Interview with Kenneth Chenault, CEO of American Express, Board of Directors of Airbnb and Facebook, Steiner-Waldorf Alumnus

"My parents were looking for a school that would care for the whole person. They also believed that Steiner-Waldorf School would be a much more inclusive environment for African Americans, and that it was focused on educating students with values, as well as the academic tools necessary to become creative and engaged human beings.

I think the end result of Waldorf education is to raise our consciousness. There is an increased awareness of what our senses bring to us of the world around us, how we feel, how we relate to others. It has taught me to think for myself, to be responsible for my decisions. Secondly, it has made me a good listener, sensitive to the needs of others. And finally, it helped me to establish values. In all the lessons in the main course - in history, in science, in philosophy - we really probed the importance of values and ideals. When you're faced with complex problems and a lot of stress, if it's not balanced by a core of meaningful values, you burn out and fail."

Kenneth Chenault is an American businessman and entrepreneur. He was the chairman and CEO of American Express from 2001 to 2018, later joining the board of Airbnb and Facebook. He was a student at the Steiner-Waldorf School in Garden City.