June 14, 2021 - Do you have any advice for new employees?
My only advice would be when you are coming to a job like this, even though you are coming to get paid, just put your feet into the shoes of those kids and think, “If a brother or sister of mine were in this situation, how best would I help? How useful could I be to them?”...

May 17, 2021 - What appealed to you about the job when you were going through the interview process?
‍The ability to make a difference, engage in the treatment with the students, work with a population that not everybody can or will work with, and learn skills that also help me outside of work. I would also say the ability to work for an agency that cares so much about their staff.

April 15, 2021 - What surprised you the most about the job?
I think the variety of kids that we have surprises me. When I first started, we had kids that were 11 years old and 21 years old; different functioning levels. We have special ed kids. I had a student in another class who put together a crane and it works with batteries, with reverse and forward. I had to help a little bit. I think kids, if you let them surprise you, will surprise you, in a good way.

March 15, 2021 - “It was last year when I started listening and taking people’s advice and using it and I stopped doing my bad behavior. [It took] a lot of hard work and time. I learned that not everyone is bad and that you can trust people and that’s what helped me.” — Montana, Brookside., Highpoint

February 12, 2021 - “I’m proud that I’ve come such a long way in my math work. Math used to frustrate me because I never understood how to do it. I got to this moment because I have a teacher that helped me understand math better, and because I learned to deal with my frustrations and use coping skills instead of refusing work.” P., Highpoint

January 14, 2021 - What are the happiest or more rewarding moments for you?
Successfully transitioning the students to their adult program. And thinking that they wouldn’t be able to, then working with the staff and then being able to successfully transition them.

December 10, 2020 - Do you have any favorite stories about the students or staff?
...Before she left Hillcrest, she asked if I could go down to her party. It was Recognition Day. So obviously I was going to go. And when I got there, she was so excited to see me that she came running over. “He’s here, he’s here!”  She was excited to see me because...

November 17, 2020 - On Tuesday, November 3rd, student after student sat herself down in a trifold voting booth to cast her campus ballot. Pen in hand, she had the opportunity to vote for her preferred presidential candidate; her choices for Brookside mascot, colors, and motto; as well as her choice on a range of political issues. One hundred percent of the student body participated in the election...