Alumni Questionnaire ← Back to Index

John Maitland:

What is your name?

John Maitland

To which institutions were you sent?

EC as well as Canada

How old were you?

16 upon entry, almost 18 upon departure.

When were you enrolled in The Program?

May of 1980-August of 1982.

What was the highest level you attained?

5th level in EC as well as an SIT in Canada.

Please describe the circumstances that got you sent to The Program:

In which house(s) did you live?

Thomas in EC, you will have to forgive me on the Canadian cabins as I do not recall their names.

Please describe instances of abuse you experienced while in the program, if any:

Well, we had to do manual labor as well as exercises on occasion. Major offenses were dealt with via separation in a room called the QR. I do not know if that would be categorized as abuse though. It had no long-term negative effects on me.

Describe abuse of other students you witnessed, if any:

There were supports given to students such as being woken up early to perform extra tasks. I still cannot say that it seemed abusive according to my best recollections.

Do you have any good memories of The Program? If so, what are they?

I had never felt that I was loved as a child despite my parents best efforts (even with their own inadequacies). For the first time as a child I experienced that necessary feeling in the DR. The country was beautiful and the people were friendly.

What is your overall impression of The Program? Did it “help you”?

It did in the long-term, although they should have had aftercare at the time to re-acclimate me to society.

What do you think of the quality of education you received?

I arrived there with a C GPA and left at an A-. All of my credits were transferred to Taylor University.

How old are you today?

43

Did you go to college after attending The Program? If so, what degrees do you have?

I did attend Taylor University for one year and found that I had talents that did not require a formal education.

What is your profession?

Distributor of building materials/manufacturers rep.

Do you consider yourself a Christian today?

Yes

What effect did “The Program” have on your faith?

I rejected Christianity for many years after the program. However, there was a seed planted in me based on my experiences there that I was able to build upon based on my own choices during my 20's into my 30's.

Please feel free to add comments here:

The program needs to address (if it has not done so) a system of transition for students as well as some type of support for aftercare. Although NH did help me and make a difference in my own life, I felt that some type of follow-up would have been beneficial.

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