Gwen, Toniquas’ amazing mom, did most of the talking at intake; how she fought with the public schools’ counselors over Toniquas diagnosis and referral to the Hallen School in New Rochelle. She felt the counselor’s assessment was wrong, that her daughter was capable of “normal” classes. She lost the argument. But Gwen didn’t give up. Her training as a guard at Rikers’ Island taught her patience.
Toniqua surprised us — she excelled in our student-centered “flipped” classroom model. She had a personal trainer; she learned at her pace. For the first time, she was in charge. She grew stronger; confident, more verbal with every test she passed. Within weeks Toniqua achieved Microsoft certifications in Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel. (These are the most often asked for credentials by employers on Indeed.com) Then, she studied and passed her Microsoft Suite Master exams required for NYS Ed teaching license.
Following her peer instructor internship and New York Licensure, the Center hired Toniqua in 2018. The first thing she bought with her first paycheck was dinner with her mom!
This year, the Hallen School hired Toniqua to teach keyboarding and Word part-time.