A Lawn Mower, a Twelve-Year-Old, and the World We Didn’t Know Was Coming

Ten years ago, I watched my twelve-year-old daughter steer our John Deere tractor with a confidence that made the world feel steady. Life looked predictable then. The future no longer moves with that kind of ease. Artificial intelligence is rewriting the expectations placed on our students, our teachers, and our systems at a pace that demands a different kind of leadership. The years I spent guiding a non-classroom-based school taught me that students will need far more than content knowledge to thrive in a world shaped by rapid change. They will need the human skills that AI cannot imitate. Illuminate XR was built from that belief. The Power Six reflect the strengths that give young people the ability to think deeply, communicate clearly, and move through uncertainty with courage. My grandchildren deserve a world where those abilities are taught with intention. Every student does. This responsibility continues to guide the work we are building at IXR.