Northwest Center
  • Home
  • About
    • At a Glance
    • News & Publications
    • Education For All
    • Our Blog
  • Services
    • Kids Services
    • Employment Services
    • Corporate Partnership
    • Social Enterprise
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Employee Portal
  • Donate
  • Accessibility Tools

A Lasting Friendship

8/9/2016

Comments

 
Picture
​Among the bright posters and colorful paintings decorating the walls of Northwest Center Kids is a black and white photograph of a teacher holding a baby girl that tells the story of a 26-year friendship.

John, a teacher’s aide at Northwest Center’s Early Learning Center, still remembers the day in 1989 when he was asked to hold one of the classroom babies, Emily, for a photo, and how the charismatic little girl immediately stole his heart. 
“She was a cute baby. I had to hold her for the photo because she was still too little to sit up.” 

John, who is limited verbally by a developmental delay, would continue to see Emily, who has Down syndrome for the next four years as she attended the inclusive school where children with and without disabilities play side-by-side, learning unique lessons from each other.

“I think I was his best student,” Emily recalls with laugh.

“It was sweet because, more than any of the other children, you could really see that John had taken Emily under his wing while she was there,” recalls Emily’s mom, Marilyn. “They had a connection. It was a true friendship.”

Emily eventually left the center to begin grade school, though her friendship with John continued as her two younger brothers attended the Early Learning Center.

It was nearly two decades later when the these friends came together once again, this time as colleagues, back where their friendship first began – Northwest Center’s Early Learning Center. 

After graduating from high school, Emily decided to pursue her love for organizing and, with the help of her mom, applied for a position as a classroom assistant at the Queen Anne center. Marilyn recalls the sense of surprise and excitement she and Emily felt when they discovered that John still worked at the center, so many years later. Even more surprising was finding Emily’s picture with John on display in the front hallway. 

“We walked in for the interview and, lo and behold, there was the picture of her and John right there, hanging on the wall. I think it cemented for her that this was a place that she would be happy,” Marilyn says.

Emily and John have now worked together for seven years, prepping classrooms and helping teachers with daily tasks and though the two began working at separate locations when the Queen Anne school relocated to Greenwood last year, they continue to stay in touch. Emily says John continues to have an impact on her life, changing the way she see herself and her own disability. 

“He’s been kind to me my whole life. I know that he’s [hard of hearing], but I don’t judge that. He didn’t judge me. I have a disability but I’m okay with that. I like who I am.”

For John, the impact of their friendship is captured with his wide smile and a simple statement. “She is my good friend.”
Comments

    Our Blog

    Northwest Center is passionate about equal rights, anti-ableism, and full inclusion for people with disabilities. Thank you for reading.

    Categories

    All
    Announcement
    Articles
    Autism
    Back To Work
    Business
    Campaigns
    CEO Letter
    Early Intervention
    Early Supports
    Employment
    Employment Services
    Events
    History
    Kids
    Media
    News
    Stories

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    January 2023
    August 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016

    Picture
LEARN MORE
About Us
Our Enterprises
Career
Blog

News
Contact Us
SERVICES
Early Supports
Early Learning
Transition Services
Supported Employment
Job Development
​
NWC Businesses
DONATE
Financial Gifts
Donate Clothing
Donate Vehicle
Events
Partnerships
INFORMATION
Sponsorship
Executive Team
Our Board

Annual Report
Publications
Privacy Policy
Financial Statements
The Big Blue Truck 
Big Blue Truck Icon and Donate Button

Picture of CARF Logo
CARF has accredited Northwest Center for its Employment Services
1119 SW 7th Street, Renton, WA 98057 | 206.285.9140
© 2021 Northwest Center
Northwest Center is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization. Tax ID 91-0786790
​
Certain employment services and programs and social enterprise activities are offered through Northwest Center Services, the sister organization of Northwest Center.
  • Home
  • About
    • At a Glance
    • News & Publications
    • Education For All
    • Our Blog
  • Services
    • Kids Services
    • Employment Services
    • Corporate Partnership
    • Social Enterprise
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Employee Portal
  • Donate
  • Accessibility Tools