Meet the Students We Serve
Every student has a story. At SESI, we celebrate each learner’s strengths, challenges, and potential. Our specialized learning pathways are designed to meet students where they are and guide them toward lasting success—both in and out of school. The profiles below highlight students thriving in our schools, and show how the right support, structure, and care can lead to real progress.
Spark Learning Pathway
The Spark Learning Pathway supports students with strong academic potential who face behavioral or emotional challenges. In structured, trauma-informed classrooms, students receive daily counseling, build trust, develop emotional regulation skills, and reconnect with learning in a safe, supportive environment.
Tiana
Tiana is a 10-year-old student who frequently experiences emotional dysregulation, particularly in overstimulating environments. She has difficulty with transitions and is highly sensitive to any changes in her schedule.
How SESI Supports Tiana: SESI’s Spark Learning Pathway provides Tiana with consistent routines, predictable transitions, and soothing spaces that help her feel safe. She receives daily check-ins from her counselor and is taught mindfulness, grounding, and breathing techniques.
Malik
Malik is a 15-year-old student with a history of impulsivity, interpersonal conflict, and disrupted schooling. He exhibits leadership potential but has difficulty following directions. When frustrated, he can become aggressive. He recently completed a short-term juvenile justice placement.
How SESI Supports Malik: In the Spark Learning Pathway, Malik is placed in a highly structured setting with targeted behavior support to meet his needs. He works closely with a mentor and participates in a social learning circle where he learns to lead peer mediation and group discussions. His team develops a re-entry plan in coordination with his parole officer and family to ensure continuity of support.
Serenity
Serenity is a 13-year-old student who has experienced lapses in school attendance, anxiety, depression, and changes in living placements. She can complete most grade-level work but is socially withdrawn and hesitant to engage with adults.
How SESI Supports Serenity: The Spark Learning Pathway’s supportive classroom model provides Serenity with trauma-informed instruction, one-on-one counseling, and engaging academics tailored to her needs. Staff build relationships with Serenity through consistent, positive interactions while also coordinating with her foster family and social worker. Her daily schedule includes focused writing to help her process emotions and rebuild a sense of comfort in the classroom.
Jayden
Jayden is an 11-year-old student with grade-level academic skills and a deep interest in how things work. He has a history of behavioral challenges in school, including aggressive outbursts and multiple suspensions. Jayden has experienced instability at home and significant early adversity.
How SESI Supports Jayden: In the Spark Learning Pathway, Jayden receives daily behavioral and emotional support from trained staff who help him proactively identify triggers and practice regulation strategies. He participates in a structured classroom environment where expectations are clear, explicitly taught, and integrated with academics. SESI staff partner with Jayden’s caseworker and guardian to provide stability, build trust, and help him believe in his ability to succeed in school and beyond.
Spring Learning Pathway
The Spring Learning Pathway serves students with learning disabilities, autism, or communication delays who benefit from visual supports, structured routines, and life skills instruction. Through functional academics, job preparation, and social communication practice, students build confidence and independence as they prepare for adulthood.
Kiera
Kiera is a 17-year-old student with autism. She is verbal, independent in daily routines, and has a long-term goal of working in a bakery. She struggles with multi-step tasks and benefits from visual structure and predictable routines.
How SESI Supports Kiera: Kiera’s learning pathway includes a blend of functional academics, vocational preparation, and real-world practice. She follows a daily schedule that includes money math, recipe reading, and job-simulation tasks like packaging items and wiping down tables. Staff work with her family to arrange supported job-shadowing experiences and build a transition plan with potential placement in a culinary training program or bakery internship.
Damien
Damien is a 14-year-old student with a significant learning disability and speech delays. He benefits from repetition, clear routines, and positive reinforcement. Damien requires support in problem-solving and adjusting to new situations.
How SESI Supports Damien: In the Spring Learning Pathway, Damien participates in small-group academic instruction focused on functional reading and math skills. He receives speech-language services and practices communication through structured peer interactions. Staff incorporate task-based learning like meal prep and sorting items to prepare him for employment in a grocery or food service setting. SESI partners with his family to support independent living goals and build daily routines that support independent adulthood.
Mary
Mary is a 15-year-old student with an intellectual disability and language processing delays. She enjoys hands-on activities and is eager to please but needs support in following directions and managing changes in routine.
How SESI Supports Mary: In the Spring Learning Pathway, Mary learns in a structured classroom with consistent routines, visual supports, and step-by-step instruction. She practices functional academics through real-life tasks like making a shopping list or following a recipe. Her team provides social communication practice and collaborates with her family to build independence and prepare for a vocational transition.
Bloom Learning Pathway
The Bloom Learning Pathway is designed for students with significant cognitive or physical impairments who are nonverbal or minimally verbal. Through personalized routines, visual communication tools, and daily living skill practice, students thrive in calm, sensory-friendly environments supported by consistent care and strong family partnerships.
Liam
Liam is a 9-year-old student with autism. He is largely nonverbal and communicates using a speech-generating device. Liam requires close support for toileting and transitioning between activities and works best in a calm, structured environment.
How SESI Supports Liam: SESI staff work closely with Liam’s family and occupational therapist to implement a consistent routine that builds his independence. His classroom incorporates sensory-friendly zones and visual schedules to reduce anxiety. Staff celebrate every win—from using his device to request a toy to sitting calmly during group time. Liam also participates in a life skills program where he practices dressing himself, setting a table, and navigating daily routines.
Zoe
Zoe is a 14-year-old student with autism. She is mostly nonverbal, requires intensive supervision, and is resistant to changes in routine. She enjoys animals and willingly engages in repetitive sensory play.
How SESI Supports Zoe: Zoe’s Bloom classroom is low-stimulation and highly structured, providing the calm environment she needs to thrive. Her team uses the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) to build communication skills and helps increase her tolerance for change through the use of social narratives. SESI staff coordinate with Zoe’s family to develop a supportive postsecondary transition plan tailored to her needs.
Mateo
Mateo is a 10-year-old student with developmental delays. He has limited expressive language but processes visual instructions well. He needs support with basic care routines and can become dysregulated when frustrated.
How SESI Supports Mateo: Through functional communication training and visual supports, SESI staff help Mateo express his wants and needs more clearly. His individualized plan includes consistent routines, sensory breaks, and social stories to help him prepare for changes in his day. Mateo’s family partners with the SESI team to set goals, and staff provide weekly home communication logs and strategy coaching to extend his learning beyond the classroom.
Alternative Education Pathways
Whether they’re just beginning their education or working to get back on track, students in these programs face challenges that require targeted, individualized support. From early intervention to credit recovery, SESI provides structured environments, counseling, and academic planning to help students regulate emotions, rebuild confidence, and make meaningful progress toward their goals.
Ava
Early Behavioral Learning Pathway
Ava is 6-year-old student whose aggressive, impulsive behaviors impede her ability to participate effectively in the classroom. She experiences frequent emotional dysregulation and has difficulty with peer and adult interactions. Her behavior has made accurate assessment challenging. Ava is most engaging during art and other creative activities.
How SESI Supports Ava: In the Early Behavioral Learning Pathway, Ava benefits from a high staff-to-student ratio that allows her to receive individualized attention. The program’s nurturing environment emphasizes positive behavioral interventions, belonging, and the development of social skills. Ava participates in individual counseling and group therapy sessions; she also participates in daily gym classes and life skills development activities to promote holistic development. Through these comprehensive supports, Ava is making strides in her academic progress and social-emotional development.
Croya
Transitional Learning Pathway
Croya is a 15-year-old student who has experienced significant behavioral challenges; he was removed from his local public school due to frequent discipline code violations. He is currently behind in coursework and credits. Croya has shown leadership potential in sports and in the community.
How SESI Supports Croya: In the Transitional Learning Pathway, Croya receives targeted academic, behavioral, and emotional support tailored to his needs. Through data-based remediation and acceleration, Croya works to accumulate required course credits, stay on track for promotion and graduation, and develop skills in leadership, building and maintaining relationships, teamwork, and accountability. The program’s positive environment helps Croya re-engage with his education, learn valuable self-management skills, and prepares him for a successful transition back to his home school.
Abraham
Accelerated Learning Pathway
Abraham is a 17-year-old student who is contemplating dropping out of school. He is far behind in credits due to multiple family issues that resulted in chronic absences during his early high school years. Abraham has a strong interest in technology and has mentioned studying computer science.
How SESI Supports Abraham: In the Accelerated Learning Pathway, Abraham engages in a structured curriculum designed to help him recover credits and achieve grade-level promotion. The program emphasizes credit acquisition, volunteer and community service, senior project portfolios, and post-secondary preparation. Through personalized academic plans and supportive counseling, Abraham is empowered to take charge of his education, rebuild his confidence, and work towards graduation and future success.
Have Questions? We’re Here to Help.
Choosing the right school for your child is an important decision—and we’re here to support you every step of the way. If you’d like to learn more about our programs and learning pathways, talk with a team member, or schedule a visit, please reach out. We’d love to hear from you.