From Josh Clark P’28, ’31

...staring in awe at the opening credits of the original Star Wars, Episode 4: A New Hope. The booming orchestra introduced the galactic opera of Luke, Leia, and their cosmic rebellion as the oversized, yellow font paraded up the screen. At seven years old and an undiagnosed dyslexic learner, I could not read the words, but their pageantry told me all I needed to know. I was at the start of something momentous.

This is the power of a good beginning—it inspires a belief that what is to come will propel us into something meaningful, possibly epic. There will be challenges, uncertainties, even setbacks, but without them, the arc of the story cannot take us where we want to be: a place of deeper understanding and a new sense of being. We engage with the best stories not as a form of distraction but as an opportunity for transformation.

It is a tremendous honor to begin my small part in the sprawling tale of Landmark School. It is a story filled with innovation and determination. 51 years ago Landmark started as a rebellion of its own kind—a rejection of the misconception that students who think differently were incapable of learning. Its very existence disrupted the status quo, and five decades later, it continues to lead the world in how to identify, support, and celebrate those who learn differently. As you will see in the following pages, leadership at Landmark School is about serving this story.

As I begin my journey as the next leader of Landmark School, I will borrow from one of the greatest beginnings in all of literature: Call me Josh.