me. At first I was very ignorant of that, but eventually I started putting effort into the meetings, showing up with a smile and an open mind. Thanks to my mom, I very slowly shifted my mindset. After the shift, Sam started to become a genuine mentor to me, not just a random dude I had to meet with at school. He shared stories from his high school and college experience that I found myself relating to, or at least intently listening to. He almost always got me started on some oddball foundry project that fostered my passion to make things and my desire to be a foundry lead. There was even a day when his creativity fueled my own and we created foam armor after school got out. And recently he’s been upgraded to the ultimate mentor status where he gets to hear about my personal life, whether family drama, adventures with friends, or the excitement of a new relationship. 

Now I find myself seeking Sam out in the bustle of One Stone life for a mentor meeting, a quick catch up, a high five in passing, or even for a smile. Having Sam as my mentor has been a blessing. He’s my rock in the crazy river rapids that One Stone is. He is a light helping to guide me through my journey.

Learn more about how the One Stone high school empowers students with the tools to build meaningful relationships with adults, a skill that is invaluable for working with college professors, bosses, clients, and coworkers.

Learning to Reach For the Stars

By Ezra Wingrove, Class of 2026

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

I have always been a hands-on learner. Since I started asking questions when I was a toddler, I wanted people to show me how something worked and let me fiddle with it, rather than just tell me. In my previous schools, that wasn’t how learning worked. There were infinite amounts of essays to write and videos to watch but never experiments to do, never actually getting to figure it out. There was always ‘watch this cartoon video about water based energy then write a 3-paragraph essay explaining how it works,’ but it was all theoretical. There was never anything in my hands, so I never truly understood what I was taught. Teachers didn’t like me because I asked too many questions, was too curious, wanted to go see and touch the thing we were talking about. So, when I got to One Stone, I didn’t necessarily have high hopes to learn in the way I needed.

I was so surprised. One Stone embraced my way of learning. There were always field trips or site visits, and we always got to do experiments and fiddle with random things just to see how it was put together. Since my very first day, when we built stomp rockets, it’s all been hands-on, and I’ve had a great time. For three years now, I’ve been gaining confidence and curiosity to learn about new and random things I hadn’t thought about before. I learned more about my interests, found even more, and even re-sparked a few passions I had long since abandoned because of my middle school’s strict and boring lessons. I was thriving, and I still am.

Recently, I applied to something called ISAS. It stands for Idaho Science and Aerospace Scholars, and it’s for Idaho high school juniors to learn about space and NASA and get a standing in a possible career that they love. I love space; it’s just so beautiful, bright, and never ending. I thrive under the stars, just staring at the moon for hours and thinking about what could possibly be up there. Reading about the next eclipse or the recent rocket launch makes my day. So, when I heard about this opportunity, I applied without hesitation. It’s an online course to learn all of the basics, then the top 80 students move forward to work with BSU and go even further. There is also an opportunity to go on a simulated Mars mission depending on your performance and interest! I applied back in April, and all while doing school, work, and reading up on all of the satellites and rovers different space agencies have made, I waited. I would hear back in November. 

And on November 18th and 9:10 am, I almost started crying. I got in. I actually did it; I got into the program that would lead my adventures learning about space and everything that goes on in the universe. This could be the beginning of a career doing research on the stars and building rovers to collect rocks for us on different planets.

I don’t think I would have even applied if I wasn't at One Stone, because they gave me the leadership and confidence to reach for the stars (both figuratively and literally) and go for what I love, rather than settling for what’s easy. These past three years have been life changing, and I would have never learned how to wrangle my fears and take the leap if it wasn’t for One Stone.

Learn more about how the One Stone high school provides students with a wide variety of hands-on, project-based learning opportunities that are engaging, rigorous, and relevant to the student’s goals, interests, and to the their futures.

Path to a New Chapter

By Jack Barbeau, Class of 2026

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

Before I talk about my time at One Stone, I need to discuss where I came from before coming here. For most of my life, from elementary through junior high, I attended public schools. While these schools had some great teachers who are a big part of why I am who I am today, they were not the best learning environments for me—especially once I got into junior high. Kids were disrespectful and distracting in class. This meant that most of our time in class was spent with the teacher trying to get us settled and ready to learn instead of actually learning.

As someone who loves to pursue knowledge, class felt unproductive when I had to wait for everyone to calm down and listen. I felt like I spent very little time actually learning. The environment also often felt unsafe. There were frequent fights, the bathrooms were filled with the smell of vapes, and I felt like my personal space was often violated. Our solution was to move to a private school, and I ended up at a Catholic school. The school felt much safer and didn’t have the same issues with learning. However, I didn’t really feel like I fit in, not being Catholic, due to differences in both religious and political beliefs. My old Catholic school doesn’t hide the fact that they want you to adopt their beliefs, and if you don’t, they encourage you to change. Add to that the fact that the classes were rigorous and monotonous, and I began to dread going to school every day.

During my time at Catholic school, my home life was also becoming more difficult, with my mom divorcing my stepdad. I reached a breaking point and fell into severe depression and anxiety, which caused me to struggle in school and my grades plummeted. I didn’t want to stay in that environment, so I moved schools again, finally coming to One Stone. In just one semester, it has been the most enjoyable and accepting time I've had in school, and I’ve felt more accepted than ever before. At One Stone, I’m surrounded by people who share similar interests and curiosities. I’ve developed friendships with many people, to the point where I now have multiple friend groups, something I never had before. I used to have just a small group of friends. For the first time, I truly feel accepted in a school.

This sense of belonging has encouraged me to try new things and explore areas I never thought I would, such as a sport called HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts), which involves fencing with European martial weapons like longswords, greatswords, and polearms. Coming from environments that wanted to mold you, rather than genuinely help you grow, the support at One Stone has made all the difference. I’ve already explored game design, both tabletop and digital, as well as robotics, and more.

From junior high through high school, it often felt more like surviving than truly living. But now, I feel like I have the chance to grow and discover who I really am. Although I don’t have it all figured out, I have a much clearer sense of direction than I did six months ago. To be honest, the people here have been a huge part of that. The friends I’ve met at One Stone have inspired me to push boundaries and step out of my comfort zone, and I’ve tried to do the same for them through collaboration and discussion.

Another example is our immersions, which are two-week periods where we dedicate ourselves almost entirely to one thing. For instance, a few of us worked together to develop a basic video game. Most of us, including myself, had never used a game engine before and had no coding experience. I teamed up with a friend to create the game. I found resources to help us learn how to code and use our preferred game engine. Throughout the process, we bounced ideas back and forth about what we wanted to add to the game, and we worked hard to develop a solid base for it. We both pushed each other, and as a result, we performed better than we originally thought we could.

Being able to come here to One Stone has been such a great change. Even in just one semester I truly feel like I’m growing and learning who I am. Especially when coming from a public school and Catholic school. I can’t wait to continue my time at One Stone and I hope I can keep on this pace of growth.

Learn more about how the One Stone high school empowers students to use curiosity and passion as skills to drive their learning in relevant and meaningful ways that help them better understand themselves and the world around them.

Opportunities and the Difference They Can Make

By Jackson Wallace, Class of 2028

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

Way back when I was a wee little thing – couldn't have been more than five – I watched an episode of this show called Mythbusters with my Dad. These two guys would whip out welders and glue together the coolest stuff with metal. I remember clear as day how inspired we were, fantasizing that someday we would have our own shop and free reign to weld as we wished, but the years went on, hopes slowly turned to doubts, and eventually seemed to sputter out. It wasn't until almost 9 years later, two months ago, that I came to One Stone and got the kind of access to opportunities like welding that I had so desperately dreamed of. The kind that now allow my passions to shape the way I learn, play, and work.

A few months ago, on a Thursday afternoon, I found myself in the middle of a lot of large power tools, a bunch of peers, and Sam. Sam is my mentor, my one man support system, and one of the Foundry guys. The peers are irrelevant, and the tools were due to me being in the Foundry, One Stone’s makerspace. What on earth could have brought all of these components together on a Thursday afternoon, you ask: Project Good. Project Good is an after school program in which students from any high school in the Treasure Valley can come together and make a difference in the community. 

This Thursday afternoon was different. We still had access to the great space that is the Foundry, but we did not have a project. So there we sat, a Project Good without a project, but it is never a good idea to waste a load of perfectly good Foundry time, so Sam asked us what tools we wanted to try while we waited for our community-changing project to come along. I looked around. There were saws, a lot of saws. Drills hung cheerfully from their hooks, and hoards of metal doodads and scraps lay strewn about the welding table – the welding table! That was where I had seen Joe and Deagan welding; that was where all the action happened. All of a sudden I wasn't 14-year-old Jackson, I was little 5-year-old Jackson. Here was my chance. Right across the room was the coolest thingamabob ever, and Sam was asking what tools we wanted to use. I asked: "Hey Sam, how about you teach us to weld?" He paused, and said: "Why not?" And poof, I was welding.

The truth is one afternoon did not turn me into an avid welder – I actually haven't welded all that much since – but it did give me the opportunity to try something I had dreamt of since I was five. I believe that this is what makes One Stone the place that it is. The opportunities, the freedom, and the phenomenal guidance and support system it provides alongside a student-driven education. 

It hasn’t just been welding. I’ve also tried new passions by starring in a 48-hour film challenge, going on a friend’s show on RadioBoise, and building my own musical instrument.  All of this to say that One Stone provides me with the sort of opportunities I have dreamed about, and the skills I will need along the way. It gives them to me in an abundant and welcoming forum, and provides method after method of ways to find out what to do with them.

Learn more about how the One Stone high school empowers students to use curiosity and passion as skills to drive their learning in relevant and meaningful ways that help them better understand themselves and the world around them.

Swing Building

By Early Walter, Class of 2026

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

My hands were pretty beat up after all the work, but I was happy. Seeing Tug—the little boy we built the swingset for—laughing and having fun on it made it all worth it. Tug has cerebral palsy, which makes it tough for him to use a regular swing. But not this one: this swing was made just for him.

I love working with people and being in the Foundry, One Stone’s makerspace. I've done lots of different projects in the Foundry, but this is the first one that has really impacted someone.

We started by meeting with Tug's mom. She was thrilled that we were building a swing set for her son. We asked her tons of questions about Tug—what he liked, what he needed, and anything else that could help us design the perfect swing for him. We also looked up designs online and consulted with his physical therapist and family to get their input. Once we had all the information, it was time to get to work!

Building things is something I’m really into. Our Foundry is packed with tools and supplies, so turning an idea into reality is an awesome feeling. For this project, I helped ideate how we were going to create the frame of the swingset. It had to be strong, safe, and easy for Tug to use. We also had a deadline that was coming up fast. We brainstormed and sketched out designs. It was great to see everyone contribute their ideas and make the project a true team effort.

One challenge was explaining how to use some tools effectively. Sometimes, it’s hard to make instructions clear and not intimidating for people with less experience. But despite this, everyone found ways to get involved. I’m proud of how we worked together to get things done.

We created two swing attachments: a platform swing and a bolster swing. I spent most of my time building the platform swing, making a sturdy base that Tug could crawl onto with ease. The design also needed to be safe, as Tug’s mom wanted him to be able to play all by himself. I also helped other students assemble the bolster swing that they had designed in order to meet our deadline.

Upholstering the swings was another fun part of the process. We made sure to choose a durable, weatherproof, and waterproof material. We also picked blue because it's Tugs' favorite color. We learned from his mom and therapist that he associates colors and sounds, and loves music, so we incorporated a couple bells for him to be able to use. It’s amazing how little details like that can make such a big difference. We put so much thought and care into every part of that swing set.

Seeing Tug laugh and swing made all the hours in the Foundry worth it. It’s incredible to know that something we created as high school students can bring joy to someone’s life.

This project wasn’t just about building a swing; it was about learning and growing. I gained more skills in woodworking and discovered opportunities I hadn’t thought about before. I also grew in areas like collaboration, leadership, and passion.

Most importantly, this project taught me how crucial it is to listen to the people you’re helping. By listening to Tug’s mom and his physical therapist, we truly understood how to meet his needs. The whole experience felt like a dream come true.

Being part of something that made such a positive impact was inspiring. I want to get involved in even more projects that utilize my skills to help others.

Learn more about Project Good, One Stone’s experiential service program that helps students develop important real-world skills by serving the community and working with others.

A Yellowstone Summer

By Ella Cornett, Class of 2025

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

Clothes, souvenirs, and shards of glass littered the grass next to the highway, leading to the trunk of an SUV. The vehicle had veered across traffic and rolled off the road. A clear picture was sculpted into the car: deformed metal at odd angles, doors ajar, and wheels deeply embedded in the soft ground. The call came over the ambulance radio as a four-person vehicle rollover with one severely injured patient. As we arrived on scene, I saw three people standing along the roadside. 

It was my second day of my Summer Experience as an intern with the Yellowstone Emergency Medical Services. Summer Experience is an opportunity to pursue our passions and possible career interests in the real world. Waves of disbelief and anticipation rolled through me as we exited the ambulance. I rounded the corner of the dilapidated car and laid eyes on our patient. I couldn’t believe it was real. A medic instructed me to set up the blood pressure cuff, so I did, carefully manning the monitor as paramedics treated our patient’s injuries. We loaded the patient into our ambulance, ready to meet a helicopter transport team in a neighboring valley. The short time I spent in Yellowstone National Park, unexpectedly altered my trajectory; awakening an unknown, unexplored passion for emergency medicine. 

Prior to my Yellowstone adventure, I earned my Wilderness First Aid certification at One Stone. During this learning experience, I fell in love with learning new skills such as how to splint injuries using t-shirts, administer epinephrine to severely allergic patients, and remove barbed hooks with pieces of string. I left that experience yearning to dig deeper and explore what the emergency medical field had to offer. So, with help from my mentor, Ashlee, I reached out to Yellowstone National Park in pursuit of a summer internship with their Search & Rescue and Emergency Medical Services teams.

I was positive the answer would be, “no.” I was seventeen, had no prior medical experience, and had never met with any park personnel. When my visit was confirmed and my housing was set up in response to my message, I was shocked. Two months later, I packed my bags and drove to the park. I spent nine days lowering volunteer patients off the roof of the Old Faithful Lodge, treating real patients while riding along on ambulances, and rappelling down cliff faces to learn safe rope management practices. I was fascinated, excited to be practicing relevant real-world skills. I left Yellowstone curious and desperately craving more.

Before Yellowstone, I was convinced the medical field was not for me. Both of my parents work in healthcare, and I believed that in order to become my own individual, I had to do something completely different. However, my time in Yellowstone was transformative. I felt at home in the back of the ambulance. I was calm, in control, and present. The people I met became family, and the emergencies I responded to solidified my passion. I loved making a visible difference in the world around me by doing life-saving work. Yellowstone gave me a sense of self, a realization that I can seek a medical career in a way that is authentically mine, without sacrificing my individuality. Inspired by my experience, I am spending this semester at the Idaho Medical Academy, becoming an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). 

I am one of the youngest, most inexperienced members of my cohort. Nerves plague my walk to class. Constantly, I remind myself of the transformational experiences that I’ve had at One Stone and in Yellowstone. I remind myself of how blood got on my gloves while responding to the car crash, how I helped the paramedics move our patient, and how I took patient blood sugars while on our way to the helicopter. I remember that I know Ella Cornett better than anyone else in this world. I know that I want to help people, that I love emergency medicine, and that I have every tool I need to successfully complete EMT school. My passion is authentically mine, and I am using it to propel myself towards the future.

Learn more about how Summer Experience at One Stone’s high school empowers students to find professional work experiences, internships, or volunteer work to help them develop important real-world skills by prototyping and testing future careers.

Take Risks

By Emelyne Hirschi, Class of 2028

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

It’s normal to feel scared and excited when a new chapter of your life starts. And that’s exactly how I felt about starting high school. I couldn’t go back to being at my old school where I was comfortable and I couldn’t fast forward in time so that I could know what I was doing. Something I could do though was think about how I wanted to approach starting something new. I wanted to make new connections with other people and be challenged academically. So even though I had little idea of what I was doing, I had these goals to guide me. 

When we were choosing our learning experiences, I put myself out there by signing up for ones that I liked even though I didn’t know anyone else in them. I think that’s a big theme of my time at One Stone so far: putting myself out there. And it’s not just applicable to high school. It’s important to do it any time you’re in a new place and anywhere you don’t know anybody. It’s hard but it can be very rewarding when you find people you enjoy being around and when you figure something out.

Once school had started there were things that happened and people I met that helped me know more of what I was doing. Nora and Andy were super helpful when it came to having somebody to ask questions and showing me the ropes. For starters, I was on a team with them when we did a cardboard boat regatta during the first week to practice collaboration and build connections. One of the things they did in that week was help me get used to the rhythm of One Stone. Nora was really helpful (even if she didn't know) with knowing what was going on. And Andy was helpful with where to find things and how they worked. They also helped me grow in collaboration; they were a good example of a teammate and showed me how to work well with others. If I had a question, they would help figure it out. And I still talk to them and have a connection with them. On our school-wide trip to Paradise Point at the beginning of the year, I was scared beforehand. But during and especially after, I felt proud of myself. Being around people I didn't know but who are supportive, caring, and encouraging did help me feel less shy. It gave me an added boost because I felt accepted and happy with where I was at. I think there’s always a period of getting used to new things but having people there that want to help you and want to know you does make it less stressful and hard. 

And now there are times when I run into people and they look so happy to see me and say my name so happily. It gives me such a warm feeling because there’s something about thinking that someone is cool and then they think you’re cool too! It gives me a boost and it definitely reminds me that I want to show my happiness about seeing someone to give them that warm feeling. It also reminds me that it’s worth it to take risks because you can meet new people and learn so much.

Learn more about how developing real-world skills and competencies like empathy, vulnerability, and risk taking helps students become more confident learners and leaders.

Becoming a Confident Speaker

By Eo Horel, Class of 2027

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

During my 8th grade year, one of my English class assignments was to write and share aloud an essay about a book we had read. I had never had an assignment before where I was asked to read in front of a group of people. My class was small, but regardless, it was still intimidating. Writing an essay wasn't where I struggled. I lacked confidence in my presentation and public speaking skills. And, as a younger student, I had a tendency to avoid those challenging moments. Out of habit, I approached my teacher to talk about reading my essay in private, rather than in front of my peers. As a result, my grade dropped and I missed a crucial growth opportunity. 

When I applied to One Stone, I heard a lot about the presentations and public speaking students were involved in at the school, but for some reason, I wasn’t particularly worried about it. It wasn’t until I became a One Stone student that I realized how much speaking was part of the experience. Since then, I’ve spoken in front of much larger crowds than the 30-person class I was afraid to speak in front of in 8th grade. Now, I’m comfortable talking to people I’ve never met and telling them about One Stone. I am able to memorize scripts to present to hundreds of people, and handle all of it with confidence. Of course, there’s still some nervousness, but it’s nothing compared to the fear I felt back in 8th grade. When I joined One Stone, I knew that the effort I put into my learning over the next four years would shape my experience, so I fully committed to it. I said yes to every opportunity that came my way and reached out whenever something caught my interest.

Knowing that I wanted to invest myself in the community, I was offered the opportunity to speak with several groups from other schools who were eager to learn about One Stone's innovative approach to learning. Every time I talk with these groups, I find that they are consistently impressed by the students' ability to articulate their experiences and thoughts about the school. Students don’t just attend One Stone to learn academic content; they are truly engaged in shaping and defining their education. I am able to express that One Stone’s emphasis on student-driven learning, leadership, and community involvement has not only helped me grow as a learner, but as a person.

The fact that the visitors leave feeling inspired by the students' reflections and insights speaks volumes about the impact One Stone has had on its students and reinforces why I feel so passionate about being part of this community. Being able to talk to strangers, sometimes with language barriers, and explain to them what One Stone does and the way it develops confidence and student voice is one of the many incredible tools One Stone has given me. And it’s a reminder that school doesn't have to just be about transferring knowledge—it can be about fostering a space where students are given the tools and the platform to be active participants in their learning journey. 

Learn more about how the One Stone high school provides an abundance of real-world opportunities for students to practice professional public speaking, lead tours and facilitate workshops with external organizations, and conduct interviews with community members and industry experts.

One Stone Has Given Me A Voice

By Cadence Taylor, Class of 2028

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

One Stone gave me a chance to use my voice when I couldn't use it before. Before I started at One Stone I was so nervous around teachers, asking for help was my worst enemy. Sounds dramatic I know, but I was in a place where you were made fun of for putting effort into your education. Being in a community where being yourself or asking for help was put down, it made me unable to express my needs and when I was struggling. While I was figuring out what high school would look like for me, I found out about One Stone through my mom and through some friends. When I read more about it I thought there was no way it was actually a student-driven high school because no school would have that much trust in their kids. I was wrong. 

My first week of One Stone, I was totally lost, it almost didn't feel real. The first real assignment that we had was reading a One Stone publication, called “Voice,” with different stories about people's leadership experiences at One Stone. Reading about these people's lives and their stories gave me a look into how my life would change. I didn't realize that for a while, but when I say “my life changed,” I mean it. It’s only been four or five months, but I truly don't think I would be who I am today without One Stone, the people I came here with, and the people I met here. 

For example, I used to be convinced that I was horrible at math. It was my least favorite subject. There was a time at my old school where I got an 18/51, and I was devastated. I thought that trying wasn't worth it anymore and I was too afraid of my teachers to ask for help. 

Part of One Stone I found really cool was the fact that we could choose all of our workshops and learning experiences, which are words we use instead of “classes” because learning should be engaging, hands-on, and active. Something that caught my eye specifically was in FUNdamentals of Math with Emily as the coach. This was the most basic workshop One Stone offered in the fall and it was designed for students who need to brush up on math foundations or for those of us who are interested in teaching or working with kids. I told people that I joined this particular workshop because I felt that my future vocation would be education based, which is true. I would love to do something like that. In all honesty though, I was scared that I wouldn't be able to do any of the other math workshops that One Stone offered. After only a few weeks, I found myself liking math more and more. Even if I found the math hard or it was something that I didn't know, I became more confident expressing myself and I wasn’t afraid to ask for help. Throughout the fall term, with help from my peers and Emily as my coach, I became more confident in my basic math skills. I learned how to confidently multiply and divide fractions, which is something I have always struggled with. Being able to learn things I wasn't great at before, and being supported by the people in that experience to advocate for myself, gave me a voice, and a place to use that voice. 

Peeps on the Street was another amazing opportunity I got at One Stone that helped me grow as a person. For those who don’t know, Peeps on the Street is a design lab activity which is composed of XLab (foundations of design thinking), DLab (student-led collaborative design thinking teams), and YLab (autonomous and independent design think projects typically led by students in their final year). Since I'm in my first year at One Stone, I am in XLab. In XLab, we have been working with the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) and researching vehicle crash factors in Idaho. Working with actual data sets provided by ITD, we dove into statistics and personal stories of people impacted by vehicle crashes. Peeps on the Street is a One Stone event that gives students the opportunity to present what they have been doing in a semi-formal presentation. For my group's project, we shared our findings on speeding as a crash factor. We had done lots of research weeks before and we had lots of time to prepare, but I still had the thought in the back of my mind that I was missing something or made a mistake. Stepping out of my comfort zone, I asked my team, who I wasn't super close with at that time, for help. By asking if they felt something was missing too, I got more comfortable asking people for help. I continued asking for help, until I figured out what was missing. Peeps on the Street was so incredibly helpful for not only for growing my confidence in myself, but also for bonding with new people.

Because of Peeps on the Street and FUNdamentals of Math I was able to grow in ways I never thought I would. Now that I am more confident in myself and able to say when I'm uncomfortable or when I'm unsure, my life has changed for the better. I'm more confident, and I'm able to embrace my mistakes instead of being afraid of them. One Stone has given me a voice and the opportunity to use that voice.

Attending One Stone I’ve learned to embrace the unknown, to expect the unexpected, and to never have a set schedule. Things are constantly changing. At times that can just be the flow of One Stone, and other times it's incredibly stressful. But for me, Sam has been the one single constant. No matter how wild my One Stone journey gets he's there to help light the way. One mentor meeting can change my entire outlook on the day. I know I can come into school being stressed out of my mind, anxious about a Two Birds project, excited, sad, looking forward to a concert, confused, upset, and also thinking about 'what on earth am I going to write my research paper about', and simply walk into a mentor meeting holding all those feelings in a tangled ball. Then, Sam will meet me with a conversation, some awesome advice, a random side project, a silly story from when he was in high school, and plain old normality. I will walk out of my mentor meeting with the tangle of thoughts and feelings sorted out into a neat stack of priorities with a smile on my face. 

Funnily enough, I haven’t always felt this way. My first year at One Stone I pushed back against having Sam as my mentor. I would actively avoid mentor meetings, try to stay out of Sam’s general path, and overall ignore his existence (sorry Sam). But my mom put me in check real quick. She told me to keep in mind that as much as I hate taking time out of my day to meet with Sam, he was also taking time out of his day to meet with me. At first I was very ignorant of that, but eventually I started putting effort into the meetings, showing up with a smile and an open mind. Thanks to my mom, I very slowly shifted my mindset. After the shift, Sam started to become a genuine mentor to me, not just a random dude I had to meet with at school. He shared stories from his high school and college experience that I found myself relating to, or at least intently listening to. He almost always got me started on some oddball foundry project that fostered my passion to make things and my desire to be a foundry lead. There was even a day when his creativity fueled my own and we created foam armor after school got out. And recently he’s been upgraded to the ultimate mentor status where he gets to hear about my personal life, whether family drama, adventures with friends, or the excitement of a new relationship. 

Now I find myself seeking Sam out in the bustle of One Stone life for a mentor meeting, a quick catch up, a high five in passing, or even for a smile. Having Sam as my mentor has been a blessing. He’s my rock in the crazy river rapids that One Stone is. He is a light helping to guide me through my journey.

Learn more about how the One Stone high school helps students learn to use their voice to confidently advocate for themselves, their learning, and for others.

Growing through Doing Good

By Camden Costa, Class of 2025

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

Working with Future Public School throughout my time in Project Good has brought me countless opportunities to connect with other students and inspire them to put their mind towards something they want. Project Good is One Stone’s experiential service program, and this year, I am helping lead a skateboarding club after school. 

One student, Kyme, told me about how much he enjoys skateboarding and how grateful he is for the opportunity. Working with these young students has been fun and nostalgic. I love seeing the younger population involved in sports because of the significant impact sports have had on my life. Working with Kyme has been engaging and character developing. Working with Future has helped me show vulnerability and create more engaging lessons for students.

 Engaging elementary students in learning has been much more challenging than I expected. I've discovered that volunteering in the community always lifts my spirits. I've learned that making the experience fun and closely related to my passions can have an impact for the better. While working with Future Public School, I've had the opportunity to demonstrate and grow my passion and leadership skills. Running an after-school skate program has allowed me to display my ability to communicate effectively and work efficiently when I am passionate about the subject. 

This experience has also taught me the importance of passion and how beneficial it can be, even when faced with tasks that I don't find interest in. This experience has shown me the challenges of maintaining dedication when passion is lacking, but it has also shown me the value of perseverance and finding motivation in any situation. From my first lesson to last Thursday, my passion has remained steady, but my skill set has improved significantly. I have consistently applied skills from this experience to various situations. 

From this experience I have gained patience and adaptability. I am constantly required to adapt and create more engaging activities. I learned from my mistakes and benefited from reflecting on what went well and what I can change. This program gives students the opportunity to bond and experience a sense of accomplishment by staying active and spending time outdoors, which I believe is important. 

Working with senior citizens was helpful after my previous Project Good experience with younger kids because it diversified my communication skills and challenged me in new ways. 

Working with people living in assisted living homes and the kids at Future Public School has allowed me to make an impact on diverse groups in our community. I am grateful for the opportunity Project Good has provided, allowing me to contribute to our community. 

Learn more about Project Good, One Stone’s experiential service program that helps students develop important real-world skills by serving the community and working with others.

Learning by Taking Risks

By Crimson Stewart-Fatzinger, Class of 2028

This article is a part of a series of student stories of growth curated for the 2025 One Event. If you enjoy this story, please donate and tell us which student’s story inspired you to give.

Personal growth is often thought of as a dramatic transformation, but growth comes in different measures, whether that be in large bursts or small steps. The lowest point for me in terms of growth was when I was in online school during the pandemic. I had barely any motivation to work, and I kept pushing my work back, which became a bad habit. After moving schools for 7th and 8th grade, I finally was able to get into One Stone where I began my learning journey.

Growth is gradual. For example, when I first came to One Stone, I was nervous and closed off. I had trouble being vulnerable, but I immediately found my friends, which helped a lot. At the beginning of the school year, I had a lot to work on in terms of becoming vulnerable and collaborating with others. At my old school, my collaboration skills were used a lot. Most of our projects were group projects, which I struggled with because I usually work better solo. I had and still do have a hard time taking risks because it's easier playing it safe, but during my time here at One Stone, I have been thinking outside the box and taking more risks. I have gradually strengthened my confidence throughout the BLOB - One Stone’s Bold Learning Objectives that include knowledge, mindset, creativity, and skills. In areas where I don't feel as confident, I’m working with coaches to improve my writing, critical reading, and research. I have grown in many different ways from the beginning of the school year, but I feel the most important competency that I have been developing is risk-taking. 

I was on a team with another student that wrote and produced a video for the 2025 One Event with the help of a professional videographer, Eric Straubhar. When my teammate and I were working on our video and writing the script, I took a lot of risks. The biggest risk I took in that process was revising a specific part in the script. We were working towards finalizing the script when a certain line wasn’t working for me. I spoke up and we spent more time redoing that line to make it more impactful and memorable. In the end, it turned out very well. But this is the sort of thing that the “old me” woud have just turned in and considered it done.

Another example of growth I've experienced since coming to One Stone was during Peeps on the Street, a time where design lab groups receive feedback on their projects from the community. My group was given a lot of feedback after we presented to each group of people. The feedback was very valuable, but some of it was hard to take since it felt like it was targeting our project. But the more feedback we were given, the easier it became to understand the feedback on a deeper level. It made me realize they gave us very useful feedback. Since I have been at One Stone, I have improved in a lot of BLOB objectives and competencies. I am very grateful for all of the opportunities I have had such as our trip to Paradise Point and the chance to be on the One Event video production team. I still have a ways to go, but, so far, but I’m proud of the the progress I've made so far!

Learn more about how students use One Stone’s Growth Framework and the BLOB to set goals, reflect on their growth, and measure growth in 24 real-world skills and competencies that allow them to thrive in high school, in college, and in life.