Today I had the honor of attending a graduation ceremony at Finberg School, which is part of the Bi-County Collaborative. Finberg is home to the Therapeutic High School program which provides education to students with behavioral, neurological, psychiatric and emotional disabilities and is also home to the Center for Development of Essential Life Roles for ages 14 to 22.
I went thinking the ceremony would be quick, with only 9 students graduating, but it wasn’t. I was pleasantly surprised to discover for each graduate a teacher gave a personal account of what it was like being involved in the their education, which made for a heart touching service.
Sue Borchard, IEP Coordinator for Franklin Public Schools, was there on behalf of a Finberg student from Franklin. Bourchard had been involved with this student since kindergarten and explained the journey was sometimes rough going. Bourchard went on to say the average high school student’s road to graduation is smooth and straight, it’s a simple path from point A to point B. For the students who were at today’s ceremony, the path wasn’t smooth, it wasn’t straight. The path was bumpy, curved, dark, and often the signs were confusing. Some of today’s graduates may have felt as if they were driving a car with square wheels. Although their journey was different they ended up at the same destination, graduation.
The most inspiring speaker was a Finberg student, Joshua Ware from Randolph. He spoke of how he was filled with rage. When he was first sent to Finberg he didn’t want to be there. He thought everyone at Finburg, at his old high school, everyone, including his mom was out to get him. His journey was hard. After time passed he realized he needed to be there, he saw that the teachers wanted to help him, he was learning and was surrounded by people who supported him. He was happy to have had the opportunity to be in a situation where he could graduate because if wasn’t there he would have dropped out of school like all his friends. He thanked everyone for their support. He said he was proud to stand in front of the room and “be a high school graduate.”
Today the students of Finberg were not defined by their disability; instead today they defined themselves as achievers.
Congratulations to the students who graduated today, especially to my niece Melissa who received a High School Diploma at today’s ceremony.
UPTON DAILY 