Beacon For a Brighter Future

Before I started coming to Calais in 2022, I was going through a very rough chapter of my life. My old school lacked the resources and understanding to help me manage stress and self-regulate. I felt like I could not survive in a neurotypical-dominated world.

However, when I got to Calais, I found no shortage of these resources. The people at Calais understood the problems that I was going through and had the patience and mental fortitude to help me.

The Calais School has many programs that have helped me achieve my goals and prepare me for the future. For example, the work experience and community-based instruction have helped me feel like I know what I am doing in the real world.

I was also able to take up a 60-hour paid internship at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm in conjunction with the DAWN Center for Independent Living. I have even had the opportunity to take classes at County College of Morris, which helped me confirm that I want to pursue a college education.

All of these experiences at Calais have helped prepare me for my future plans. Starting in the fall, I will be attending Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia as part of the Honors College. I will be majoring in Linguistics.

My long term plan at the moment is to become a lawyer. I want to be able to have a hand in fixing some of the injustice in this world. I do not believe that any of this would be possible without the help and support I received from the people at The Calais School.