The Road to the Teacher Training, by Naoko Miura-Brandt, Class of 2008


In 1998 while I was working at a foundry outside of Paris, a woman, in a simple gesture of friendship, invited me to lunch. We went to the Steiner School to pick up her daughter. I was deeply touched by the beauty of the campus and the vibrancy of the people I met there. At that time, I knew nothing of either Steiner or Waldorf.

Then, in 2000,1 met a young man who was graduating from the Berlin Technical Institute with a degree in architecture. At his final presentation, he uncovered an architectural model representing three square city blocks. It was carved completely out of wood, even the trees! Amazed by the artistry of his work, I asked, "Where did you learn to do that?!" So, I heard again of the Steiner school, where he had studied for all his years before University.

A marriage and two children later, I found myself in Santa Cruz, living in a co-housing project on Western Drive. Peter Mentor, who also lives there, highly recommended that I attend the Santa Cruz Arts Festival. I did, and I realized that my experiences in Europe had led me to Waldorf. So here I am.