kareina

50 years ago some parents in Anchorage, Alaska realised their dream of creating an Alternative school for their kids (grades 7 to 12). Four years later, I walked in the door the first time, and knew I was home. I spent six glorious years as part of the Steller family, and it seriously influenced who I am, and underscored my love of learning, my need to choose my own direction in everything, and my motivation to help make any community I am part of what I would want it to be. I am thankful to everyone who made Steller what it was for me. I hope that it is still a wonderful, safe, nest for the current students. As part of the official 50th anniversary celebration, they have opened a wall for people to write what Steller means to them. My summary is there, and copied here, because I can.

We moved to Alaska just on time for 5th grade, and moved to Lovejoy Drive, right across the street from Wendler Jr high just before I started 6th grade at Lake Otis. Wendler was a big, scary, place to me, that I had to walk past to get to school. Some of my classmates, who had older siblings that had attended Wendler told me that it was the kind of place where if you weren't cool and didn't do drugs the other kids would beat you up, and I really, really dreaded the end of the school year and needing to start Wendler the following year.

Then, one magic day, a couple of kids from Steller (one of whom was Andy Long, I don't recall who the other was) came and talked to my class about an alternative to Wendler. An alternative where the peer pressure was to do good at school. Where there were no bells, and students were expected to get to class on time on their own initiative, where everyone was on a first-name basis, and students were expected to take a serious role in running the school and making decisions about how it works. It sounded wonderful. I took the flyer home with me, and told my mom that I wanted to go there.

She read the flyer, agreed that it sounded like a good fit for me, and did the paperwork to enroll me. In those days we were meant to do interviews to get in. However, we had already purchased tickets for my sister and I to go visit family in the lower '48 right around the time the interviews should happen, so mom called them, explained I would be out of state then, but I was really keen to go there and really, really didn't want to attend Wendler.

They let me in! Without an interview. I am so happy they did. I loved school as a small child, but Steller made me love it more. We moved a lot when I was growing, and I never really had many close friends, and was always the weird kid who spent their time reading. Till I got to Steller, where I found so many kindred spirits. We were all weird kids, and many of us loved to read. I fell in love with the school, and the emphasis on learning how to learn, and on enjoying life as you do, and on taking responsibility for your own education. I thrived in the freedom I was given, and loved every minute of it.

It was Steller that introduced me to the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), through the household Purwydd. Our household had 35 members (which, for a school of 200 students, was quite good), and after a few months of attending our weekend revels in medieval costumes they explained to me about this weird group of Adults who do this, too, and took me to an event. At which we danced, a long, complicated dance involving walking to the music in patterns (Hole in the Wall). I was hooked!

I was very sad to graduate and leave Steller behind, though I took the SCA and my love of learning with me, and have made a career out of it. 10 years full time study before I let them graduate me with a bachelor of science in geology. 5 years full time study for my master of science in geology. A few years off from university, during which I did a certificate in massage therapy, before I started the PhD in geology (another five years), during which time I found out that there are interdisciplinary researchers who use geochemistry to determine what quarries garnet jewellery from the Merovingian period came from, and I wondered if I could someday combine my hobby and my research.

Some years later I started a half-time second PhD doing just that--studying viking age soapstone to try to match artefacts with quarries. Six years later I am finishing up the Master of Philosophy degree that turned into, and wondering where my research will take me next.

I am still active in the SCA, and still in touch with many old friend from Steller, and hope to get in touch with more through my virtual attendance of this event from my home in northern Sweden.

--Riia Marie Chmielowski

(or Kareina when in medieval or Viking style clothing)

class of 1984
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Because I couldn't get to Alaska for the celebration, I volunteered to host the Zoom option. The decision was made to have a live stream of the opening cermony talks at Steller, and the zoom room remains open all weekend, if anyone feels inclined to make use of it.

I really enjoyed zooming into the brief talks at Steller today. Some highlights:

The current Principal thanked the Steller community and announced that Marilyn Conaway, Steller's founding Head Teacher, is being honoured by a formal request to the School District to name the Steller Library after Marilyn.

A Steller parent, who is also a member of the Alaska State Legislature, announced that the Legislature had voted Unanimously to give Steller an official complimentary citation certificate (this could be the first unanimous thing that body has done?). She read out the whole thing, it was beautiful, and I hope someone shares the whole text.

The Student speaker likened attending Steller to reading a "Choose your own adventure" book, where everyone gets to choose how their personal educational path unfolds, and your companions on the adventure (teachers, classmates) are there to help you gain the skills needed to handle your adventure.

Kylara Hollingsworth, who is both a Steller Alumni, and current Steller parent (and took the lead to see to it that the Alumni portion of the event happens) spoke about how the Steller community is made up of many 100's of people, ranging in age from the younger siblings of today's Steller Students, to people in their 80's who were there at the beginning, and everyone in between. Kylara called up Bob Reid, one of the founding teachers of Steller, who flew up from Texas for this event, and who has attended more Steller Anniversary events over the years than any other individual.

Bob, who hadn't been warned in advance that he would be called up to speak, spoke passionately about Steller's early years, when 150 students and 7 teachers arrived to an empty building, with no books, no equipment, no supplies, no furniture, but with a shared dream of students who receive their education, not within the walls of an enclosed fortress, but out there, in the world, and then bring back to the school what they have learned and done, and share it with the others, and it worked.

Then everyone at Steller was sent out to the hall to enjoy cake, and we in zoom took a little time to catch up a bit and remark about how grateful we are to have had Steller in our lives.

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But now it is 01:30 in my time zone, so I am going to go get some sleep...