Without fully realizing it at the time, Mrs. Heuston recalls, “The model was put in place in 1981 with six faculty at a small research school in Provo, Utah. From the very beginning, the School drew its strength from a handful of core, central ideas. First of all, learning is the search for truth. Second, the search for truth is best experienced if we study broadly, following the liberal arts philosophy. This philosophy is rooted in 5th century Periclean Athens and requires that we think across fields and disciplines. These basic ideas are both centering and future-orienting in a time of chaos.” She reflects further that the “story of Waterford is best told when we think about our students,” although it centers, too, on the faculty. “We don’t import experts to tell us what to do. That would be too simple.” She praises the faculty for their deep knowledge of their subjects, and for the passion with which they teach. She points out that teachers and students at Waterford are busy. The myriad of opportunities provided by the School, the pervasive sense of optimism, and a shared sense of high standards are intended to invigorate everyone who comes into contact with Waterford, whether in its manifestation as school or research institute. It is the Institute, after all, which allows the lessons learned at the School to extend beyond the boarders of its small community. At the end of the day, the week, the month, the term, and the year, Waterford faculty and students feel a sense of satisfying fatigue. Waterford is the unique school that it is, Mrs. Heuston suggests, because “we engage daily in the search for truth. We’re not comfortable with conventional truisms.” In the end, “a Waterford teacher is a student.” The circle is closed. The center holds. Nancy quoted T.S. Eliot, | 
