Mother of Son with Special Needs Writes Touching Letter to Divine Academy
At Divine Academy, we do our best to provide students with the education that they need to live their best lives. Seeing them grow and exceed their expectations is why we love going to work everyday. We're very proud to help so many children and adults with special needs, and the gratitude that their families show us makes us even prouder. Jenny Companioni is the mother of one of our middle school students, Derek. She recently wrote us a letter about how Divine Academy has had a positive impact on her son's life since he joined the school.
We wanted to share the touching letter that put a smile on all of our faces.
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Derek is the joyful young man with the brown hair and navy blue shirt (3rd from the left in the 1st photo). Jenny wrote in her letter, "I cannot begin to thank you all enough for the change we see in Derek. I need to start with administration. Thank you for creating this amazing place called Divine Academy. You saw that there was a need for a place where children are not just a student ID number. You saw that academics was very important but that there was a need for a place that would help fill in the gaps that other schools didn't provide. I thank you for that vision."
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" Next, Id like to thank all of the teachers, therapists and staff at Divine Academy. It takes such a special person to work with our kids. They teach and guide with their hearts. They put in so much time, love and patience into their job. And it is so evident."
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"To Ms. Jaffird, thank you for making each kid shine. Thanks for being so dedicated and passionate despite your injuries."
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"Ms. Tania and Coach Dan, he is obsessed with you both and loves to come to school because of you. This is priceless. How could I be so blessed? It's true when they say it takes a village... It takes a Divine village."
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"I posted the whole video of Derek's performance on my Instagram and I cannot begin to tell you how many people have commented on how much he has changed. They saw a happy child. They saw a confident child. They saw a child with possibilities. Thank you for bringing out the best in Derek. Thank you for seeing his abilities rather than his disabilities."
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"In my 47 years of life, THIS HAS BEEN THE BEST DECISION I HAVE EVER MADE. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this mother will forever be grateful for what Divine Academy is doing for my son and for so many others."
Jenny went on to add, "PS: You may forward this to your staff. Let them know that their hard work, on a daily basis, is so appreciated and does not go unseen."
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We're truly humbled and touched by Jenny's letter. Her words motivate us even more to put children with special needs on a path to success. We hope to have the same impact that we've made on Derek and his mother on all of our students and their families.
If you live near Hollywood, Florida and have a child with special needs, then come join the Divine Academy family 💙.