The mission and starfish logo of Alternative Schools are summarized in the words of Loren Eiseley and remind us that each of us can make a difference in the lives of the students we serve. As the old man walked the beach at dawn, he noticed a young man picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Catching up with the youth, he asked him why he was doing this. The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left under the morning sun. “But the beach goes on for miles and there are millions of starfish,” countered the other. “How can your efforts make any difference?” The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and threw it to safety in the waves. “It makes a difference to this one,” he said.