This spring, 28 students graduated from the six Pressley Ridge Schools, along with dozens
more youth from our foster care, community-based and residential programs. These
students have experienced varying degrees of adversity in their young lives, yet through hard
work and determination, they have succeeded.
Kira, who recently transitioned to independent living from Pressley Ridge foster care, is just
one of this year’s commendable stories. Throughout high school, Kira maintained straight A’s
while working part time and taking free online college courses. She graduated with honors
from Hamilton High School and will attend Miami University Hamilton in the fall, where she
was awarded nearly $100,000 in scholarships and plans to study forensic investigation.
Steve came to Pressley Ridge Day School Johnstown at the age of 12 with a diagnosis of
Selective Mutism. He struggled with academics, refused to participate in group activities,
ignored instruction and became physically aggressive. In his eight years at the school, he
made great strides and eventually began responding verbally in class, making friends and even
participating in a school-to-work program at REI, where he now hopes to secure full-time
employment. Steve’s mother proudly boasts, “Pressley Ridge has been a life saver. I now get
to see my son, whom I never expected to graduate, not only graduate, but with the highest
grades…and the opportunity to go on and further his education.
There are many more shining examples of success in the Pressley Ridge Class of 2017, and we are
proud of how far they have come. No matter where they are headed, we wish them the best of luck.