Jakob’s Story

Largely born and raised in Southeast Alaska, when Jakob was in 8th grade, he remembers, “I would mostly rely on the support of my friends to help me in and outside of school.” Even so, he admits, “they really weren’t very good influences.” Around that time, Jakob attended his first PHlight Club, Brightways Learning’s student-centered, multi-day event focusing on learning about Full-Color Webs of Support™.

“The first couple of PHlight Clubs I went to, I wasn’t too into what they were about. I was just having fun with my friends,” Jakob recalls. His third time at PHlight Club, then a freshman, he started thinking more seriously about what he was being taught. “I was learning about the importance of caring and connected adults (“Anchors”) in my life. It made sense, and I wanted to try building a Web of Support with adults.”

At the time, he says the only Anchor in his life was his dad. “I got a lot more Anchors through PHlight Club, though – including adults I would never have met outside of my school.” These included Brightways Learning PHlight Club facilitators Derek Peterson, who lives in North Dakota, and Kerrie Carl, a teacher in a neighboring school district. Jakob considers both of them important Anchors in his life now.

“I think everyone in the world needs to know about the Web of Support, because of the impact it’s had on my own life and other people’s lives.”

PHlight Club also helped him get more comfortable talking with some adults he already knew, but with whom he became more connected. “Building relationships is a mutual process,” Jakob understands, “and I really like the adults in my life. I’ve always believed that you should treat others like you want to be treated. That came mostly from my dad. He taught me a lot about respect.” Building these relationships with adults has been vital for helping Jakob develop resilience and talk through some tough times.

Jakob says PHlight Club “taught me how to look for support and understand how to get support from Anchors when I needed it. You can’t do everything on your own.” It also helped him realize that he gets to choose his Anchors. “It was a bit of a relief – you can choose the Anchors you want to have in your life.”

Now a senior, Jakob has attended six PHlight Clubs and has done a lot more learning and growing outside of those events. For example, in October, he traveled to Anchorage with one of his teachers to attend a Brightways Learning two-day hybrid workshop with mostly adults and a couple of other teenagers.

“PHlight Club taught me how to look for support and understand how to get support from Anchors when I needed it. You can’t do everything on your own.”

The opportunity allowed him to strengthen his connections with Derek and his teacher, along with meeting new adults. “It felt weird in Anchorage because I was the one teaching adults about the Web of Support,” he recalls. “But it was cool to see them understanding it. I think everyone in the world needs to know about the Web of Support, because of the impact it’s had on my own life and other people’s lives.”

When asked, why having a thick Web of Support is important, Jakob explained, “No one’s life is perfect. You have down moments. And when you have down moments, you need support. The more Anchors you have, the more support you have. The more support you have, the quicker and easier it is for you to get out of those down moments.”

Jakob is president of his school council this year he says because “I really care about my school.” He has also enjoyed teaching younger students – whether he’s helping with basketball skills after school, an elementary music class, or by talking about the Web of Support.

“I want to help plan and possibly co-facilitate PHlight Clubs in the future,” Jakob mentions. “If I had never gone to PHlight Club, I wouldn’t have known how to get Anchors, and I wouldn’t have understood as clearly about how to build relationships. That’s important to me.”

Watch a video of Jakob and other students participating in PHlight Club.

Learn more about PHlight Club at brightwayslearning.org/phlight-club.