Graduate Michael Clark served as the student commencement speaker, and shared his experiences with the program among attendees. Clark mentioned that when he first began the AIP, he was nervous to start. After his time in the program, Clark said that he has learned the skills and abilities to be independent.
Students in the program are trained to search for employment and to complete job applications, as well as how to access the public transportation system. The Adult Independence Program also provides students with community learning experiences that parallel experiences of independent adults. Throughout the duration of the program, which is designed for students ages 18 to 21, students acquire adult skills and apply them to community environments.
Board of Education Chairman Roberta S. Wise spoke to the graduating class, and shared information about each of the graduates with guests in attendance. Each personal story highlighted an important component of the program: that students leave with the essential skills to be successful in the world. “Rarely do we walk away from this ceremony with dry eyes,” Wise said.
Special education teacher Capri Tenis presented the graduates with a special gift. Every year, President Barack Obama sends select schools graduation letters. Each student was presented with a letter from the president. In the letter, Obama commended the students for their hard work and wished them the best in their future endeavors. “The optimism and empathy, dogged determination and remarkable selflessness of today’s graduates inspire me,” Obama wrote in the letter.
–>
