Building Antifragile Students

Preparing the Next Generation for What’s Next

Author

Stephen Carter
November 11, 2025

When I visited Santa Fe Christian Schools, I was struck by more than the ocean air and open campus. I was struck by a mindset. Just over a mile from the Pacific, Head of School Rod Gilbert isn’t focused on keeping students safe from the waves of culture—he’s teaching them how to ride them with strength, discernment, and joy.

Rod joined me on the latest episode of the Entrepreneurial Mindset for Transformative Education podcast, and I truly believe it’s one of the most important conversations we’ve had yet. 

We explored what it means to prepare students not just to endure change, but to grow because of it. That’s the essence of being ANTIFRAGILE—a term coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb to describe systems that get stronger through stress, not weaker.

Fragility is everywhere in modern education. Students are taught to avoid risk, protect comfort, and mistake challenge for harm. But Rod offers a different vision—one where Christian education doesn’t just prepare students for college, but for calling. He’s cultivating resilience rooted in faith, where courage, humility, and purpose become the natural byproducts of pressure handled well.

That’s also what entrepreneurship education does at its best. Every prototype, pitch, and business venture is a low-stakes version of real life—full of uncertainty, feedback, and iteration. The entrepreneurial mindset teaches students that struggle isn’t failure; it’s formation.

If you lead a school, teach a class, or parent a child, I’d encourage you to listen to this episode with one guiding question in mind:
How can we build environments that strengthen students through challenge rather than shielding them from discomfort?

Let’s stop creating comfort zones and start creating growth zones. The world doesn’t need more fragile learners—it needs antifragile leaders.

Standing out as a Christian school while staying true to your values is more challenging than ever. At Seed Tree Group, we help schools implement a proven entrepreneurship program that empowers students to take ownership of their education, equipping them with life-ready skills and creating a distinguished school with engaged students, inspired parents, and energized donors.

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Imagine your culture infused with growth mindset, grit, redefining failure, and opportunity seeking. Imagine your team acting and thinking like entrepreneurs.

Stephen Carter