‘Our second family’: Cedar Lane School in Fulton celebrates seven students in Class of 2023

High school graduation is always a time of transition, but especially so for the seven members of the Cedar Lane School Class of 2023.

“It’s bittersweet,” said Cedar Lane Principal Paul Owens. “Supports families get here at Cedar Lane are tremendous compared to what they’re gonna get in the adult world. It’s a total change for people with disabilities after they turn 21.”

The Fulton school serves students ages 3 through 21 with special needs, including autism. Many Cedar Lane students are nonverbal or have multiple disabilities that require services unavailable elsewhere in the Howard County Public School System.

This year’s graduates donned blue caps and gowns and proceeded through the school’s multipurpose room to the tune of “Pomp and Circumstance” on May 25 and received a Maryland Certificate of Completion, signifying they had developed skills allowing them to hold employment, act responsibly as citizens and lead a fulfilling life. Owens noted the large size of this year’s class, as some years there are only one or two graduates.

“Our school community has become our second family,” said 2023 graduate Jake Thompson, 20, through an assistive technology device. “This is our moment. Our years of hard work have finally paid off. Be proud.”

Family, friends and staff packed the room and shared reflections of graduates’ journeys and the odds they had overcome to receive their certificates.

“Graduation day was so meaningful because of the challenges that Darren has faced,” said Ellicott City resident Shereé Tilley, whose 21-year-old son, Darren Powell, is in the Class of 2023. “He did not have to make it to graduation. He really wasn’t even supposed to make it through that night when he had his injury.”

After nearly drowning at camp and suffering an anoxic brain injury at the age of 5, Powell faced an uncertain educational future. He is a spastic quadriplegic and has a seizure disorder, among other medical issues, that require physical and occupational therapy.

While Tilley at first considered moving out of the county to find a school for her son, he enrolled in Cedar Lane for preschool and remained there for the next 16 years.

“Cedar Lane has really been instrumental in making sure that he receives what he needs,” Tilley said. “The teachers and the paraprofessionals ... really work with Darren to make him feel welcome, make him feel love, make him feel like he’s a part of the community.”

Cedar Lane features small classroom settings of six to eight students who work on communication skills using sign language or a device and receive specialized therapy throughout the day. As students enter high school, they increasingly take field trips and visit local businesses to interact with community members and participate in activities.

“The experience has been more than great,” said Clarksville resident Brett Lundeen, father of Christopher, 20, another 2023 graduate. “All the staff, from the teachers, from the front office to the custodians, to the therapists, to all the aides in the classroom, [are] just fantastic.”

At last week’s commencement, Christopher, who has a genetic condition called STXBP1, received the school’s Community Interaction Award, given to a student who has developed positive relationships within the school and the broader community.

“He intentionally walks through the elementary hallway every morning so that he can locate his special staff friends and give them a big, good morning greeting,” said Dennis Seibert, Cedar Lane’s high school team leader. “It is extra special when he spontaneously tells the staff, ‘I love you.’”

Staff spoke fondly of the bonds they’ve formed with students throughout the years and also discussed challenges families encounter when the time comes to leave Cedar Lane. While federal law ensures students with disabilities receive special education and related services until the age of 21, families must find alternative programs or care for those who age out.

“It can be a little scary,” said transition specialist Meghan Smallwood, who works with families to coordinate post-Cedar Lane services. “They’re kind of thrown into the adult world. If they choose to go to a day program, they might be with a lot of older people who are in their 40s and 50s. After being in school with a younger group, it’s different.”

Tilley says the support Cedar Lane provides, not just to students but their families and loved ones, is part of what makes the community special.

“Darren’s needs are so complex, and his care can be overwhelming at times when you don’t have someone to say, ‘Hey, make sure you look out for this and this is what’s coming next,’” she said.

While it’s been a long journey, Tilley said simply seeing Darren’s smile at commencement showed how much the Cedar Lane community has meant to him.

“It’s just a sign of hope, but also a sign of how strong he is, how much of an overcomer he is and how aware he is, more than what people give him credit for,” Tilley said. “It was a loving moment for me.”

©2023 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.