Interview for ex-WWASPS Students
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A 25 question interview of ex-students who attended WWASPS schools. Answers to each question can be found on the page links below.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Question 3. WWASPS students are not allowed to go home unless they conform to program standards. Did you feel you genuinely ‘worked your program’ to get home, or did you ‘fake it till you made it’? Was there a sense of desperation either way?
"I would say most people faked it to make it. I definitely did. You realize at a certain point that the only way to make it home is to work their disgusting system of brainwashing. You get so desperate to get out of there that you conform to whatever it is they expect of you. Also, the verbal abuse from facilitators and other students was enough to make you not want to have to hear it again that you just mold yourself into whatever it is they ask of you." - C.A., Casa by the Sea
"My first year at Casa By the Sea, I cried every single day. At the time I never thought i would make it. I was given a hard time by upper levels because Luke (Administrator) was my cousin, so they didn't want to special case me. Instead, Luke would humiliate me, laugh at me, and was never nice to me until I go to level 4. It took me a year to get to level 4, or upper levels where you are allowed to wear shoes and have some sense of freedom, but still very limited. For me, after enduring 23 seminars I felt honestly brainwashed. I graduated in August of 2002, my only way out. In the beginning, I was prescribed Zoloft, and the so called nurses would make me take it, and it made me feel weird and paranoid. They then took me off Zoloft for a week, then just put me back on it a week later. I was put in sick bed every time they dosed me after feeling very delusional and not normal. I though about jumping the wall, killing myself, anything to escape that place." - J.C., Casa by the Sea
"At first, I certainly faked it. Eventually, though - particularly following the seminars - I started to work “with” the program. There was certainly a sense of desperation, overwhelming at times. I also gained a deep sense of pride, however, in my ability to be “happy” despite the horrible surroundings. I learned that I can make it through terrible times, that I am strong, and that I can adapt." - C.M., Tranquility Bay
"I faked it till I made it, and yes of course there was; We were all desperate to get out of that brainwashing hell- hole!" - B.B., Ivy Ridge & Tranquility Bay
"I definitely faked it all the way; I kept getting dropped for the stupidest things, like using another girl’s hair straightener, or having a hair in my brush. So it just became easier to fake everything. It did feel like I was becoming some sort of robot, to the point where when I finally did get the privilege of leaving the program I no longer knew who I was." - A.E., Casa by the Sea
"I faked it to the point where I believed myself. I felt like the quickest route out was if I did everything that I was supposed to do. I was close to the age of 18 and didn’t want to get court ordered there until I was 19 and a half because I didn’t do what they wanted me to do. I thought that I would never get out." - L.W., Cross Creek Manor
"I was sent at 16 almost 17 and saw kids that had been there for 2+ years I decided it was pointless, and started to make elaborate calendars that ended on my 18th birthday. After being level 1 for almost 9 months I got a call from my father. He told me If I made it to level 3 that I would get to come home. It was pure desperation and I faked every bit of it." - Anon, Casa by the Sea
"I don’t conform to cults. I also loved how the program threatened you with being deserted in the middle of nowhere. I wouldn’t have worked with Hitler either." - D.G., Casa by the Sea & Ivy Ridge
"Both. In the beginning I faked it. In the middle I really did try. And in the end I gave up after 18months my mother finally pulled me out." - C.L., Casa by the Sea
"I think a bit of both. I knew culturally speaking Korean parents aren’t the most teaching type of parents. I mean, now I talked with my sister and both of use were never told about anything growing up. My parents never talked about sex, drugs, and partying. I knew I had some problems, but who didn’t. You go to a therapist and most will say your issues stem from your childhood. So who wasn’t messed up from their childhood. But did I really need this program, so I did fake a bit. I also noticed that the more harsher and honest my feedback was to others, the better I would look, so I did. As I look back, I feel bad, but at the same time, I’m sure some others did the same. I just wanted to get back home to life. Work smarter not harder." - J.K., Casa by the Sea
"I would truly say that I worked my program 10000% genuinely. I say that because when i first started the program I would not be afraid to show my anger or even resist to the program. It took me about 8-10 months i wanna say to maybe get level 3.... and then finally 14 months to get to level 4." - N.R., Casa by the Sea
"In my case I took a different route. I had 6 months till I was 18. My parents had lied ot me though saying I would be arrested and jailed if I left the program without graduating. I thought that was true coming from my parents... I spent the first 2 months doing nothing until I heard that. Then I decided... Work the program and get the hell out of here. There was a things I took in and felt were valuable tools. Other things I said were ridiculous and far fetched and faked to make my way through the levels. It was a 50-50 deal level 1-6." - G.A., Casa by the Sea
"I at first thought I would try to work the program. But after the second seminar, I realized that I couldn’t do what they asked of me. At that point, I entirely focused on my education and to get that done as fast as I could. I never made it past the second seminar, let alone graduate from it. I was asked if I wanted to do the seminar, and when I declined, I was sent to worksheet immediately for three days. My family rep stated I would be there until I learn to work with the program, but I was hoping my mother had not changed her mind about me finishing my education and leaving. So, when I took my final exam, I told the family rep that I was done with school, and she can inform my mother to pick me up. At that point, I spent the next week in worksheet until she arrived. When we were going home, I asked her what the family rep said and she explained the family rep told her I was like a cancer in the “familia”. I wouldn’t conform to the rules and the program and was a bad influence. My mother laughed and said “Wow, even a reform school kicked you out”." - A.T., Casa by the Sea
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Question 3. WWASPS students are not allowed to go home unless they conform to program standards. Did you feel you genuinely ‘worked your program’ to get home, or did you ‘fake it till you made it’? Was there a sense of desperation either way?
"I would say most people faked it to make it. I definitely did. You realize at a certain point that the only way to make it home is to work their disgusting system of brainwashing. You get so desperate to get out of there that you conform to whatever it is they expect of you. Also, the verbal abuse from facilitators and other students was enough to make you not want to have to hear it again that you just mold yourself into whatever it is they ask of you." - C.A., Casa by the Sea
"My first year at Casa By the Sea, I cried every single day. At the time I never thought i would make it. I was given a hard time by upper levels because Luke (Administrator) was my cousin, so they didn't want to special case me. Instead, Luke would humiliate me, laugh at me, and was never nice to me until I go to level 4. It took me a year to get to level 4, or upper levels where you are allowed to wear shoes and have some sense of freedom, but still very limited. For me, after enduring 23 seminars I felt honestly brainwashed. I graduated in August of 2002, my only way out. In the beginning, I was prescribed Zoloft, and the so called nurses would make me take it, and it made me feel weird and paranoid. They then took me off Zoloft for a week, then just put me back on it a week later. I was put in sick bed every time they dosed me after feeling very delusional and not normal. I though about jumping the wall, killing myself, anything to escape that place." - J.C., Casa by the Sea
"At first, I certainly faked it. Eventually, though - particularly following the seminars - I started to work “with” the program. There was certainly a sense of desperation, overwhelming at times. I also gained a deep sense of pride, however, in my ability to be “happy” despite the horrible surroundings. I learned that I can make it through terrible times, that I am strong, and that I can adapt." - C.M., Tranquility Bay
"I faked it till I made it, and yes of course there was; We were all desperate to get out of that brainwashing hell- hole!" - B.B., Ivy Ridge & Tranquility Bay
"I definitely faked it all the way; I kept getting dropped for the stupidest things, like using another girl’s hair straightener, or having a hair in my brush. So it just became easier to fake everything. It did feel like I was becoming some sort of robot, to the point where when I finally did get the privilege of leaving the program I no longer knew who I was." - A.E., Casa by the Sea
"I faked it to the point where I believed myself. I felt like the quickest route out was if I did everything that I was supposed to do. I was close to the age of 18 and didn’t want to get court ordered there until I was 19 and a half because I didn’t do what they wanted me to do. I thought that I would never get out." - L.W., Cross Creek Manor
"I was sent at 16 almost 17 and saw kids that had been there for 2+ years I decided it was pointless, and started to make elaborate calendars that ended on my 18th birthday. After being level 1 for almost 9 months I got a call from my father. He told me If I made it to level 3 that I would get to come home. It was pure desperation and I faked every bit of it." - Anon, Casa by the Sea
"I don’t conform to cults. I also loved how the program threatened you with being deserted in the middle of nowhere. I wouldn’t have worked with Hitler either." - D.G., Casa by the Sea & Ivy Ridge
"Both. In the beginning I faked it. In the middle I really did try. And in the end I gave up after 18months my mother finally pulled me out." - C.L., Casa by the Sea
"I think a bit of both. I knew culturally speaking Korean parents aren’t the most teaching type of parents. I mean, now I talked with my sister and both of use were never told about anything growing up. My parents never talked about sex, drugs, and partying. I knew I had some problems, but who didn’t. You go to a therapist and most will say your issues stem from your childhood. So who wasn’t messed up from their childhood. But did I really need this program, so I did fake a bit. I also noticed that the more harsher and honest my feedback was to others, the better I would look, so I did. As I look back, I feel bad, but at the same time, I’m sure some others did the same. I just wanted to get back home to life. Work smarter not harder." - J.K., Casa by the Sea
"I would truly say that I worked my program 10000% genuinely. I say that because when i first started the program I would not be afraid to show my anger or even resist to the program. It took me about 8-10 months i wanna say to maybe get level 3.... and then finally 14 months to get to level 4." - N.R., Casa by the Sea
"In my case I took a different route. I had 6 months till I was 18. My parents had lied ot me though saying I would be arrested and jailed if I left the program without graduating. I thought that was true coming from my parents... I spent the first 2 months doing nothing until I heard that. Then I decided... Work the program and get the hell out of here. There was a things I took in and felt were valuable tools. Other things I said were ridiculous and far fetched and faked to make my way through the levels. It was a 50-50 deal level 1-6." - G.A., Casa by the Sea
"I at first thought I would try to work the program. But after the second seminar, I realized that I couldn’t do what they asked of me. At that point, I entirely focused on my education and to get that done as fast as I could. I never made it past the second seminar, let alone graduate from it. I was asked if I wanted to do the seminar, and when I declined, I was sent to worksheet immediately for three days. My family rep stated I would be there until I learn to work with the program, but I was hoping my mother had not changed her mind about me finishing my education and leaving. So, when I took my final exam, I told the family rep that I was done with school, and she can inform my mother to pick me up. At that point, I spent the next week in worksheet until she arrived. When we were going home, I asked her what the family rep said and she explained the family rep told her I was like a cancer in the “familia”. I wouldn’t conform to the rules and the program and was a bad influence. My mother laughed and said “Wow, even a reform school kicked you out”." - A.T., Casa by the Sea
