Our Why?

Dear Ascent Families,

A new year feels a bit like opening the first page of a blank journal; full of potential, ready to be written with new adventures, challenges, and discoveries. Already, our campus is alive with laughter, creativity, and even excitement-masked-by-groans about those early mornings (from our parents!). In the midst of all this activity, we always find ourselves returning to a single, grounding question: Why are we here?

That “why” is the compass that guides our work at Ascent. It’s what pulls us back, day after day, through the busyness of schedules and the swirl of events. Without it, the daily “what”- quests, goals, routines, even ‘big wins’- can feel scattered, like pieces of a puzzle without the picture on the box.

Something we as parents often consider is the question, What is the value of a good education for my child? I’m sure we could all name different answers, even attempt to put a number to it. 

But pressing further comes the question, What is the value of my child discovering their purpose?

That’s a question that changes everything.

Too often, schooling trains young people to play the game- memorize, test, check boxes, repeat. We all know what it was like to walk away with polished report cards and even a diploma but little clarity about who we were, or what we were made to do. A diploma may mark the end of school, but it doesn’t guarantee the beginning of a meaningful life, a sense of self or connection, a purpose or direction or a calling.

At Ascent, we believe every learner carries within them something extraordinary- a spark that, when nurtured, will grow into a light bright enough to change the world. Education should be about drawing out the genius in young people, to kindle their already-vibrant spark in them, and to guide them to the place where their deepest gifts meet the world’s greatest needs. Education must be a daring invitation. An invitation to uncover who they truly are, so they can awaken their gifts. 

To offer anything less would not only be incomplete, it would be a betrayal of their potential. That is our why.

As we launch into this year, your heroes will be bursting with stories of the “what”- quests, town halls, work cycle, spark play, exhibitions, contracts, celebrations, and setbacks. These moments matter. But it is the “why” that gives them meaning. The “what” will rise and fall like waves; the “why” is the current beneath the surface, carrying us toward something far greater than ourselves.

We are grateful to be walking this path with you, and we cannot wait to see the chapters your children will write this year.

With anticipation for the journey ahead,
Janita & Samantha
Co-Founders, Ascent Academy