Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone: My Arrival and Early Challenges Written By Ky Ly Stepping out of your comfort zone is never easy. 16 years ago, I stepped out of mine when I moved from Vietnam to the United…
One autistic student’s journey through college and beyond Written By Khalid Sirad The bell rings one final time. Graduation caps soar through the air. For most students, this moment marks an exciting transition to independence. But for those of us…
Josue is a radiant force of joy. He loves to eat. He loves his family. He loves counting in English and Spanish. He dances without restraint, sings with heart, and lights up our Early Learning Playgroup with his laughter and…
When Bryan C. was told by teachers that college wasn’t in his future, he didn’t accept that narrative. And neither did his family or the community that stood beside them. Through his involvement with Open Doors programming Bryan discovered what…
When Anthony got his license, he was so excited to share the news with his Growing Together (GT) community. For Anthony, GT has been a safe and happy place. He feels great sharing his life experiences and listening to other…
Jason displayed remarkable artistic potential in a recent session of Friendship Circle. He shared about his self-portrait, “It makes me feel happy. And it looks like space. This is the sun. The earth is my eyes. The moon is my mouth.…
Our Arabic and Kurdish speaking Family Support Specialist, Qaydar Ali, helped a family new to Washington state settle-in to life here. The mother and daughter, originally from Iraq, were living in Michigan, but decided to move to Washington state because…
Our Family Leaders showed us the power of their voices during a recent trip to Olympia. Family Leaders took time out of their busy schedules to join us for two days to meet with Legislators, and when they spoke, Legislators…
“I am very happy to have your support. My son does enjoy Friendship Circle so much and always looks forward to signing on Zoom. The program helps him open up more, talk more, meet friends, and improve his social skills.…
During the Summer, the outdoors beckons us. This past summer, our Youth Team partnered with Outdoors for All to host a series of outdoor outings as a part of our Friendship Club program. Youth including Alice, pictured here with her…
Expect great things from Mahad Dahir. Mahad ran for Vice President of the Associated Students of Highline College (ASHC) and won! He is not only the first person from the Highline Achieve Program, a program for students with disabilities, to…
During the pandemic, we held sessions for youth over Zoom where we provided social emotional learning via arts and music. We are now back in person! “My son does enjoy Friendship circle so much and always looks forward to signing…