Adrian’s mother, Tikeya, recounts the struggle prior to his enrollment at High Road Schools – being called at work to pick up her son, navigating medications, and experiencing challenging behaviors. After witnessing the dedication of High Road staff – and their ability to unlock her son’s potential – she says, “I can’t say enough good things about High Road!”
““I can’t say enough good things about High Road!”
– Tikeya Wheeler, Adrian’s mother
The staff at all High Road Schools are genuinely interested in helping students achieve success and enjoy rewarding futures. “Just getting to know the student is the first step – not just what we receive in the referral,” says Ben Colpitts, Program Director, as he recalls the unique behavioral and social-emotional challenges student Adrian faced when he enrolled at High Road School of Harford County.
Colpitts and other staff learned how to motivate Adrian by looking at his passions – especially when he showed a genuine interest in music. Andrew Burlin, special education teacher, notes that as the school uncovered and supported Adrian’s passion for music, a lot of the challenges started to disappear: “He became a model student in my classroom.”
At home, Adrian taught himself piano by memorizing key hits by eye; in fact, Colpitts notes with amazement, Adrian memorized about 15 songs just through watching online videos. The student’s musical gift was unveiled at High Road School of Harford County’s 2019 talent show. During the event, Carrie Spies, Regional Vice President at Specialized Education Services, Inc. (SESI), marveled at Adrian’s music and decided, along with school administrators, to sponsor his piano lessons at Music Land, a full-service music center.
Unlocking student potential, High Road Schools encourages the growth of each student’s strengths and talents – and Adrian is just one example of success. He graduated from High Road School of Harford County in 2021. After receiving multiple scholarship offers, he chose to continue his education at Towson University as a music major. Proud of her son, Tikeya shares “I wish I had known about schools like High Road a long time ago.”
“I wish I had known about schools like High Road a long time ago.”
– Tikeya Wheeler, Adrian’s mother