As graduation celebrations commence across the country, 28 students attending Ädelbrook Academy in Cromwell, Manchester, Bloomfield, and Middletown, CT are also donning royal blue regalia, gold tassels, and square caps to celebrate the long journey from desk to diploma.
For students and families of Ädelbrook the educational journey has not always been easy. Ädelbrook is a 125-year-old nonprofit organization providing hope and healing for children, families, and individuals. Serving students with autism spectrum disorders and other behavioral and developmental disabilities, families come to Ädelbrook looking for acceptance, engagement, and hope.
Ädelbrook assures them they can have a successful educational journey.
“I started here in 1st grade and look at me now.”
As he begins his speech, Raymond M, a graduating senior, is beaming a full-toothed grin. The pride he has for his hard work radiates from him and is palpable in the crowd. Staff return his smile with tears in their eyes. His family hangs on to every word from the edge of their seat as he delivers his speech. The weight of his journey comes off his shoulders through his words; he is ready for the Ädelbrook Transitional Academy (ATA) where he will learn vocational and life skills to take on the world.
“You guys have really made a difference in me, and I am ready to be an adult. If I wasn't here, I don't know where I would be right now, and thanks to you all, I’ll always have people that make me feel like I belong.”
In Ben S’s graduation speech, he thanks the teachers who made his success possible. He credits them for the “respectful, handsome young man” he has grown to be. He thanks them for challenging him, keeping him consistent, and most importantly, for giving him a place where he belongs. With this confidence, Ben is ready to take on the next chapter of his life.
12 students, including Raymond and Ben, graduated from Ädelbrook’s Cromwell Academy having completed their high school education. Many will be moving on to the Ädelbrook Transitional Academy to learn vocational and independent life skills to prepare them for the real world.
Nine students also graduated from the Ädelbrook Transitional Academy, marking a major milestone as they have completed their educational careers.
Tony is a longtime student of Ädelbrook having been with the agency for 13 years, starting at Ädelbrook’s Manchester Academy for elementary school. ATA director, Jackie Peck, remarks on the growth she has witnessed throughout his time.
“He has practically grown up before our eyes and today Tony is highly skilled student worker who manages multiple job sites effortlessly, and independently runs the cash registers at the Barkery and the Bookstore.”
Tony, a tall and stoic figure, sways shyly as Jackie speaks about him to the room of friends, family, and fellow graduates. He humbly listens to her word's and accepts the applause that follows. Tony’s grandfather then takes the mic. As he is congratulating his grandson on the person he has become, they are both overwhelmed with emotion. 13 years of hard, hard work have come to an end, and the next adventure can begin.
Only the families of these students know the uphill battle that was fought to see them through graduation. In that moment, those 13 years of dedication, commitment, compassion, and trust are felt and shared by everyone in the room.
Along with the graduates of the ATA and Cromwell Academy, six students stepped up from Ädelbrook’s Manchester Academy and will be moving on to either Cromwell or Bloomfield Academy. One student graduated from Ädelbrook’s Bloomfield Academy marking the first graduate since the school opened in the fall of 2024.
Graduation at Ädelbrook may look just like the ones happening at every middle and high school across the country, but it is so much more. Students often come to Ädelbrook hoping for a chance after being outplaced from their local districts. The success of these students is truly a celebration felt by everyone on their team. Every teacher, clinician, BCBA, family member, and staff behind them had a part in getting them where they are today. Each student worked hard, showed resilience, and felt accepted which led them to the graduation stage.
Congratulations, graduates. You’ve earned it.
