Kenneth Ashton was a student on scholarship at Havenrock not out of necessity. He came from a wealthy family who held him to high standards, which meant he was expected to be good enough to take a scholarship that his tax bracket would normally exclude him from. But as he sat in the auditorium, preparing to hear what the Immersion Pass entailed, he wished that he didn’t have to be there on scholarship.
The Dean walked onto the stage. Immediately, everyone in the audience quieted.
“Hello, everyone. If you are in this room right now, you are an education student about to participate in the most crucial requirement for a Havenrock scholarship. We appreciate your assistance.” Kenneth swallowed nervously. He hadn’t wanted to study education, but it was yet another thing his parents insisted on. “You’re probably curious what the Immersion Pass entails. Here to explain the process is the person who oversees all education immersions, Dr. Hartford.” A graying man in a white doctor’s coat walked onstage.
“Hello, students, and thank you for your help. All the participants in education immersions provide us valuable data and learn more about those they will be teaching as educators.” Whispering broke out. The Dean glared. The students quieted. “How will you be doing this? By becoming a student yourself! We rely on our immersions to make sure various schools are doing well and teaching their students. It’s also incredibly useful for you to be on the other side of the desk. The process lasts for a single semester unless we get data that suggests a full year is necessary.”
Someone raised a hand. The doctor nodded. The student stood up. Kenneth recognized her as Hailey, one of his classmates.
“What do you mean by becoming a student?” she asked. She sat back down. The doctor smiled.
“Excellent question! Through a proprietary method, you will be reverting to a younger age to become a student at a daycare, preschool, elementary school, middle school, or high school. You will be assigned to an age group randomly and also assigned a partner randomly. The partner will be of the opposite sex and join you in your classroom. Only your partner and those who work for Havenrock will know your true age. As such, you will be treated like someone of your new age. Don’t worry, you will keep your mind and your memories, but your abilities, preferences, and behaviors will match your new age.”
“Any other questions?” asked the Dean. A bunch of hands shot up. “Well, you’ll have to ask them later. It’s time for you all to begin your immersion. Check your phones.” A bunch of different text notifications went off. Kenneth pulled out his phone. There was a text with Hailey’s name on it. “That is the name of your partner, who you will meet up with at your host family’s house later tonight.”
“Host family?” Kenneth whispered. He groaned. “I have to live with someone else?” Hopefully, they would at least be upper middle class. He wasn’t used to living a modest lifestyle. And at least his partner was Hailey, who he already knew.
“When I call your name, please leave the auditorium. You will be leaving in groups based upon your new ages,” the Dean continued. Kenneth held his breath, praying that his name would be called for the high school group.
Finally, his name was called, and Kenneth joined the rest of the students in his new age group. His new school was…