Michelle and Neal

Michelle was fourteen months old when her mother attended the second How To Multiply Your Baby's Intelligence Course given by The Institutes staff. Michelle was quickly accepted into the Early Development Program of The Evan Thomas Institute and began to learn reading, math, music, and brachiation at home. Encyclopedic knowledge, Japanese, gymnastics, ballet, and violin were added to her home program when she was two years old.

When she was four and a half, Michelle was reading for pleasure, performing many household responsibilities, playing the Suzuki repertoire on the violin, running in three-mile races, and swimming beautifully. She especially loved gymnastics and ballet.

From the time she could hold a crayon, Michelle showed great ability in writing and drawing. She produced many illustrated books before the age of five.

When her brother, Neal, was born in 1982, Michelle immediately took on the role of teacher, coaching him to crawl, teaching him perfect pitch, and carrying out The Institutes Newborn Stimulation Program. She made many reading books for him in both English and Japanese, and with her help Neal was reading out loud before his second birthday. "Michelle has always been a wonderful teacher and inspiration to me," says Neal. "She has taught me many things and is still a big influence in my life."

Michelle attended the International School of The Evan Thomas Institute for eight years, where she had the opportunity to study computer science, art and music history, natural science, chemistry, music composition, and Japanese language and culture. She wrote and illustrated many books, wrote footnoted research papers, and performed in five Shakespearean productions. She became an outstanding gymnast, able to do back tucks, side aerials, and sophisticated routines on the balance beam. Through many hours of teaching in the school, she reached the sensei, or teaching, level.

After graduation, she lived for one month in Japan, and had the opportunity to study privately with famed violin teacher, Dr. Shinichi Suzuki.

Michelle received a scholarship to attend one of the top private schools in the Philadelphia. While maintaining a heavy academic roster she was first violinist in the orchestra, played varsity basketball and lacrosse, remained active in community service, and continued to excel in various art forms. "I was able to be involved in everything from art and music to science and sports," she says, "and do well in all of these areas."

For her month-long senior project, she produced precise architectural drawings of an historic train station in Philadelphia for its preservation committee.

In 1995, Michelle was accepted onto the main campus of Pennsylvania State University, where she majored in landscape architecture. She spent a semester in Rome, Italy, studying the city's historic and architectural development.

After earning a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture, Michelle joined an engineering firm, where her design skills are put to work daily. She remains sensitive to the environmental concerns of land development, including maintaining open space and preserving wildlife habitats.

Neal chose to attend a private academy following his graduation from the International School. He was active in student government, community service, and cross-country running. Neal began to sing as a baby and received excellent vocal training during six years in a boy choir. In high school he continued to sing both bass and tenor in the academy chorus.

While particularly interested in writing and history, and he also added honors classes in acting, chorus, and video production to his academic load. He was active in student government and the school newspaper.

Neal credits his interest in writing, directing and performance to his early introduction to reading, Greek and Latin word roots, and the works of William Shakespeare and Gilbert and Sullivan. He now attends Ithaca College, where he is majoring in television and radio, with a minor in history. He has a weekly jazz program on the campus radio station and sings with the men's acappella group.

Neal has been a Red Cross lifeguard for the past four years and enjoys teaching and coaching swimming. He is an avid reader and writes for pleasure. Recently he has returned to the International School to videotape and edit the students' Shakespeare productions.