An education expert reflects on her circuitous path to success, which included overcoming childhood struggles with depression and drugs. Stephanie Krauss notes that the road to readiness is not always straight; it's often littered with on- and off-ramps that we must help young people negotiate.
In eighth grade I was in honors classes and played a sport every season. I took French, played in the orchestra, sang in the ensemble and held a lead role in the school play. I enjoyed school, did well, felt engaged and connected.
Then over the summer I stumbled into depression. I was confused, took it out on my body and started struggling with a hard-to-kick eating disorder.
That fall, instead of starting high school with my classmates, I entered an eating disorder clinic at our local hospital. For five months I attended an outpatient program instead of school. Academics, athletics, friends, arts and music were all ripped away. Continue reading.
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