We know that Bridges may be the first time our students experience a sense of belonging.
Our goal is for that feeling to extend to the whole family.
For Rylie, a former student turned volunteer, and her parents Alix & Cathy, Bridges was the first time their family looked forward to school. Rylie said it was like “walking into a big family.”
Watch a video about their Bridges journey here.
Hi everyone, My name is Rylie.
The youngest I remember having an aggressive meltdown after school was when I was seven. I was so overwhelmed and misunderstood, I was making it through each day with great difficulty. One thing became crystal clear for me at a young age: I hated school. I didn’t just hate it, I dreaded it. I feared it.
I hated how the other kids treated me. I hated that nobody wanted to be my partner in activities. I hated the way I was starting to believe the mean things they would say. I hated the teacher’s thinning patience. I hated eating my lunch in the bathroom alone every day. I hated that no matter how hard I tried I could not understand my math assignments.
I remember feeling so guilty after these meltdowns, for how much I would wear on my parents. My siblings. It seems crazy to think about now, how I was only ten years old and feeling so much shame for not knowing how to grapple with feelings that didn’t fit in my small body. I felt guilty for the extra space I have to take up, just to exist in the same way others do.
That cycle would repeat, every single day after school, for a very long time. I was exhausted. Masking my neurodivergence all day long was a huge effort. I remember how after a while, some clarity would settle over me, and I would wish so bad for someone to take me in their arms and tell me that they found a solution to everything, that I won’t have to figure this out on my own.
That solution did come.
I wish I could say over the years I remained gentle and warm, that I chose vulnerability over thicker skin, but I hardened at the hands of the world. I did NOT make it easy on the staff at Bridges. But slowly and surely, those walls of protection I had built around myself started coming down. I let people in. I opened myself up to learning again. And to this day, I am still in touch with the friends I made at Bridges.
At Bridges, school completely shifted for me. Almost everything I had to say about going to school now started with the words “I love.”
I love the way I am greeted warmly at the door every day. I love that I am surrounded by people who know what I’m going through and know how to support me. I love how I am encouraged to lean into to my strengths. I love the relationships I’ve built with my teachers. I love the trust I’m able to put in authority figures. I love that I’m making friends and blossoming within this community. I love how no matter how big of a mistake I make, I will graciously be forgiven every time. I love that I feel like I have a place in this world. I love that I have a second home here. Enrolling me in Bridges was one of the best things my parents have ever done for me. The skills and confidence I gained at Bridges have followed me through the years.
In the last several years I came to lean on fitness and physical activity to regulate myself, but it quickly grew into something much more. I gained a passion for powerlifting, and most days I wake up at 4am to row on the river with my crew team. I have found so much joy in having goals to tackle. It has taught me the importance of loving the pursuit of what you’re after, instead of obsessing over an outcome. I finally figured out that you cannot hate yourself into being better. That I deserved the same grace I always offer others.
Although my teen years were a struggle, I graduated high school with a 3.8 GPA. I am ending my sophomore year at PCC college, and I am pursuing a career in special ed, in hopes of making a difference in the lives of children who are like me. When I have the time, I come and volunteer at Bridges and help the kids stay on task.
Parents, I know that you would not change your child for the world, but you’ve probably wished you could change the world for them. While that may not be a possibility, Bridges is pretty darn close to an environment perfectly suited for a young neurodivergent person.
I may have graduated this school in 2018, but I never really left. Nor did this school ever leave me.
Thank you for supporting Bridges. Kids like me deserve a safe place to learn and grow. With your help, Bridges will be here for them, just as it was for me.
Thank you,
Rylie Leon
Bridges Alumni
We’re thrilled that Rylie and her moms are still part of our Bridges family today, and we invite you to invest in Bridges so we can help more families join our community. With your help, we can continue to provide a safe, welcoming space for students and families so they can learn, grow and soar to new heights. Thank you for your support.