Alumni Spotlight: Isabelle Mariani '16

A school's impact rarely comes into complete focus during the years a student is enrolled. It shows up years later, in the career choices a graduate makes and the communities they choose to serve. Isabelle Mariani '16 arrived at Proctor after years in schools that would not try to understand a student whose brain worked differently. When asked in the Admissions Office why she wanted to come here, she answered through tears: "I just want to learn how to learn." She met her Learning Specialist, Kate Jones, on the first day of school, and fourteen years later still counts her as one of the most important people in her life. Many others in the community shaped her time at Proctor. She is now an elementary school teacher in her seventh year, running a classroom based on principles she first saw modeled at Proctor.

1) What programs or people influenced you most at Proctor?

For my entire childhood and into young adulthood, I had been turned away by schools and teachers who didn’t have the heart to try to understand someone whose brain worked differently. I was carrying years of that experience with me, unsure of whether I would ever find a school where I could truly learn and belong. But all of that changed the day I walked onto Proctor Academy’s campus. From the very beginning, I saw that Proctor was different. It was extraordinarily clear that its fundamental mission was simple: every child would find a way to succeed, and Proctor would stop at nothing until that happened, no matter the subject—whether it was the arts, the environment, math, English, history, technology, science, geography, architecture, or anything else you could imagine. Proctor and its faculty would find a way to give you the tools to succeed and make you feel remarkable.

Proctor changed my life more than any place or group of people ever had before. I’ll never forget the day I was sitting in the Admissions Office with Chris Bartlett and a few other staff members. They asked me, “Isabelle, why do you want to come here?” And with tears in my eyes, I looked at them and said, “I just want to learn how to learn.” And right then and there I was accepted to attend my dream-come-true school. That moment captures what Proctor meant to me: for the first time, I was surrounded by people who were willing to listen, understand me, and believe that there was a beautiful path forward.

When the first day of school began, I met my learning specialist, Kate Jones, and almost immediately knew my life was about to change. I had never felt so seen or so cared for by an educator. Kate became a second family member, a role model, and a teacher all in one. She taught me everything I needed to know—not only about my brain and how I learned, but about study habits, how to take care of myself when I was away from home, and the coping strategies I needed to navigate challenges on my own. She met with me outside of our scheduled study groups, checked in on me over school breaks and holidays, and eventually even became my dorm parent. She was there for me in ways that went far beyond academics; she became someone I could turn to, someone who knew me, understood me, and helped me with anything and everything. So many students at Proctor developed connections with so many people on our campus. Her impact reached into every part of my life at Proctor, and the foundation she gave me has carried me from the time I was fifteen through today, at twenty-nine. She is truly one of the reasons I have found success academically, but her influence on me has always been about so much more than academics. Kate became one of the most impactful humans I have ever known, and she remains an important part of my life today. 
 

Every corner of Proctor is filled with people like Kate. Teachers like Lindsey Brown, who met with me every other day for breakfast, was one of the only educators in my entire academic career who helped me truly learn and excel in math. Because I was finally experiencing success in the classroom, I was able to become part of other areas of the school, like dance and studio art. And because of Dave and Jennifer Fleming, I got to live in Aix-en-Provence, France, traveling around Europe, learning French, and painting. Because of Kyle Trembley, I became the captain of the dance team. All of these people, and every part of Proctor, gave me access to the tools, opportunities, and belief in myself that I never knew existed or were even possible for someone like me. Proctor Academy saved my life, and it changed the course of my life forever.

2) What are you up to today?

Because of all of those amazing humans and programs, I went to Denison University and graduated with my degree in education. I became a teacher myself. I wanted to be just like every single one of those people when I grew up. I am now an elementary school teacher, and I have worked at my school for the last seven years. I try to channel everything I learned at Proctor into my classroom every single day.

My classroom is built around a few fundamental pillars that were instilled in me during my time at Proctor: mental health matters; effort is more important than anything; it is our job as educators to take the material and teach to the brains of our students rather than making them adjust their brains to us; and the diversity of humans—who they are, where they come from, and what we learn from one another—is what makes this world a better place.

3) What advice would you give to current Proctor students?

Lean into every single moment, class, friendship, and activity that you can. Be fully and authentically yourself. Try new things as much as possible. Soak up every second you can. Some of my best friends in the world came from that campus. Proctor isn’t just a boarding school. It is one of the most transformative, healing, fulfilling schools and communities that has ever existed. Thank you for everything you did for me, Proctor. You changed my life.

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