What HAECC Means to Me – “When asked what HAECC has done for me, it’s quite difficult to give a straight answer because what hasn’t it done for me?” – Alyssa
When I first started at Huntingdon Adult Education and Community Center (HAECC) I was honestly very skeptical because for many years I was unable to work at my grade level for the simple fact that I have a major anxiety disorder as well as ADHD. At the time I was unaware that I had those disabilities, I completely thought that I was just not as intelligent as everyone else. After just a year of being in adult education, I was achieving grades that I had no idea I was capable of attaining. I was getting one on one time in almost every class because unlike a regular high school setting where there was a larger amount of kids to a class, we had at most thirteen students. Teachers are really able to connect and show compassion with each student, which has really made a difference in my life and I know for a fact in my friend’s lives as well.
I realized a lot of the students at HAECC benefit from being able to feel comfortable enough to sit down with a teacher and express how they may be feeling. For example, after many years of struggling inside my own mind, I finally felt secure and comfortable enough to ask one of my teachers for help. That same day they helped me get an appointment with a doctor who helped me get a diagnosis. I felt so much love and appreciation, and I was aware that I had a whole team at HAECC rooting for me to be the best me I could be. When asked what HAECC has done for me, it’s quite difficult to give a straight answer because what hasn’t it done for me? It gave me a loving, devoted support group that I truly needed, and it gave me the ability to get the grades and education that I thought I would never be able to achieve. Most of all it gave me a sense of pride and purpose. HACC means so much more to me than just a school, it is the place where I found myself and for that, I’ll always be grateful.
– Alyssa Breen