Luke says he is “forging new frontiers” in college. The 2022 Miriam graduate participates in the SUCCEED program at the University of Missouri – St. Louis. He lives on campus, attends classes full-time and even hosts a radio show.
Just four years ago, Luke was struggling in his first year of high school – with slipping grades, social isolation and constant anxiety. He started at Miriam High School as a sophomore.
“Immediately, he seemed less overwhelmed,” says Stacey, his mom.
Luke says Miriam helped him learn to be more independent, as well as socialize with other people. He formed strong relationships with his teachers, and he worked on the school’s TV news program in Studio class. In fact, Luke has been returning to Miriam to help Mr. Kellerman in the Studio a few hours each month.
“Over the years I had Luke in Studio, he became easily my most knowledgeable student, in terms of getting the most out of our editing programs, and this has been a great way for him to share what he knows for future classes,” says Mr. Kellerman. “He has been putting together a tutorial book for me to give students when they work on projects.”
Luke is also applying for a job on campus this semester. Stacey says her son seems to be enjoying living life independently. He worked with his suitemates to create an agreement for sharing responsibilities and respecting one another’s boundaries. He is learning how to manage his food budget and his down time, and he meets regularly with a tutor and coach through the SUCCEED program to ensure he is staying on track to meet his goals.
“I’m super proud of the intention Luke has put forth,” Stacey says. “It has been a huge life change for both of us, and he has risen to the occasion and is making the most of his time there. It is a great period of growth for him, and most importantly, Luke is happy there.”
Stacey agrees with her son that Miriam helped prepare Luke for this big step.
“Miriam allowed Luke the freedom to be himself, which fostered his desire to show us what he is capable of and wants to do with his life,” she says. “That facilitated some maturity, and some self-confidence that fostered his interest to dream bigger and explore life more independently than he previously had.”
Click here to read a previous story about Luke’s Miriam journey.
