I commend your approach throughout the pandemic. Your accomplishments during these trying times should be recognized. When many programs were forced to stop providing their instruction, you rose to the occasion and built a program. You have proven to be thought leaders pivoting to meet the new challenges and ensuring continued access to your programmatic offerings. We were truly inspired by the staff of Beyond 8. You have demonstrated a learner-centered approach dedicated to fostering the success of your learners. This quote from a parent, “We now have hope that our son will live a fulfilling life”, speaks to the impact Beyond 8 is making in the world of education.

Thank you for welcoming me into your life's work. I continue to be fascinated by the dream mapping process and how you leverage it to shape teaching, learning, and the relationships that are critical to connecting the two. The nature of this work reinforces the belief that every learner brings with them a wealth of prior life experiences and that no student is an empty vessel. I appreciate how you use such tools to affirm students' lived experiences. This is such an overlooked aspect of the learning experience and your work is redefining the power of one's journey in informing one's future trajectory.