District 212 BRIDGE program seniors honored at graduation tea

At the much anticipated event, special education teachers introduce, talk briefly about, and present each graduating student with an award. In turn, each student is invited to speak about their experiences at Leyden, and what those experiences mean to them.

When the students reminisce, they reflect on their personal growth, noting that they have been inspired by their teachers to believe in themselves, strengthen self-confidence, move forward, and always produce their best work. They also talk about the support they've received from their families, the importance of friendship and their goals and plans for the future.

In most cases, the students have been in the program for four years. The teachers agree that during the course of those years, the students have matured, grown academically and emotionally, and acquired skills that will help them succeed in life.

The 2016 BRIDGE graduates, and the awards they received, are: Irving Castellanos, Most Likely to Change the World Award; Jair Chavez, Most Helpful Award; Veronica Krol, Best Smile Award; Mike Meske, Most Likely to Star in an Anime Movie Award; Jocelyn Muralles, Most School Spirit Award; Michael Niebrzydowski, Best Athlete Award; Samantha Niewinski, Best Sense of Humor Award; Nick Ostermeier, Most Likely to Work at the Field Museum Award; Kevin Robolledo, Best Storyteller Award; Jorge Serrato, Arcade Man Award; and Samantha Urrutia, Good Friend to All Award.

Students in the BRIDGE program function in a self-contained environment designed to enhance their chances of living independently by developing daily living skills such as domestic arts, vocational independence, community awareness and recreation and leisure skills. Concepts taught include banking, budget planning, finding an apartment, comparison shopping, choosing appropriate clothing, using credit, career goals, set a short-term goal and devise a plan for achieving it, and using leisure time appropriately.