'A great blessing' - Student with Down syndrome inspires school
By George P. Matysek Jr.
10/13/2006
The Catholic Review (www.catholicreview.org)
BALTIMORE, Md. (The Catholic Review) - Standing at his locker in a hallway
at Mount St. Joseph High School here, Ben Stevick attracted the kind of
attention that might otherwise be reserved for a quarterback on game day.
Just about every guy who passed through the bustling corridor seemed to call
out to the short-in-stature, 17-year-old sophomore, many of them patting him
on the shoulder and one playfully punching him on the arm and yelling, "Yo,
Ben, my man, what's up!"
The conversation soon turned to that perennial topic at an all-boys school:
girls.
"You ready for the dance tonight?" a student asked.
With a big smile that seemed to engulf his entire face - exposing metal
braces on his teeth, Ben nodded. It would be his first dance, and he had
been practicing his moves.
"Is Theresa going to be there?" he asked haltingly, adjusting a pair of
wire-rimmed glasses. The other guys returned the smile and assured their
sandy-haired friend that his crush would be there, along with plenty of
other girls.
The Friday afternoon scene at Mount St. Joseph from late September could
have played out in any high school in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. What
made it extraordinary is the fact that Ben has Down syndrome, a genetic
disorder that causes mental retardation.
Ben is the first student with Down syndrome to enroll in a Catholic high
school in the archdiocese. His presence at Mount St. Joseph has changed Ben
in significant ways and touched many hearts in the high school community.
There was never any doubt in Ben's mind about where he wanted to go to high
school. Matt, his older brother, had attended Mount St. Joseph, and Ben was
impressed by his big brother's experience.
Ben had attended St. Mary of the Mills School in Laurel, Md., in the
Archdiocese of Washington, and since some of his friends there planned to
attend the Xaverian school up north in Baltimore, there was added incentive
to apply to Mount St. Joseph. When Dick and Doris Stevick approached Barry
Fitzpatrick, principal, about enrolling their son, Fitzpatrick prayed about
it before agreeing to the historic arrangement last year.
Cheryl Hall, a special education teacher who had worked with Ben at St.
Mary, serves as Ben's personal tutor who accompanies him to classes.
Ben takes the same academic courses as his buddies, but they are adapted to
his skill level by Hall. The teachers sometimes work with him one-on-one
after class, and Ben also completes a work study - stocking shelves,
assisting in the gymnasium and doing other tasks that will help prepare him
for later employment.
In three more years, Ben won't receive a diploma when he graduates, but he
will get a certificate of attendance.
"In just one year, his academic skill level has already far surpassed what
we thought he was capable of," said Hall, noting that Ben's intelligence
level tests at about late second grade or early third grade.
While Ben's speech remains difficult to understand, it has improved greatly
over the last 14 months, Hall said. She credits that to the fact that Ben is
daily exposed to conversations from other students, and he's better able to
model his own speech after what he hears.
If Ben had not been accepted into Mount St. Joseph, Hall said he would have
enrolled in a self-contained public school program for children with special
needs. While he probably would have learned practical skills there, Ben
would not have been challenged academically in the way he has at Mount St.
Joseph, she said.
"We don't want to put limits on kids like Ben," Ms. Hall said. "We need to
push them and see how much they can do."
In a recent history course, Ben sat near the front of the class and
studiously highlighted sentences in his textbook that his teacher said were
important. When it was his turn, he read aloud a paragraph about indulgences
and how they helped spark the Protestant Reformation. While the other boys
couldn't understand every word Ben said, there was no smirking as he plodded
through the passage at a careful pace.
Brother James Kelly, president of the school, said it's "a testament to the
caliber of our students" that Ben has been warmly embraced. No one has ever
picked on Ben. Students have instead gone out of their way to help him, he
said.
"I think he inspires them," said Brother James, noting that Mount St. Joseph
is the first Xaverian school in the country to accept a child with Down
syndrome.
"They see him working hard and struggling to learn while some of the others
can be lazy at times," he said. "He's a great blessing to our community."
Brian Abbo, a 15-year-old classmate and Ben's best friend, said students
feel close to Ben because he is a genuine and caring person.
"With Ben, you can't get mad," said Abbo. "He never does anything to hurt
you. He's not going to judge you. He considers everyone his friend."
The biggest challenge to enrolling students like Ben is the financial cost,
according to Brother Kelly. The inclusion program launched with Ben's
enrollment is being funded this year by a grant from the Catholic Coalition
for Special Education. The St. Giles program, named after the patron saint
of people with disabilities, is currently operating on a year-to-year basis
depending on the availability of funding, but Brother Kelly would like to
add another student with special needs next year.
Not every child with disabilities can be accommodated, he said, but there
are those like Ben who would do well if there were enough resources to
enroll them.
For his part, Ben said he loves everything about Mount St. Joseph. He enjoys
being on the swim team, he likes his teachers, and he said he has made many
friends. Asked what his favorite subject is, he unleashed his
characteristically warm smile.
"Chemistry, English, social studies, religion, math and P.E. - and lunch,"
he said.
With his religion teacher sitting by his side, the teen then returned his
attention to a map of the Middle East that outlined ancient rivers, deserts
and biblical jurisdictions. There would be a quiz in his religion class next
week. He had to study.
http://www.catholic.org/hf/teens/story.php?id=21615
