Testimonials

Dear Prospective Parent,

Like you our family was in crisis. Our fifteen year old son was out of control. He was truant from school, in trouble with the law, and refusing to do anything but sleep and play computer games. He seemed depressed and unable to make sense of his life.

We sent him to New Dominion School with little hope for more than having him complete the GED instead of a high school diploma. He lived in an outdoor environment and learned to be responsible for his actions. He had "to get real" and drop the image that covered his insecurity. His journey of self discovery led him to realize that he had to set goals and then achieve those goals through hard, honest work.

After New Dominion he went to a military high school of his choice. He became an officer and trainer of the younger students. Every summer he went to summer school to make up for lost time and to earn an advanced high school diploma. During his senior year he received a flight scholarship and earned his private pilot's license. He graduated as valedictorian, and was offered several scholarships to college. Now, he is attending college at a military academy.

Don't give up hope. Children can change and surprise you. We owe New Dominion School a great deal of debt of thanks for unlocking the potential of our son.

Sincerely,
Rob and Bonnie

The decision to send our son to NDS was the toughest choice we have ever made, but it was the best choice, the right one. Our eighteen month long experience was emotionally draining and mentally challenging, yet extremely rewarding. We would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to send their child there to do so. It gave our son a second chance at life and headed him and our entire family in a new, positive direction. The program requires commitment of time and energy and a willingness of the entire family to reflect upon and change behaviors.

The entire staff at the facility is dedicated and involved. It is a place where the boys feel safe and learn to trust their peers and adults. They learn how to communicate their feelings and to develop healthy relationships. Our son gradually developed a sense of ownership of being a resident of New Dominion and to this day humbly speaks of it with pride.

The NDS boys learn sensitivity to others and a renewed appreciation for family and the world around them. They live a healthy lifestyle where they are responsible for and see the direct consequences of their actions. The New Dominion way of life is an approach from which we could all benefit.

My experience at New Dominion was life changing. With the age of the staff, it made it easier to talk to them than my parents. The staff were mostly just out of college no older than 30 for the most part. I had many problems telling my parents about what I was feeling or doing. I would just lie to my parents and then walk away so they couldn't second guess me. The main reason I went to NDS was for my problems with decision making. I got into drugs and involved myself with a couple of gang members. I wouldn't go to school unless my parents threatened me with something important to myself. This was when my selfishness came about because I was a spoiled child and I would do anything to get what I wanted. With all of these things combined, I was close to going to jail. I had already been in trouble with the law two times and I couldn't go back there.

I learned many skills at New Dominion that have helped me cope with my feelings and pressures of real life. Academic instruction is all one-on-one and self paced which made it easy to learn and faster to do. The counseling part was mainly in a small group setting which helps you gain the trust of those that you live with in your group. Things changed for me at home after NDS. I am a lot closer to my parents, especially with my dad, and we never had a relationship before. I can now talk to my parents about anything that happens. I have no need to hide things from them since I found out that honesty is easier than lying. Now that I know my own feelings and what is best for me I can make my own life decisions. I used to worry about what would happen when I would do one thing but, now I don't because I know I am going to benefit from it. I can deal with anything that comes to me and not worry about it destroying me.

I would recommend this program to anyone who is looking to change their life and become more mature.

Sincerely,
Paul

Before I went to New Dominion (Girls School), I struggled a lot with making good decisions. I did negative stuff and invovled myself with negative people; I was making horrible decisions and only thinking about myself. I got into trouble with the law, I used drugs, and I wasn't concerned about school or getting an education. I was constantly getting into arguments with my family, slamming doors, and cursing at them. Aside from these problems, more personal issues that I also struggled with were depression, anxiety, and a low self esteem. My parents had tried to help me with these issues by seeking a psychologist for me, but nothing ever changed.

Then I ended up in trouble with the law. My parent's decided to send me to New Dominion so I wouldn't go to jail. My first few weeks there were not easy since I had to adapt to a lifestyle that I was not comfortable with. I tried my best to make people think I was fine by walking around with a smile glued to my face, but the staff knew better and called me on it everytime! Eventually those weeks turned into months, and those months turned into a year! I grew up while being there. I graduated from high school at New Dominion, where I recieved my diploma, I got into an elite group called Sachem (which is like a Student Council), and I gained many skills (such as problem solving, communication, team work, and social skills.) I miss the friendships that I made, the learning enviroment that was provided, and i miss that care that people showed to each other everyday at New Dominion. I have been out of New Dominion for a little over 4 months, but i still consider that school my home away from home.

Things at home have been better. I have learned how to discuss problems rather than yell about them, I haven't fallen back into any of my "old habbits" , and I am a more confident, self assured, and goal oriented person. I no longer settle for less than what I know i am capable of doing. Since I have left, I have already gone back and visited the school twice, and will most likely continue to do so!

Sincerely,
Kristen