Students Overcome Challenges to Graduate from Hillsides Education Center

It was a day of celebration and tears, of endings and beginnings.

On June 2, 10 seniors graduated from Hillsides Education Center (HEC). During a packed ceremony held in Hillsides auditorium, their teacher, Julie Howell, characterized the class as “very courageous, very supportive, very compassionate, humorous, very stubborn, but more than anything, very giving individuals.”

Each graduating senior spoke about the challenges they worked hard to overcome during their time at HEC. One student said how before coming to HEC he hated school, another told of her struggles to heal from the traumatic loss of her beloved grandmother, while another explained how he finally conquered the urge to ditch class: “When I saw the seniors last year in their caps and gowns, I knew I wanted the same thing. And here I am,” he said.

Students also gave thanks to their families, teachers, and staff at HEC. “I felt I belonged here from the first day, and here I have grown to be the man I am,” said one proud graduate.

Ryan Eisenberg, the director of HEC, said that this year’s class had a special place in his heart because his start at HEC coincided with the seniors’ freshman year. He also praised the class for being a “true representation of the community we try to promote within Hillsides.”

Six of the graduating seniors plan on attending college. The rest are headed for vocational schools or jobs.

HEC is a therapeutic residential and day school offering individualized education for students in kindergarten through 12th grade with social-emotional, learning and/or behavioral challenges. It focuses on emotional as well as academic success through its unique GROWTH program, now in its second year. The GROWTH program focuses on individual skill development in personal awareness, social awareness, problem-solving and tenacity.

HEC is one of four core programs of Hillsides, a premier provider of child welfare services headquartered in Pasadena and serving Los Angeles County. Hillsides offers quality care, advocacy, and innovative services that promote safe, permanent environments where young people can thrive. For more information on hillsides, please visit www.hillsides.org. For more information on HEC, please visit www.hillsideseducationcenter.org.