Count Her In ST. FRANCIS EMBRACES A VERY SPECIAL STUDENT
M
ia Siino is a 17-year-old sophomore at St. Francis High School. She is the third of four children in her family. It doesn’t take long after meeting Mia to discover she is a fun, outgoing and determined young woman. Mia also happens to have Down syndrome. Mia tells me she loves working with little kids, dancing, hanging out at Starbucks, her friends and school. I find her enthusiasm contagious. “Her favorite day of the year is her birthday, and she loves to celebrate it for as long as possible,” says Mia’s mother, Karen Siino. School counselor Nora Anderson says Mia is always first to jump in and help with whatever is needed. Mia’s mom says her daughter strives for more independence and plans to go to college, get married, work and live on her own one day. Down syndrome is a genetic disorder where a person has an extra chromosome. The condition is associated with physical growth delays, characteristic facial features, and mild to moderate developmental and intellectual disability. A variety of therapies promote the greatest possible development, independence and productivity. The best path forward for Mia so far has been attending St. Francis High School—a first for the school. Mia went to public school from preschool through third grade. She was mostly in a special day class for students in special education. “We were told by our public neighborhood school that she could not attend there because they
Mia Siino
CH By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk
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