Week 35: An ode to Austin and heroes on the journey

This week I packed my bags and left our island on the west coast of Canada for Austin, Texas....the place where it all began.....The Mothership.  There I’d be meeting with hundreds of other Acton owners from around the world for the annual Acton Owners Conference. 

Up until this point I had never met another Acton owner in person, never stepped foot in an operating Acton, and had felt somewhat like an island all of my own.  I arrived on Thursday evening and quickly recognized friendly and familiar faces from our zoom calls and social media accounts and was unsurprised to find everyone as warm and kind in person as they are through the screen. 

On Friday afternoon, the original Acton Austin campus opened their doors and welcomed us for an evening of good food, great conversation, and heartfelt first hugs.  I was so excited and nervous to finally be meeting all of these people I had been learning from and following all this time .

That evening we had the opportunity to wander through the halls of the original Acton campus.  To absorb the energy, garner wisdom from their walls, and ground ourselves in the reasons we said yes to this calling.  As Jake said, we were on sacred ground.   I spoke with new and veteran owners and was touched by their eagerness to share their stories, experiences, and testimony.  One conversation in particular stood out to me.  An owner from a long standing and well-established Acton said;  “People like to say this is a big experiment, but it’s not.  We’ve seen this work again and again.  The young people who graduate from this program are exemplary.  They’re able to do anything they set their mind to.  So don’t fool yourself, this isn’t an experiment anymore.  It works.”

I didn’t have to just take his word for it.  The conference ended with one of the most powerful experiences of this journey to date – speeches from Acton graduates and Launchpad (high school) heroes, sharing their testimony and what they wish every parent of an Acton learner knew.  I’ve heard many Acton owner stories, what brought them to this model, their highs and lows, the challenges and triumphs.  Hearing from learners who’d spent years of their precious childhood in Acton was a new experience.  These speakers, ranging in age from 14 to 18, many who began their Acton journey in Middle School, stood in front of a room filled with hundreds of adults, with cameras fixed on them and anticipation thick in the air, and delivered their inspiring speeches with such confidence and clarity.  

A 15 year old girl shared her story of planning and executing a 5 week international solo journey from Malaysia to the USA entirely on her own.  “Looking back, I realize my parent’s instinct was probably to jump in to help – to make the plan with me or even to say no to this crazy idea of mine.  But they didn’t.  And that silence gave me something more valuable than answers; the chance to figure it out myself.  What started as a solo trip turned into something bigger.  A glimpse into a global tribe.  I started reaching out to owners, guides, and learners.  And someone always replied.  Not because they had to, but because I asked.  And that’s when it clicked – that there are far more people willing to help than there are people willing to ask.”

Another gave me chills when she said, “Acton taught me that the hardest challenges are often the most rewarding.  And that is the gift of Acton.  It’s not just about mastering academics or checking off challenges.  It’s about discovering who you are through the struggle. It’s a place where every young person is seen as a hero on a Hero’s Journey.   We learn to fail, to rise, to lead and to serve.  The Hero’s Journey isn’t easy but it shapes you into someone who doesn’t fear the future.  Someone who’s ready to dive into the unknown.”

A young hero from Guatemala rose to the podium and shared her advice to parents of Acton learners: “Acton doesn’t just hand things to you.  They make sure you earn them….Parents need to realize that if their learner is falling behind, it’s not because they don’t care, it’s because they haven’t obtained the level of responsibility that it takes to make themselves accountable.  Instead of punishing them for something they don’t know how to do yet, parents need to understand that for their learner to become responsible, they need to crash and fail, and they need to learn to get back up again, on their own. One of the main points of the Acton system is for learners to acquire skills that will help them be independent in the real world without anyone’s help…..Responsibility isn’t something that’s taught in the classroom and we can’t learn it until we get out there and fail.  We aren’t going to become independent and responsible until we’re presented with situations where we won’t have another choice.  This is what Acton is doing.  They’re presenting us with challenges that will change us in the process so we can become a better version of ourselves.  This is why I believe it’s extremely important for parents to understand this process.  So when their learners fail, and they will, their parents won’t push them down.  Instead, they’ll help them get back up again and push them to do it as many times as it takes, until their eagle learns on their own how to overcome their challenges."

Another hero shared her story of transformation through Acton.  “Before Acton, I was used to others doing things for me.  I was afraid of getting things wrong and I had little confidence in myself.  I remember freezing up during my first exhibition, completely terrified to speak.  The fear of making a mistake was so strong I could barely find my voice.  But now, I lead discussions, I pitch ideas, and I speak with confidence, even when my heart’s racing…like right now!  I also remember avoiding competition, not because I didn’t care, but because I was afraid of failure.  I didn’t want to try my best and still lose and that fear didn’t last long.  I quickly learned that the only real failure is not trying.  The only way to grow is to give it your all even if you fall short, because that’s how you get back up stronger.  Acton taught me to seek challenges instead of hiding from them, to take ownership instead of waiting for others, and most of all, to understand that failure isn’t the end.  It’s a step on the journey.  But it wasn’t just about learning and growing on my own; I practiced the habits of a hero -   having a growth mindset, doing random acts of kindness, and holding myself and others accountable.  These habits shaped not just what I do but who I am.  Acton didn’t just change how I learned, it changed how I see myself.  Today I see someone who tackles challenges head on.  Someone who doesn’t wait for the path to appear but creates one.  Acton is not a school.  It’s more like a compass, guiding us to discover who we are, find our calling, and begin our Hero’s Journey.”

I could go on and on; each and every speech was full of wisdom and inspiration. These young people truly were exemplary. The theme of the conference was "A Promise Is a Promise". It was a calling to all of us owners to reexamine our promises made to the parents, the heroes, our own families, and our fellow owners on the journey. Hearing these incredible young people's stories, their wisdom, and advice reignited a deep passion for and commitment to this cause and to the promises I've made. To hold space for each of our heroes at Acton Academy Nanaimo to embrace challenges, failure, and their own unique Hero's Journey.

As those who read this regularly know, I always end my posts with a quote. This time, I'm honoured to share a quote from one of the heroes I was so privileged to meet this past weeked in Austin.

"Being an Acton learner means taking ownership of your own journey. It means choosing effort over ease, growth over comfort, and purpose over predictability....I wish parents knew that while traditional education delivers safe, predictable results, most kids graduate without ever discovering what they're truly capable of. My family took a risk by putting me in an environment where I could explore my own potential. It wasn't safe, it wasn't predictable, but in the past 3 years, I've flourished. And that flourishing, that discovery of what you're truly capable of, is what it means to be an Acton learner." Isaac, AA 2025 Graduate