Forever Changed

In 1989, while waiting for her children to emerge from their private high school in San Francisco, Linda Mornell observed a young man hanging back from the others. She knew he was a scholarship student and thought that surely he had it made: full tuition, competitive academic school, college prospects. But his body language was telling a different story.

Instantly sympathetic, Linda knew her own children, coming from public school backgrounds, also had trouble adjusting. Embarking on summer programs, especially the challenging ones, had made all the difference. Although sometimes reluctant to go, they returned home more resilient, self-assured, and better prepared to face the challenges of the school year ahead.

Linda was struck by an idea. Why couldn’t low-income kids also have these experiences? Not only would it expand their world but it could help them develop an internal compass that could change them forever. Today, more than 25 years later, that idea and the organization she founded, Summer Search, has transformed the lives of thousands of adolescents from seven different cities.

Forever Changed is the incredible true story of courageous students who took on life-changing summer experiences to discover who they really were and what they were capable of becoming. It details the challenges and triumphs of both the students and their mentors as they navigate and interrupt paths that, for many, seemed destined for failure.

For families and educators interested in adolescent development, this book documents the remarkable transformation that “going for hard” can bring to all young people.