Every year, individuals with disabilities ranging in age from 18 to 21, depending on their needs, come to school and attend a program that helps them transition into adulthood. This program helps them learn basic job necessities as well as a group of other things which help them prepare for the real world. On their 22nd birthday they officially age out of the program, and they leave school to start their careers in the workforce!
The program we have here at Heritage not only helps them pursue their interests, but also helps teach them how to keep their things tidy and how to take care of themselves. The teachers, including Mrs. Angie Trentham, take them on field trips daily to help them find out what their passions are. Overall, this program is amazing and inclusive, no matter what speed bumps are on the road.
Some of the students aging out of our amazing program here at Heritage include the dynamic duo of Willie and Brady, as well as Adalee and Dev.
Willie is the most recent student to age out, having left us on January 15th, 2025. He had his going away party at 1:45 PM, which gave all students the opportunity to say goodbye and wish him well on his journey to adulthood. Right now, he’s particularly interested in the Georgia Bulldogs, as well as Blake Shelton, an American singer and songwriter. Currently, he’s going on to attend a local day program to strengthen his skills in his daily life. His friends from the Partners Club describe him as someone who is energetic and kind, and as someone who always had a sense of humor. Although Willie will be missed, we wish him well on his next journey. Who knows, he might even play for the Bulldogs one day!
The next person to leave us is Dev, who is going to leave February 13, 2025. He’ll have a wonderful party, where teachers and staff can say their goodbyes to him before he leaves us to explore new opportunities. Currently, he’s interested in landscaping, and unlike the other students, he’ll be working with VR to earn part time competitive employment in our community!
“Oh, my experience with him has been really good. He’s really sweet,” senior Lyla Kirby said, one of his partners this year who helped him come out of his shell and really flourish. Overall, although we’ll miss him, he’ll always be in the community for us to see, and we’re so excited to see what this world has in store for him!
Adalee will leave next on February 26th, 2025. She enjoys reading and working with children, and she will go on to attend a daily program to help strengthen her daily life skills. She can be described as sweet and caring, someone who won’t hesitate to help out her peers, whether it be in the classroom or outside the classroom. We’re so excited to see where she goes next in life, and wherever she goes, we’ll always have her in our hearts.
The final student to age out this year is Brady, the second half of our amazing duo. He won’t leave until May 20th, 2025, and he’ll have his goodbye party on the same day. Right now, he enjoys Thomas the Train and attending his local church. Once he leaves, he’ll attend a daily class that will help him strengthen his daily life skills. His partners describe him as someone who is kind, even though it took them a long time to get accustomed to their new friends, and overall, we all loved him here at Heritage. “My favorite moment was probably the softball games, watching him hit home runs,” junior Elijah Oxendine said, his partner last year.
No matter where they go or what sights they see, we’ll always have them in our hearts here at Heritage. They’ve left such a memorable impact on the students and staff here. They’re all such strong, independent and smart students who can achieve so much, and we’re so proud of them for graduating strong. We’re so excited to see what they’ll achieve in the future!
