Alumni Questionnaire ← Back to Index

Selena Ross:

What is your name?

Selena Ross

To which institutions were you sent?

Escuela Caribe, Marion

How old were you?

16-18

When were you enrolled in The Program?

92-94

What was the highest level you attained?

4th level

In which house(s) did you live?

TKB in Escuela

(Girls house in Marion)

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

I once was forced to stay in pushup position for almost 2 hours while being belittled and having verbal attacks threatened on me to put me in the quite room for hiding $60 american cash in my coat. The staff tried to convince me that I was attempting to run away.

Describe abuse of other students you witnessed, if any:

Escuela Caribe :

I once witnessed a young gentleman who was put into the quite room for 2 weeks straight. He continually cried for help, asked for forgiveness, asked to be released and begged and pleaded to go home. He eventually broke down and they let him out.

I also witnessed a young girl who was very ill with I believe typhoid. They accused her of faking her sickness and made her go out and machete a field for hours and hours while she had a super high fever. She ended up in the hospital.

On another occasion I witnessed a student who was very over weight and was forced to diet to prepare for a 3 day hike. When she reached the top of the peak (during the 3 day hike) they attached water jugs to her neck line that was equivalent to the weight she had lost so that she could then know what it felt like to carry her weigh loss up the mountain. She cried in humiliation and begged them not to do this but they did anyway.

Marion:

A girls house was playing a game called Ghost in the Graveyard. It is a game where you turn off all the lights and you hide. A student who was female was sexually molested in a closet during this game. When the incident was brought to my attention as I was the “highest ranking student” who had to report this to the school. At first NHYM tried to deny what allegations were being said and finally the molester admitted it and charges were filed.

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

Some good memories but the bad mostly out weighs the good.

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

The program did not help me, it was a temporary place for my stepmom to store her stepchild though out the teenage years.

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

The education that was received was a different one. I don't really consider religion being taught during school helpful. When I returned to a public school trying to get the public school systems to convert my credits was almost impossible. I almost didn't graduate from high school due to the outdated materials that NHYM was using.

How old are you today?

36

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

0

What is your profession?

Merchandiser

Do you consider yourself a Christian today?

abstain

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

“The program” forced what they think was the right faith onto every staff and student. Not everyone in the program will believe the same faith. When I started to question the christianity and why I don't believe and wanted to explore my “own” options I was told that this is not ok. I then was informed that even though I wanted to stand up for what I thought was correct they reminded me time and time again I still had to memorize and recite what NHYM has outlined.

Please feel free to add comments here:

After leaving the NHYM and returning to everyday life I suffered many many years of trauma. It was everything from nightmares to insecurity of going on vacation. I did seek out many years of therapy trying to heal past wounds and having dealt with feelings of Stockholm Syndrome. When you are young and your parents have stranded you in what is thought of the caribbean vacation of a life time due to a misleading of information given by the school you will do anything to simply survive mine was unfortunate and I did anything to survive.

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