Lorna was born and grew up on the island of Mauritius located in the Indian Ocean off East Africa and Madagascar. Mauritius was a British colony and had also been a French colony at some point in its history but is now an independent nation. The British system of education and government was adopted by the people of Mauritius and is still in place to this day. Her experience as a student in this system was equally rich and stressful. The stressful aspect is what seeded her relentless questioning of any education method that operates from a top-down, authoritarian framework that stifles the creative and joyful nature of a child. The richness of her school experience includes the lifelong friendships and the sense of community that her school years etched in her being.
As is the case for most, she followed the prescribed route of the rigors of test-taking, going to college and seeking a job that would afford her a lifestyle that is conditioned by society’s narratives and expectations. Along the way, the dreamer and seeker within her never stopped imagining there had to be some other way to approach education so children can stay connected to their true nature.
Perhaps the internal pressure that she felt as a child to conform is what set her on a life journey that eventually led her to encountering the Sudbury Valley model of education. After moving to the United States at the age of 19 to go to college and working in the corporate world for about 10 years, she recognized the same stirrings and ponderings that she had as a child about the education system, arising in her inner world. But this time, it was because she was growing increasingly dissatisfied with her children’s school experience in the US education system. After trying to fit into the public school system, she found the Waldorf method of education for her children.
During the few years that her children spent at a Waldorf school, one of the parents shared a book with her – The Sudbury Valley School Experience! This book opened up a whole new world and soon she was in search of such a revolutionary school in Orange County, California. Even though her initial search was discouraging, she eventually connected with Cassi Clausen who had put up her flag, looking for anyone who might be interested in starting a school based on The Sudbury Valley School model, a self-directed learning and democratic school. First, there was one, then two, then four co-founders who committed to the vision of opening the first democratic school in Orange County. Lorna was excited to be part of this endeavor and collaborated with the other co-founders on the various first steps such as naming the school, choosing the logo, and setting up the non-profit status of The Open School. She remembers the day The Open School’s first bank account was opened, when the school’s non-profit status was granted and the day she had to bow out of this project due to circumstances in her life.
10 years later, by a twist of fate, Lorna found her way back to The Open School. She is now a staff member at the campus in Santa Ana, California. She still marvels at the fact that her life’s trajectory has brought her back to a vision that became a reality and a unique space that The Open School is for so many children and families all over the country. The dedication and hard work on the part of those who stuck with this endeavor through thick and thin, does not escape her. To be part of day-to-day life at The Open School has been a humbling and rich learning experience. She looks forward to continuing to grow with and contribute to the school and the community.
