Interview with Shyama, an Education for Life Alumni

I am presently living in Portland Oregon and working as a Project Manager for ID Branding-an award winning advertising and branding firm. I am married and we own a home situated in the north end of the city. I graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1995 with a major in Fine Art, and I was one of the first attendees of the Education for Life schools starting in preschool and continuing into the ninth grade.

I attribute my ability to communicate effectively to my Education for Life experience. The small classes and close relationships with teachers and fellow students helped me build strong bonds and gave me tools to work cooperatively with others. As a team leader for high-stress projects in my work environment, I consistently rely on the self centering and affirmation skills I learned at EFL. I am still closely connected with many of my Ananda school friends, talking with them on the phone regularly.