“A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.” — Mohandas. K. Gandhi
Graduations are important milestones in people’s lives. But to the students at The Trousdale School in Cleveland, Tenn., school is an ongoing opportunity.
The Trousdale School is a nonprofit corporation formed in 2005 as a year-round day school providing education to high-functioning adults with mental disabilities.
“Our goal is to have a residential setting for them because a lot of them will never be able to live on their own,” said Tasya Woodard, program coordinator. “The students have to be 18 or older and high school graduates. There are not a lot of opportunities for these students after high school. Many end up staying at home playing video games. Our school provides them the opportunity to continue their education and find jobs.”
“After high school, most adults with disabilities are limited in options for continuing education,” school director Christin Rose said in a news release. “We believe education is the key to independence, success in the work place, personal growth and happiness. It is our mission to provide this service.”
More than half of Trousdale’s students are working in the community as productive and involved citizens giving back, Ms. Rose said.
“We provide transportation to and from the school, as well as to jobs and social activities,” she said. “We have recently purchased additional land to expand our school to include more classrooms, music and computer labs, as well as residential housing.”
Enrollment at the school has increased from two (in 2005) to 21. Eleven students are from Hamilton County, Ms. Rose said.
“This tells us we are doing something right,” principal Bryan Gentry said. “Our new location is at Asbury United Methodist Church’s youth center. They have really welcomed us and made us feel so at home.”
The students, ages 19-38, are high school graduates.
Trousdale offers a variety of services for its students, including job-placement assistance and competition in Special Olympics, where they won more than 40 medals last year. One student swam in an international Special Olympics in Ireland.
“We really try to make every day productive for our students and make sure they feel good about themselves by the end of each day,” Mr. Gentry said.
The school’s founder, Tom Johnson, said it’s important for the students to have confidence.
“They’ve spent a lifetime with people telling them they can’t or they’re not good enough,” he said. “Give them two or three weeks, and the confidence begins to grow.”
For more information about The Trousdale School, call (423) 479-7130.
Feature writer Karen Nazor Hill covers fashion, design, home and gardening, pets, entertainment, human interest features and more. She also is an occasional news reporter and the Town Talk columnist. She previously worked for the Catholic newspaper Tennessee Register and was a reporter at the Chattanooga Free Press from 1985 to 1999, when the newspaper merged with the Chattanooga Times. She won a Society of Professional Journalists Golden Press third-place award in feature writing for ...
