– Jen, age 17
Menu
Having dedicated several years to this transformative work, we’ve witnessed numerous stories of profound personal growth and positive change. While we could recount countless tales of transformation that affirm the efficacy of our methods, we believe there’s no better way to convey the impact than through the heartfelt words of those who have directly experienced it. In this section, we’re excited to share just a glimpse of the hundreds of letters and phone calls we receive regularly—testimonials that authentically reflect the real and tangible difference our programs make in people’s lives.
“This opportunity was incredible for my students. It gave them a context to share their stories and experiences. It gave them an environment that was safe, inviting, and welcoming to the opportunity to be heard. Anytime you can give young people the opportunity to share their story it’s important. So often we discount what our youth have to say and what they feel. We think they are immature and they don’t understand how the real world works and I find the longer I work with kids I learn more from them on a daily basis than I do from most adults. They have important things to share and this gives them the credibility to share.”
– Mrs. Johnson, High School Teacher
“This has been an amazing program here at the high school. I have seen students who have oftentimes been comfortable hanging in the background I have seen them come to the surface and really share their story. These students’ stories matter not just to them, but to their families and to their peers. As students begin to understand that their story can make a difference in the world around them is huge. I don’t think we can measure the impact of that and the impact it will have in their lives. We are so grateful as a high school to take part in this project and I would encourage anyone who is going to have this opportunity to embrace it wholeheartedly.”
– Vice Principal Liddell, High School
“Emails from parents have been frequent thanking us for doing this project with their teens. The students are filled with joy and couldn’t be prouder. Many educators have stopped me in the halls to talk about how special it was to sit down with students and just listen to them share their stories.”
– Tamara Truax, Bellevue International School Seattle
“I took the adult class at the same time my teen took this class. I do not understand how all this works. I honestly just do not know the how. What I do know is that it works. It works so well that I find myself crying in gratitude daily for the gift this course has given me. Having a vision attached to everything I do literally explodes the opportunities. The new communities I’m a part of, the incredible people that are coming into my life, the job and education opportunities show up, and on and on. It’s hard, I still have to do the work, and yet it’s such a new life I never dreamed possible. It is the coolest feeling. I can’t contain how amazing it feels. This life is so amazing and I never knew how many possibilities there were. It’s the most amazing transformation of thought I have ever had. I tell everyone I know about it.”
– Participant
“This course has changed everything for my daughter. She has struggled her whole life with intense anxiety, learning disabilities, and other mental health challenges. The older she got the worse things got. As a teen, it felt like she was turning inward and almost imploding.
– Participant
My 16-year-old son has had a tough journey. He showed signs of depression at just 6, losing his smile and confidence. By 8, we were deeply concerned and began seeking therapy and medication. His unique mix of depression, anxiety, autism, and learning disorders made finding the right treatment a challenge, with many side effects and little improvement.
Despite trying various therapists and medications, he felt burnt out by 14 and attempted suicide. We simplified his life, removing school and church, but he still resisted therapy. As parents, we worried about his future.
Now at 16, he has chosen to return to high school. Coincidentally, the Chart Your Story program started just as he re-entered school. He finds Chart Your Story effective because it feels genuine and applicable. He connects with the teachers and appreciates the group setting, which alleviates pressure. He values the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions and challenge the teachers when needed.
I’m seeing my son grow in confidence and actively face his challenges. Though the process is tough and he doesn’t always come home happy, Chart Your Story is helping him make real progress. It’s empowering him to shape his future and work towards his best self. What greater gift could a child receive than a path to their best future?
– A Grateful Mother
“She didn’t want to take the course. As her Mom, I made sure she got there. I had taken the course which helped so much because I understood the tools she was learning about and I was learning to implement them in subtle ways in our home. I also knew that I couldn’t force the tools on her. My job was to make sure she got to class.
She struggled the whole time. I wondered how much she really got out of class. Things almost seemed worse with her during and after the class was over. She didn’t want anything to do with the tools that she had learned about. So I was very careful to use the tools for myself, but not actively on her. I respected her agency even though it was so frustrating.
Then one day about 6 months after taking the course, we were having a disagreement, and out of the blue, she said that her lid was flipped and she needed some space. I was almost in shock. She had remembered. I started noticing at that point that she was sharing many of these tools she had learned with her friends who were struggling. She started to reach out for help to me and other people rather than internalizing her pain. She is now very actively using the entire model. Her life has changed. Part of her vision is she wants to be there for people in their moments of greatest crisis. This vision got her through EMT training and she is preparing for the Advanced EMT course and looking for other certifications. She is taking on her math disability on her own and doing a little math everyday because she knows if becoming a Paramedic is necessary, she will need to get through math in college. She is constantly talking to people and looking for the next pieces of this growing vision. As a Mom, I used to wonder if she would be crippled emotionally for life and if she would be able to be a functioning productive adult. I now know she will. I am learning it is time for me to get out of her way and watch her go, celebrating the whole way. The struggle she faced has become her way to make a difference in this world. She is magnificent!!!I learned that sometimes the seeds take a bit to sprout and grow. However, if the kids show up, the seeds are planted. People who take this course are never the same, even if it takes time and struggle for them to fully embrace the process.”
– Participant
“I learned a lot about myself through this process. Before doing this I used to let a lot of people step on me, but now I am standing up for myself. I learned that I have value and people want to hear what I have to say. I was really shy before this because I didn’t think my opinion mattered, but now I have found my voice and I enjoy sharing with others about me. I would say this project is so important and everyone should do it. We need everyone to have their voice heard!”
– Jen, age 17
“I want to share my story with others and share the advice that they don’t have to do the things I’ve done. I think that will help them. Drugs and alcohol isn’t the solution for running from your pain. You have to try as hard as you can to be the better you and look for help when it’s hard.”
“At a time where I was trying to put my life back together and make changes that would help me get a new future this curriculum provided a roadmap for me to not only believe that was possible but give me an action plan to achieve it.”
“It made me happy to have people want to hear my story because I know about me and I am happy others wanted to hear about that.”
– Ikra, age 14
“I learned that I can focus on myself at the same time as I focus on others. That was a new concept for me.
– Dallin, age 16
I loved how I learned that it’s those struggles that have made me who I am and it reminds me that I am capable of achieving my dreams.”
– Summer, age 17
“Chart Your Story gave me the tools I needed to bridge the gap between where I was, and where I wanted to be. I am still a work in progress, but I am grateful that the course and my guides met me where I was at, and gave me the tools to become the author of my own story.”
– Sierra
“I look forward to the class each week, I’ve learned how to look at myself and my situation from a different perspective. It’s been so uplifting and a wonderful experience.”
“I can talk to my dad for hours on the phone and I have always been able to do that. I can talk to him about sports, about hunting, about life. We have always been able to talk forever. I have never been able to connect with my mom. Since starting this class I am connecting with my mom. I have incredible conversations with her. She understands this stuff. I now have purpose and I have a relationship that matters. This has allowed me to have a real relationship with mom.”
– Cole
One classmate to another. “Your self awareness is so cool. The first day I remember hearing you talk through your challenges. You would talk it out and say things like “I guess I need to work on this, I guess I need to do this. I’ll think about…” And then last week, months later, you walk into class and with full confidence declare, “This really hard situation happened and I absolutely knew what to do. I just dialed into the model and I made the plan and took care of it.” You shared how that would have completely ruined you 2 months ago, and it was just a minor bump in the road this week. You are ‘all in’ living this so thoroughly. You started needing to view everything very methodically and difficulty. Now you are rocking the process. You are LIVING it in a way that it is routine and you’re going to now.”
“What I learned about myself is that it’s okay to have feelings, but it is not okay to lash out or flip my lid because I’m frustrated. I learned that I’m able to control my anger around some people. I learned that managing my emotions has helped me by knowing I’m able to go through and do hard things.”