Alumni Questionnaire ← Back to Index
Tina Male (Daulton):
What is your name?
Tina Male (Daulton)
To which institutions were you sent?
Marion, Canada, DR
How old were you?
14-16
When were you enrolled in The Program?
1994-1996
What was the highest level you attained?
3rd
Please describe the circumstances that got you sent to The Program:
I had problems with communication in my family. I wasn't really into anything at that time. My sister had found a letter that I had written to someone that was talking about sex and drugs but at that time I had never had sex, used drugs, drank alcohol, or ever smoked.
In which house(s) did you live?
In Marion I was in Pitt house; in the DR I was in TKB.
Please describe instances of abuse you experienced while in the program, if any:
I never experienced any type of abuse in the program.
Describe abuse of other students you witnessed, if any:
I never witnessed any type of abuse of other students. I always explain to people that the DR was like a boot camp in another country and they could do more to us if necessary due to not having the laws of America. I heard a lot of rumors about abuse so I never pushed the issue and did what I had to to get out.
Do you have any good memories of The Program? If so, what are they?
I have mostly all good memories of the program. I met so many wonderful people in the program. I have climbed the highest mountain in the western hemisphere (Pico Duarte). I have run a casita. I have learned how to make 45's on my bed. I have learned how to shave my legs in 2 minutes. I have been to many waterfalls and beaches in the Dominican Republic. I have shopped in a mercado. I never knew how excited one could get over seeing a Wendy's. I helped paint walls at an orphanage. I helped build a road. Who thought I could mix cement? I know how to use a machete. I graduated school early due to the teachers pushing me. In Canada, I did the trust fall. I had to wash my clothes. I never learned how to get the grit out from under my sleeping bag. I learned how to canoe. I won a competition, but only because Amanda was sick that day. I was “in love” with someone who I couldn't even talk to most of the summer due to not being on the same levels. I learned how to get a leach off of me. There are so many wonderful memories that I have... but those are just a few.
What is your overall impression of The Program? Did it “help you”?
Now 10 years later I think it did help me. After I left the program I got into drugs, sex, smoking and drinking. But when the fun and games were over with I knew the important values in life that I wanted to obtain. I knew who my true self was and without the program I think I would still be looking.
What do you think of the quality of education you received?
I am happy with the education I recieved. I remember Mr. Daubert and how he pushed me to do well. I didn't like him at first but I remember him becoming one of my favorite teachers. Right next to Hester Patterson.
How old are you today?
26
Did you go to college after attending The Program? If so, what degrees do you have?
I am in college now. Next year I will have my BS in Psychology and then I am going on to grad school to become a chiropractor.
What is your profession?
Right now I work in a mental hospital with kids and I am a student.
Do you consider yourself a Christian today?
Yes I do. I haven't been to church in a very long time but I do consider myself a Christian.
What effect did “The Program” have on your faith?
Faith before the program was only the thought that you would be saved if you went to church 3 times a week and believed that there was someone higher than yourself that would protect you from the evils of the world. And then life happened. The program helped me find the true meaning of faith and religion, period. It is not going to keep you from doing wrong if you want to do wrong. I don't think I have felt as “high” with my Christianity as I did during retreats in the program.
Please feel free to add comments here:
I don't think that the intent of the program was for us to leave and hate it for the rest of our lives. Our parents were at a fork in the road and felt that they had no other way to turn. So do we take it as a learning experience and not make the mistakes that our parents made or do we just deal with the hate in our hearts forever with something that can never be changed?
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