North Pointe Center teacher Molly High “really doesn’t like” graduation. “I know that sounds awful, but it’s the truth,” she told three graduates and their families Friday noon. “It’s not that I’m not happy for the students or that I’m not proud, because I truly am.

“It’s just that when they start preparing for this day,” High said, “I start thinking about next year and I can’t imagine coming to school and not seeing these three smiling faces in the morning.

“How am I going to know the latest sports reports without Nick?” High asked. “He always makes a point to say hi to me when we pass in the hall or at lunch time. Jerry always teases me and jokes with me, which I love.”

And Amy, her “little ray of sunshine,” smiling even when it gets chaotic around her, nominated High for WNDU’s 2007 Excellence in Education Award with a “lovely, touching letter. That’s just how she is all the time. Since she loves to sing, I hope she makes it on American Idol and I win a Ford Focus.

“In all honesty, Amy brings sunshine to all she comes into contact with. The people at the nursing home where she did her job training went on and on about how they loved having her there. She has a huge heart and her smile’s infectious. ‘No matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine’ perfectly describes Amy. Don’t forget to come back and bring that sunshine to us every once in a while — and tortillas and salsa, too!

“On this day I dread,” High said, “I have to remind myself of what’s yet to come. I love to see our students in the community and when they come back to visit and tell us all the great things they are doing. No matter how good you get, you can always get better, and that’s the exciting part. Stay in touch.”

Louis Chism, Lewis Cass Intermediate School District special education director since July 2005, presented certificates of completion to Nick Berry, Jerry Covell and Amy Mata.

A fourth graduate, Terrence DuPree, was not present.

“When I first had Nick he was not communicative, he was not social,” teacher Eileen Weingarten said. “He has grown into a very valuable player on the team who makes 10 baskets. Most of the time he reaches his quota. He’s done the same thing with his banking, checking and reading skills. We’re so very proud of Nick, who will be going to Woodlands and I’m sure he will be doing some kind of supervised work. He’s surely an athlete who will stay involved in Special Olympics.”

Covell “looked at the floor. He wouldn’t look me in the eye. He didn’t want to go to dances or out in the community. He’s a changed man now, actually. Jerry has great feelings for everybody, he loves to go to dances and all kinds of social events, he’s a great worker and he’s going to be doing roofing clean-up with his brother and he’ll be involved in the program at Woodlands. He knows about being successful by following a scheduled routine. We can’t do it alone to be successful, we have to be accountable to other people as well as to ourselves. I look for great things from Jerry.”

LCISD Superintendent Bob Colby commented, “Today’s occasion is all about these young adults sitting up here and their accomplishments in life. My message is to all of the adults in the room. We know that this group of young adults owes today’s accomplishment to you. We have a wonderful staff here at Lewis Cass who works with these young people and helps them get to where they are today, but everybody in this room knows that without a high level of support from family and friends, these people don’t get to this point, so thank you. Additionally, when they move on and don’t come to us every day, they still need the involvement of all the people in this room to help them be successful in everyday life. They’ve overcome huge challenges to be where they’re at today.”

Principal Pete Bennett added, “You’ve all been outstanding students and represented North Pointe Center in the best possible way. I really enjoy graduation ceremonies as an opportunity life presents us to mark important milestones. In fact, I think we should take better advantage of celebrating them all — from crawling to walking, learning to communicate, smiling that first smile, learning to care about and help others, reading a book, the satisfaction of hard work, learning to enjoy life and many, many others. Graduation is one of those really big milestones. Today is not really the end of anything, but the beginning of everything with a future filled with possibilities.”

“Community is harder to maintain in our society,” Bennett said. “Driving through neighborhoods today, you hardly ever see kids playing outside anymore. We’re inside, shut off from each other. As Mr. Colby pointed out, to some extent, it’s just the reverse for our graduates. It really is a community effort of everybody coming together on behalf of these students that’s helped get them where they are today. We have a wonderful sense of community here at Lewis Cass and here at North Pointe Center. That’s so dependent on all of you and the hard work you’ve put in and the time you’ve given of yourselves. It’s been a real lifetime accomplishment for these three people and we’ve very proud of them, of you and of our staff. We realize the lessons we teach are always secondary to the values and character you instill in your children. Nick, Jerry and Amy, your life of independence awaits you. We celebrate this jumping-off point in your lives. Seeing you begin your journey re-energizes me and makes me want to celebrate the possibilities that each new day brings to each one of us.”