William Thrives at Kellam High…by Annie Johnson
April 16, 2010
Anne Johnson and her son William
Planning for high school was so much different than middle school. In middle school, the focus for William was trying to determine what will work best for his needs. Whereas, in high school, William now had the opportunity to find out what he would like to do! He now had the opportunity to enroll in a variety of exciting classes such as Japanese, art, and/or computers. At the start of his freshman year, we planned that William would pursue the Standard Diploma option rather than a Certificate of Completion. Kellam High, here we come!
Presently, William is nearing the end of his sophomore year at Kellam High. Since William’s first day of high school, his experience has been superb! As the “proud mother”, I would like to boast about his accomplishments so far. I am thrilled to shared with you that William is one of just 90 students at Kellam High to be in the 600 Club his freshman year. To be eligible for the 600 Club, a student must have a perfect score on one of their SOL tests. William scored a 600 in history! And, throughout his high school career, William has maintained his Honor Roll status.
William was on track for an Advanced Diploma, having taken three years of Japanese. However, this changed and I’ll explain why. William and I attended the Advanced Technology Center (ATC) open house during his freshman year. As a result of this visit to the ATC, William fell in love with the school and enthusiastically said to me, “I want to go there Mom!” I wasn’t sure how to make that happen. Once again, William taught me a lesson! He had in his possession an ATC application just before the winter holiday break. He filled it out, on his own, and handed it in on his first day back to school. After talking with some folks, I realized we needed to do more in order to apply to the ATC. This “more” included writing an essay. Yep, I was thinking, I better step in and help.
My son diligently worked on the essay requirement for admission to the ATC. The day I submitted his ATC application to his guidance counselor, I received an e-mail message notifying me that William had been accepted early decision into the ATC’s Modeling and Simulation program!!! Now, he had to choose: drop Japanese and lose the Advanced Diploma option, or take classes over the summer. Since he is interested in volunteering at an animal shelter over the summer, William opted to drop Japanese and the Advanced Diploma option.
Isn’t this what every parent wants? A child, now a young adult, who has choices to make and the ability to make the ones that work best for them? It has been a long, fascinating, trying, scary, joyful road so far. And, when I look back, I am amazed at how far we both have traveled. I have gone from a hovering, worried, “watch out for that one” mom, to a “let’s talk about it and see where you can go from here” one. O.K., I have to admit, I still hover sometimes. William has gone from a scared, overwhelmed, crying 3-year-old, to a radiant, happy — just watch him skip down the halls — successful young man who I am proud to call “My William.”
Thank you for allowing me to share with you my journey with William and Virginia Beach City Public Schools! This blog and my journey have been an absolute labor of love.
Annie Johnson, guidance counselor Princess Anne Elementary and William’s mother
Entry Filed under: Special Education/Autism. Posted in Special Education/Autism .
13 Comments Add your own
Lisa Austin | April 16th, 2010 at 8:54 am
What an amazing adventure Anne! Thank you so much for sharing and congratulation on yours and Williams awesome accomplishments!
Susan Roberts | April 16th, 2010 at 9:08 am
Annie, thank you so much for sharing William’s story. I was almost in tears at the end of your latest blog. I know you must be so proud of William. He is very fortunate to have you as his mother.
Tom Gustafson | April 16th, 2010 at 9:31 am
Bravo Mom Johnson! What an inspirational story! Thank you for sharing “your William” story with all of Virginia Beach!
Kathy O'Hara | April 16th, 2010 at 9:34 am
Annie, once again, what a well-written tribute to the resiliency of your son. William is also very fortunate to have such a wise advocate as a mother — one who knows when to offer assistance and when to step back and trust the judgment of her son.
Cathy Peterson | April 16th, 2010 at 10:27 am
What a wonderful series, Annie–thanks so much for sharing your experiences. William is blessed to have such a caring parent who is a wonderful advocate for him.
Winnie Backman | April 16th, 2010 at 11:40 am
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful story. You are a daily example of understanding and kindness and it shows in William everyday!
Lori Clarke | April 16th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
I enjoyed reading your blog vey much. I will be sharing it with some of my students’ families. I know that it will provide them with hope and courage as their children grow. Thank you for sharing!
Ann Marie C. Garvey, ATC Assist. Dir. | April 16th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
It was exciting to read about William’s journey over the years. He has certainly grown as he demonstrated motivation and desire to problem solve and make his own decisions. You must be very proud! We look forward to seeing him in class at the Advanced Technology Center in the fall.
Wendy Tate | April 16th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
Thank you for sharing your journey, I hope many others will read it and be inspired as I was!
Frances Clarkde | April 19th, 2010 at 9:41 am
I was particularly struck by the way William handled himself when other students treated him wrongly. Thank you for sharing his amazing life adventure.
Marty McDonald | April 19th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Anne, because you took the time to share your story, it will spread and inspire far beyond just the VB school system. You’ll never know how many others you have helped deal with similar situations. Nice job!
Michael Nicolaides | April 19th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Annie, I enjoyed reading your blog and I am glad you have shared your son’s story. I learned so much about autism. There is a lot you should be proud of!!
Liz | April 30th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Your joyful voice is a reminder to us all that each and every child in our care has talents to be built upon. It is our privilege, as educators, to meet students at the the door, wherever they are in life, and build upon their strengths. Bravo!
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