Meet Rose Piscuskas

Rose is a 2015 Wayfinder Residential graduate and 2023 Finding Our Way speaker. In celebration of our 50th anniversary in the midcoast, we caught up with Rose to see what she has been up to since receiving her high school diploma. You can hear Rose's story of how she found her way on May 4th at the Camden Opera House!

WS: What have you been up to since graduation?

Rose: Oh man...I went to college on the West Coast, then I took a break and worked for a year, after which I participated in the Expedition Education Institute - which was traveling around on a retrofitted school bus for a semester and getting college credit. When I returned I got my EMT certification to help in my community and that snowballed into working in the Emergency Room at Waldo County Hospital. Then I decided I wanted to go back and complete my bachelor’s degree, which I did at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, while continuing to work full time in the ER at a community hospital down there. I worked in the ER through the beginning of COVID and I graduated from Lesley in 2021 with my bachelor’s in Health Science. My capstone project was original research about albinism, which has since been published and I have presented it at two national conferences. I moved to Portland in 2020 so I could complete my degree remotely and be closer to family. Since I moved back I have been working in Gastroenterology at Mercy Hospital and nannying. Most recently I got a job working for Maine Families. My next steps are to pursue my master’s degree in public health and attend Physicians Assistant school starting in the summer of 2025.

WS: How did Wayfinder prepare you for life after graduation?

Rose: I think one of the things that is most meaningful to me about my education at Wayfinder is the integrated nature of the curriculum. In the Residential program our studies melded into one another and into our daily lives. This helped me build a strong foundation in understanding that that is how life is, and how I want my education to be. I also feel that my academic preparation was strong. In my time [at Wayfinder], I felt so encouraged to take ownership and pride in my education. This enabled me to be persistent and driven in my future education. Another way that Wayfinder prepared me was through communication and self-advocacy skills. There were so many caring and smart adults around to talk to and bounce ideas off of. This led to me feeling much more comfortable in work settings after I left Wayfinder. Not to mention the myriad of conflict resolution skills we learned in Circle.

WS: What was the most important thing you learned at Wayfinder?

Rose: It is so difficult to narrow it down to one thing. One is the power and importance of community and putting work into the health of your community whether that be house/classmates in our case or the larger community I have experienced since. Additionally, I think that every single thing that I learned from Cathy I have put into use each day since. From deep compassion and good belly laughs, to price per unit and how to make bread, or cook for a group.

WS: Why did you choose Wayfinder Schools?

Rose: I came to Wayfinder for slightly different reasons than I think a lot of my classmates did. I struggled with feeling seen and supported in the public school environment which led to me leaving high school halfway through my sophomore year. I spent time teaching at a local alternative school during this time and came to realize that pursuing my education actually was really important to me, but I had already missed enough school that it felt impossible to go back. So when I learned of Wayfinder through my parents being friends with Dora Lievow, it felt like the perfect fit. Sometimes I didn't feel like I fit in because my life had been relatively easy compared to some of my classmates. However, over the course of my time at Wayfinder I came to realize that each of us brought tremendous strength and depth, no matter our path.

WS: What was your favorite outing, expedition or field trip and why?

Rose: The first thing that comes to mind is the NY trip, which was of course incredible! But when I dig a little deeper we went on a short day trip with Alix somewhere. I can't even remember where, I know we ended up on beach and I believe it was chilly. We all played in the sand and collected sea glass and shells and enjoyed the scenery. I wish I could remember where we went, maybe it was an island. I remember this outing feeling like such a release and cleanse, which likely had to do with whatever was going on in the house at the time.

WS: What was your favorite class, core skill or workshop and why?

Rose: Cathy and I had a close bond and so I loved working with her from culinary to my Passage project. I also enjoyed Ian's class which I am forgetting the name of right now but it was essentially environmental science I think.

WS: What was your favorite thing you learned to cook at Wayfinder and why?

Rose: Bread! I still cook bread at least once every other week. I have since refined the recipe, added ingredients and experimented with sourdough. I also feel that the practice of cooking for a group (sometimes a very picky group) on a budget was incredibly valuable.

WS: What was your favorite book or poem you read at Wayfinder and why?

Rose: It was so long ago it is hard to remember. I remember really enjoying the poems that we all wrote as part of Carrie's class.

WS: What do you miss about Wayfinder Schools?

Rose: The community, and the love that was so clearly present in that house. I know it probably sounds crazy, but I really miss Circles too.

WS: What is your favorite Wayfinder memory?

Rose: Working on my Passage project with Cathy. She had such compassion for me as well as confidence in me. I also loved all of my after dinner chats with staff.

WS: What would you like people to know about Wayfinder Schools?

Rose: There HAS to be enough money to fund the Residential program. It completely shifted my trajectory as well as many of my classmates. I think that it is a huge loss for the community to not have the Residential program anymore and I hope that it can be reborn. I think that the effect this program can have on the lives of young people in our community is priceless.

WS: What would you like people to know about you?

Rose: Wayfinder allowed me to dream bigger than I ever thought was possible and I have since achieved many of those dreams.

WS: Anything else you'd like to add?

Rose: THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE MY WAYFINDER EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE! What a massive crew!

You can hear Rose and other Wayfinder graduates speak at our upcoming Finding Our Way live storytelling event on May 4th at the Camden Opera House! Click here for more information.