Student Testimonials
Having gone to Forte Strong when I really had no ambition or direction in life this program really has had a massive impact on turning my life around. A combination of being out of your comfort zone and a mix of truly incredible and understanding staff really makes this place unique to anything I’ve seen online or heard about anywhere. I would highly recommend this place to anyone I spoke too. All the staff are incredibly well trained and caring towards everyone there. To sum it up I would absolutely say this program has changed my life massively, having joined the program unemployed and lacking ambition I am now in a foreign country waiting to start university on my own. Forte Strong truly is a one in a million program.
My life before I came to Forte Strong was very small. I wasn’t doing much more other than halfheartedly going to school, barely working a part time job and locking myself away in my room on my computer. I was 25 years old, still living at my parents house and I wasn’t moving forward with my life in any respect. Forte Strong helped me gain confidence, direction and discipline while practicing the life skills I felt I was lacking. In my eyes, the heart and soul of Forte Strong is the staff. Without their encouragement, guidance and support I would not have been able to make the drastic changes to my life that I did. Through the ups and downs of being in such an intensive program I always felt like I was supported and very genuinely cared about. The most valuable lesson I learned from Forte Strong was to take ownership of my life and Forte Strong truly allows students to find their own path to that lesson. I am very grateful to Forte for all they have done for me and helped me with. I wish everyone of them nothing but the best. They have helped me become a better man and a better person.
Forte Strong has helped me in many ways but above all else it helped me understand myself and how to handle the difficulties I had faced in life and the decisions that come with them. Between the counseling in the program and the structure that is provided I would recommend any young adult struggling to attend this program. I think that anyone who attends this program will come out better for having been there.
When I came to Forte strong I was very lazy and unmotivated. I would play video games all day and would tell my parents that I was going to work when I was really with my friends messing around. I had no direction for my future and an unwillingness to listen to my family about how my choices were hurting me. The coaches at Forte are so helpful and are completely willing to be there for you when you are struggling as long as you try your hardest. They have such a strong system for targeting your weaknesses and turning them into strengths. They have a lot of activities to help better yourself whether it would be with anger issues or having a hard time being social. While I was in the program I went through some really hard times and I wanted to just quit and leave because I thought it was a joke and they were only trying to help me because of money. There were times when I thought there was nobody to turn to and I felt completely alone. The big things that helped me overcome such difficult obstacles were my coaches and the other students.
Everybody in the program was there for the same reasons I was and it made it easy for me to talk too them about my struggles. The other students made it a judgement-free environment so that we could talk about our addictions and struggles. The coaches would make appointments with me and we would brainstorm ideas and come up with systems for how I could overcome my fears and issues. By the end of my journey through the program I was a completely change person. I no longer lie about what I am doing, I am not lazy and understand that I need too work hard and earn everything that I want, and my addiction is much much less than it was. The coaches and students in Forte Strong are a really strong team and have a good relationship with one another and creates an amazing environment for you too find your true potential. If you are having any kind of life issues and feel like your alone you are not. Reach out too Forte like I did and you will see so much change and potential in your life. Thank you Forte.
I am wrapping up my final week at Forte Strong. It has been a hard journey full of ups and downs. There were times where I absolutely hated the program, as well as the staff. During each of the three stages, I made a plan to return home because I thought I didn’t need the program. I can honestly say, however, that I would not be the man that I am today without Brook, Matt, Eric, Tyler, Braedon, and the rest of the talented staff of Forte Strong. The program is tough, I encountered some real challenges that I was able to work through. Staff will not make your problems go away. They will, however, sympathize with and validate what you are going through. If they just fixed all of my problems without letting me figure them out with my own problem solving skills and their guidance, they would just be enabling the inner child in me that I wanted so desperately to cling onto.
It is because of the opportunities this program provided me with that I am the man that I am today. It has instilled in me a confidence in myself that I never thought would be possible. I have gone through many other programs that were very helpful in fixing what they focused on whether that be an eating disorder, addiction to alcohol, etc. However, I like to think of those more obvious problems as surface level distractions from the core issues with critical thinking and analysis of difficult situations be that at work, school, relationships with friends/family, etc.
With all that said, I would highly, highly recommend this program to anyone struggling to become the independent man they are capable of becoming. Assuming you put the work in, are open and honest with your shortcomings and struggles, and truly dedicate yourself to this program, there will be drastic changes for the better that come as a result.
As a former student being at Forte Strong was a life-changing and unforgettable experience for me. They care about you and your personal growth as a person and will help you succeed in that. The community of coaches, therapists, and other students in Forte Strong is very welcoming and inclusive. I would 100% recommend this program.
Forte Strong was one of the better decision I have ever made in my lifetime. I’ve learned a lot from my personal coach CJ, Zack and from the head coach Braedon during my journey that started in January. Some of the guys that I have met will be life-long friends. It is an opportunity to actually change as a person and the tools needed to find direction, motivation and other problems. I hit rock bottom two times in my life, one time I was able to recover. The second time was more a surprise to me as well as my family. I was a burden living with them under their roof. They would give me great suggestions but I would put up a wall and become defensive about the situation/thoughts. I couldn’t be more appreciative with them for helping me find this program. I know if I didn’t do this, I would probably be still living at home with no motivation in getting a job and a direction in where I wanted to go.
Since entering the program, I am able to learn and reflect more on my story, which was a difficult thing to talk about. This journey that your sons will be going on will have difficulties and frustrations, but as long as you stay in the format and keep challenging themselves everyday, they will become men. I personally had opportunity to challenge myself in entering a Spartan Race. The moments I’ve felt during and the burpees I had to do to overcome to finish the race. It was one of the proudest moments in my life, and I shocked myself that I could finish. The program as a whole has its ups and downs.
It needs to work on the communication to the students as well as the coaches from the higher ups. I felt a lot of times that I was ignored on some requests and the change of student interests in weekend activities was bothersome. But on the other hand, I wouldn’t haven’t challenged myself if it wasn’t for the coaches, therapists and some of the students. Utah has some of the best parks around and highly recommend doing some exploring to see the natural beauty of the southwest.
So, if your son is looking for a program into changing his life for the better and he wants to do so, consider this program. The opportunity is huge, the change from wherever your living is better off for it. I wished I have done this program sooner. Thank you Forte Strong, the Staff; Brook, Matt, Tyler, Braedon, Miles, Spencer, CJ, and Zack!
Forte Strong is a tremendous organization that is extremely effective in building strong and healthy men. This is our generation, why not take care of them? Everyone here has a caring attitude that goes a long way. For young men who have such a strong desire to be the best they can be, the world can seem so barren at times. Forte Strong exposes you to life in a way that feels natural. Forte Strong is as real as a program as you can get. You are faced with difficult tasks that test your emotions and your abilities. Holding down a job and developing a consistent routine is just a fraction of the program. You will change yourself! Everything is done for a reason. I’ll never forget my time as a student here. The opportunities are endless and the people are amazing. Forte Strong is a special place and has seen so much growth. These young men deserve the best!
Forte Strong was a fun, new, and interesting experience, but above all, it was eye-opening. I was able to live in southern Utah for 6 months which should honestly be reward enough. The Scenery is amazing, and you are basically living inside a postcard. Besides the amazing opportunity to hike and explore national parks, and camp in the mountains, I was living with a group of guys who were all trying to achieve something. For some of us, it was independence, some simply wanted to build self-confidence, either way we were all working towards a goal, which was extremely motivating.
For anyone deciding whether or not Forte Strong is for them, I would say that anyone could benefit from this program. No matter where you are in life you can always become a better version of yourself, and this program helped me improve in ways I didn’t know I could. I’m writing this 6 months after leaving forte, because I wanted to see how my life had really changed after Forte before writing it. Some of my habits have faded, but the ones that mattered stayed, and I definitely changed as a person for the better!
“Strive to be the best version of you.” These are the words that I live by and Forte Strong has helped guide and support me to live by these words. But most importantly, they were a huge part of kick starting my life.
Before I came to Forte Strong, I was an extremely unhappy, disappointed, and unmotivated 22 year old guy. I was living at home, completely dependent on my parents. Living at home as a 22 year old and going nowhere in life really doesn’t feel good! I was comfortable though. Who wouldn’t be?
Forte Strong was a life changing program for me because they focused on my strengths and encouraged me to utilize them in every aspect of my life. The coaches are fantastic and really care about what they do.
I absolutely recommend any young man to attend Forte Strong if they need/want to better themselves in a similar way. I must emphasize that you have to be WILLING to change. One of the rules here at Forte Strong is “transparency,” and it is definitely key to unlocking the best version of you.
I’m going to be graduating at the beginning of February. And the really neat thing is that the end of Forte Strong is in fact the beginning of my life as a man who can take care of himself, is confident, and ready for anything that crosses his path.
When I came to Forte Strong I was a procrastinator, a manipulator, and unable to motivate myself without some sort of external threat or incentive. I can adapt quickly so I would easily find myself comfortably coasting through life in whatever situation I happened to be in. At Forte that comfort was disrupted constantly, forcing me into situations where my only way to succeed was to grow up and start taking responsibility. I definitely had some rough times at Forte, but every challenge I faced resulted in a better man coming out the other side of that struggle.
In hindsight, I see that I would’ve ended up in a lot of these tough scenarios no matter what with how my life was going and I am thankful that Forte’s staff and my peers were there to give me support and guidance to help me dig myself out of the holes I put myself in. There were many obstacles I faced over the last 11 months here in Forte Strong and I am proud to be able to look back at my path for what has been almost a year of my life and see that I have been able to change myself for the better. Now I’m looking forward to planning the next steps in my life and while I know there will certainly be bumps on this path as well, I now have the ability to overcome whatever difficulties I might face.
My only piece of advice for anyone considering Forte is this:
Like any program, it has rules, and boundaries you need to stay within if you want to continue progressing, but that is not the purpose of the program. The point of this program is to give you the environment you need to change what it is about you that is preventing you from succeeding in your life whether that be lack of independence, a struggle with dependence, laziness, procrastination, etc…; however, just following the rules and meeting the program requirements aren’t going to make those changes for you. You have to make the program work for you, not the other way around. Find what it is you think you need and seek out advice accordingly. You have to want to be at Forte and you have to want the change for yourself otherwise you are just wasting your time.
I went to Forte Strong as a 24-year-old with a rough idea of what I wanted – help with learning to set and achieve goals and practice living independently. The coaches there are really great – but a word of caution: they will only be able to help you if you want to be helped and put in the effort. I would also like to stress that they ask for willing students for a reason; don’t force your kid to go! They put in just as much effort as the student does so if you truly want to better your life, it’s a great place to be!
Before I enrolled in the Forte Strong program, I lost a great job at AT&T, I lost connections with friends that I had in college and high school, and felt I was torn apart. Instead of looking for new jobs and new connections, I spent the large majority of my time playing video games because I had a social gap that needed to be filled. I fell into this hole and became consumed by this video game addiction, and I saw no way out. I was about to go onto the streets because I had used up all of my remaining money> from my job at AT&T when my parents showed me Forte Strong. I saw this as a fresh start for my life. I had failed to launch after dropping out of college, and I did not know how to handle myself in the real world.
At the beginning Forte Strong gives you the bare minimum to build yourself up again, but along the way you have the whole staff of the program working with you on vital skills you need to work on to succeed in living independently. I had little to no motivation to get myself aground again with a job, I did not know how to cook, I had never kept a clean house in my life, and I would go out to eat constantly. Coach Hustead helped me learn how to cook for myself so that I could save money and eat healthier. Coach Arrington and Coach Price helped me find the motivation I had lost since I lost my job at AT&T. Coach Norton helped me beat my video game addiction by incorporating healthy habits such as going to the gym consistently, finding my love for basketball again, keeping a daily schedule, and preparing myself for the day. Coach Barclay helped me budget by keeping track of my finances, keeping me on top of rent and utilities, and keeping me on track for my goal to save money to go back home. Coach Erickson has been a huge help with my transition going back home. I realize I can’t stay here forever, but with the experiences I have had as a student of Forte Strong. I am 100% confident that I can go back and live the life I have always wanted. Before I came to Forte Strong, I felt lost, and unmotivated, and I coped with my addiction to video games. Now as I enter the final phase of the program, I am driven to succeed, I am striving to meet my goal of becoming a manager, and I am 100% independent. Forte Strong has changed my life for the better.
Before Forte Strong, I was living in a friend’s basement; I slept all day, played video games, and refused to get a job or go to school. I had no ambition to change my ways as nothing interested me and I was depressed. Forte Strong exposed me to reality and real-life situations that enabled me to regain a healthy lifestyle. I am presently self-supporting, working 35+ hours a week at a job I really enjoy, paying for my own apartment and transportation, and having an active social life. Even though I am no longer in the program, I still participate in Forte Strong events. I find Brook and the coaches to be great mentors and good friends.
Being the first student in Forte Strong to come from Europe it was natural for me to be a little anxious about what to expect. But shortly after arriving I quickly began to realize that I had been wasting my life away at home in front of the television watching pointless programs when I could have been at Forte Strong living my life to the fullest. I have my family to thank for sending me here but have Matt and Brook to thank for helping me when I truly needed it most. They helped me find an amazing internship, endured countless trips to the DMV, taught me how to ride a scooter and listened to me talk about Scotland for hours. Forte Strong in my opinion is not just hard work although that is a big part, it’s also about having fun. For example, I really had fun rockclimbing because I’ve never done anything like that back home so it was great experiencing new things. Forte Strong has helped me learn that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of character than giving your all to a difficult task. The time that I have been with Forte Strong has flown by and I can go back to Scotland with life skills and knowledge that will help me in my life to continue to become successful and will help me when I start college soon. I will definitely keep in contact with Forte Strong, with both Matt and Brook and hopefully come back to visit and show them what my life has become. I know now that I am Forte Strong!
Before I came to Forte Strong I was living in an apartment paid for by my dad, working for Pizza Hut as a delivery driver but going nowhere. My entire paycheck was spent on video games and fast food and I would eventually have to ask my dad for money to pay for my car payment, gas and insurance. Then my parents found Forte Strong and it seemed like a program that was more specific to what I needed and what I struggled with so I agreed to fly out to Utah and check it out. I really liked Brook and Matt and though I was a little anxious about enrolling, I’m so glad I did. It’s been 5 months since I arrived and I’m completely independent now and for the first time in my life I’m not reliant on others to get by.
I was in a cycle of endless spending before I arrived, asking my parents for everything I needed. I guess the best way to put it is that I was stuck in ‘teenager mode’ yet I had been out of high school for years and was expected to be an adult. I’ve always been unconfident in my abilities to do things that I knew I could do, but I didn’t really see it in myself before. Today, I’m more confident all-around and I know my strengths and skills to a T. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished and my parents are excited to see me grow as a man instead of a child.
Before I came to Forte Strong I was going down a bad road. I didn’t have my head on straight and I was getting into fights with my family. Depression was a huge factor along with many other things. My mom and I never had a great relationship after high school or during. I would always defy everything and all of the rules to make myself happy. Brook and the coaches taught me how to budget my money, manage my time, and control my impulsive nature. They showed me the way and how to become the person I wanted to be. I quickly got a job, got my feet on the ground, and when I did, I took off running, hitting bumps along the way but learning to overcome them. Forte Strong really helped me take flight. I now live on my own and support myself which I never would have been able to do. Now… I am Forte Strong!
Forte Strong has definitely helped me be more responsible. I’m more aware of my self-worth and also who I am as a person around others. Brook really helped me find a job I really enjoyed and taught me how to ride not only a scooter for the first time, but a bicycle as well, things I never thought I could do. Waking up early in the morning and riding my scooter to work everyday in the cold (lowest being 26 degrees) wasn’t easy, but it was well worth it. I’ve gained a higher value of hard work and what it truly means to work for your living. I appreciate the work ethic I developed while I was here at Forte Strong and I believe this is just one reason why I was able to achieve independence in 4 months. I’m moving back to Texas soon and I’m ready to enroll in college and begin my dream of becoming a veterinarian.
For the year leading up to my enrollment in Forte Strong, I was battling and losing to depression and anxiety. For that year I was barely holding my job and at the end of it I spent a month in bed because I was so broken down. Forte Strong gave me several things that I was missing during that year and was a great transition back into normal life. For example, before I came to Forte Strong I was missing a social group and a support system composed of my peers. I only had my mom as support and the generation gap really limits the amount of effective support she could provide. Getting that unconditional support from the coaches and the other students at Forte Strong was probably the most important thing I needed. The other important thing I needed was to learn how to have fun again. I had forgotten how to have fun over my year of depression and Forte Strong proved to me that having fun was worth the effort. Those were the things that I needed the most and after a short time at Forte Strong, I was ready to try life again. Now I’m living on my own in Seattle, making friends and I’m succeeding. I strongly believe Forte Strong helped me get where I am now.
When I was at Forte Strong, I learned a lot of life skills to help me to be independent. Like how to cook, manage my life and live on a tight budget, and also take care of my day to day living expenses. I gained the confidence I needed by accomplishing challenging things, like hiking to top of Angels Landing, going spelunking into Bloomington caves and also learning how to keep a job. I even loved participating in the normal everyday things like bowling (my favorite), going to the movies together, mini golfing and other things with the other guys. Forte Strong allowed me to meet new people who were in a similar situation as myself, develop more meaningful friendships and give me the positive support I needed to be more independent.