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Metadata

ID:
2025-04-18-conversation-with-cruce-saunders
Participants:

Conversation with Cruce Saunders and Eddie Dunn

Overview​

An in-depth conversation with Cruce Saunders, a 16-year-old Alpha School student, who shared his personal background, family challenges, and perspectives on Alpha School. Eddie Dunn, who was visiting with Gary, also contributed to the conversation, offering encouragement and sharing his perspectives on education and hemp-based sustainability.

Key Discussion Points​

Cruce's Personal Background​

  • Full name is Walter Cruaunders IV, goes by Cruce (his middle name)
  • 16 years old, turning 17 in May
  • Difficult family history: wealthy childhood, parents divorced when he was 12-13
  • Father described as "a horrible person" who committed crimes and financially abandoned the family
  • Currently lives with his disabled mother who has a heart condition (bicuspid aortic valve)
  • Mother has had five heart surgeries, including three in the past six months
  • Moved schools approximately 10 times, experienced violence from teachers and threats from students
  • No friends from 4th grade until joining Alpha School
  • Has the same heart defect as his mother, but it doesn't affect him as severely
  • Is a runner despite his heart condition

Alpha School Experience​

  • Found Alpha School online, applied for a scholarship, received 100% tuition coverage
  • Has been at Alpha for one year
  • Initially struggled with time management and understanding the system
  • Developed efficient systems using AI tools to handle academic requirements
  • Works on a running app project that uses haptic feedback to gamify running
  • Believes Alpha is "the future" of education and that traditional education is outdated

Perspectives on Alpha School​

  • Identifies lack of exposure/marketing on social media as Alpha's number one issue
  • Suggests creating hundreds of social media accounts across platforms
  • Believes Alpha needs more guides with diverse skills (currently has three for 50-60 students)
  • Has experience in marketing through work with a company called Early Media
  • Sees himself supporting Alpha in the future, particularly with marketing efforts

Running App Project​

  • Passionate about running because it helped him through depression as a teenager
  • Wants to make running more accessible and enjoyable for others
  • Developing an app that uses haptic feedback on Apple Watch to gamify running
  • Believes current running apps don't truly gamify the experience
  • Chose to create an app rather than a running club to reach more people

Eddie Dunn's Contributions​

  • Shared his own experience of not completing traditional high school
  • Discussed the benefits of alternative education models
  • Encouraged Cruce to maintain his confidence and ambition
  • Compared Cruce to Mark Zuckerberg in terms of vision and potential
  • Shared information about hemp-based sustainability initiatives with Cruce

Follow-up Actions​

  • Gary invited Cruce to dinner with Zach Levi (Shazam actor) and others the following Wednesday
  • Eddie and Cruce exchanged contact information
  • Eddie offered to support Cruce's running initiatives in the future