Not Pat Whitehead's Holmstead any longer. Had contact with this school recently and the experience was negative and tense. Newer staff was unfriendly and unwelcoming. It was such a disappointing interaction. read more

Have you ever read the Harry Potter books? If you have, then you know how Harry feels about Hogwarts. Well, Holmstead was MY Hogwarts. For three years, Holmstead was my home away from home. It was the place where I felt grounded and safe, and where my voice was finally heard; all things I'd sorely lacked in my 15 years. I think of Holmstead often, as I keep in touch with many former classmates via facebook. We all have our stories, and we all came out the other side with help from the amazing program and staff Holmstead offers students like us; those that public schools often let slip through the cracks. I began attending Holmstead on October 1, 1991. I was terrified and had major social anxiety. My family life was chaotic (to say the least). I specifically asked for an IEP and to be classified by my high school's child study team (something no other student had ever done, I was told repeatedly). However, to get their attention I had to stop going to school, and I missed half of my freshman year as a result. I started my sophomore year almost a month late, but thanks to Holmstead, I graduated on time on June 22, 1994. I remember these dates because they are amongst the most significant of my life, along with the anniversary of when I first met my husband, our wedding day, my baby sister's birthday or the days we adopted our dogs. I was always independent. I am the eldest of three and I was always the "grounded" one in my various groups of friends. What I lacked was confidence and the ability to articulate my needs and feelings in constructive ways. Holmstead helped me find my voice. I had no idea how much I would need that in years to come, but thanks to the three years I spent under the tutelage of teachers like Jean Karpowich and Barbara O'Dea I learned how to advocate for myself, how to accept my faults, how to develop my skills and how to be a better person. I mentioned earlier that, despite missing much of my first year of high school, I graduated on time. That's because at Holmstead I was given the chance to do a lot of independent study. In my early 20s, I was given copies of my HS records. In them I found notes from the superintendent of my school district doubting if I'd have enough credits to graduate. I laughed imagining the man's face when he saw the response from Holmstead... not only did I have enough, I had more than my IEP required. In 2004, I was honored to be asked to speak at a parents' night about life after Holmstead. My path was not the smoothest. I had flunked out of college the year after leaving Holmstead. I chose the wrong college for the wrong reasons. However, that was an experience that helped me grow as a person. Eventually, using the resources I had learned while at Holmstead, I was able to put aside the shame of that failure and realize it was just a bump in the road. I'd been through worse, and would go through worse later in life. I returned to college as an adult and completed a BA in anthropology. With more maturity and self-respect I was better able to appreciate the gift of being able to study something I loved. I also had the unwavering support of my husband, a man I would not be with had I not gone to Holmstead and learned what I needed to be true to myself. I would've been too afraid to take the chance on love, too timid to fight for it, too jaded to believe it could work out. Yes, believe it or not, these are all skills I first began to develop while reading The Tempest or learning about genetics at Holmstead. It was my intention, when infertility derailed my plans to be a mom, to become a teacher. I returned to school to get a Master's degree in secondary education. I wanted to teach at a public high school, to be the kind of teacher that could change lives for the better. I wanted to give back because of how much I'd been given by the teachers at Holmstead. Unfortunately I had to accept that this dream was not to be realized due to a chronic pain condition that also causes cognitive issues. Again, a lost dream that I had to face, and again something I don't think I could've handled without my husband and the life lessons and skills I learned at Holmstead. I don't think it's a coincidence that most of the current teachers and staff members at Holmstead today were there when I was a student, despite the 20+ years that have gone by since. My work in early childhood education taught me that you are given so much from the children you are entrusted with, and I believe the staff at Holmstead is so steady for this reason. I will be forever grateful for those years at Holmstead, and to Patricia Whitehead, Barbara, Jean and all the staff (especially Regina) and teachers (even those I never had a class with - like Steve) who give so much of themselves to help students like me. I take credit for being open to the journey, but view these amazing human beings as my tour guides. I can never thank you all enough. read more