Looking ahead: What comes after high school?

By Elvira Sanchez

I have three children—Paola, 22-yearsold, Nathanael, 18-years-old, and Uriel, 15-years-old.

Nathanael was diagnosed with ADHD and ADD in kindergarten and his school district placed him on an Individual Education Plan (IEP).

Seventeen years passed and my son was about to finish high school. I began to ask myself, “What will there be for my son after high school?”

The school started talking about a transition plan they had for my son. Frankly, I was confused with the whole transition topic.

I had the pleasure of meeting Angela Jarvis-Holland from ABI and she informed me about the services and resources available. I contacted Maria—ABI’s Bilingual Coordinator—and I began to learn about high school transition. I learned that there is more than one option available to my family. As parents, we are not alone. I learned that I do not have to be an expert in all subjects, but it is important to connect with organizations like ABI to help support and guide us.

I’ve also learned that sometimes we have to open the way for our children and not wait for others to do it. This process inspired me to not only keep learning but also help inform our youth of their options after high school. I started a youth group with the purpose of helping them explore their career interests and getting ready for life after high school.