From the Publisher: One Man’s Opinion

One Man’s Opinion By Ryan T. Sauers

@RyanSauers @RyanTSauers

Man, I love this time of the year. Spring is almost here. We have had a lot of rain the past couple months; however, with a new season comes new beginnings. I look forward to more sunshine and warmer days. In the spring, the days are longer, and people are out later doing great things. There are so many positive things happening in the cities and communities we serve. There is simply no way I can list them all, but rest assured the change is real, amazing, and positive.

The world recently stopped, mourned, and celebrated the life of superstar Kobe Bryant and his beautiful daughter Gigi Bryant (among other precious lives) who were tragically taken from this earth in an instant. How could people who were just living their everyday lives (with friends and family) be taken from us so suddenly? People who were so young, vibrant, and healthy.

I write this to remind us that life and death are real, and it does not matter if you are healthy or sick; young or old. There simply are no guarantees. Not one of us knows how many days, months, or years we have left on this earth. Our time is a gift and what we do with it matters. We must live with a spirit of thankfulness and gratitude. We can get distracted and focus on things that do not matter. I say this to myself and to you... let it go. Such things are NOT life and death and simply do not matter. Do you want to make your time on this earth count and create a legacy to make things better for others? I hope so, as we all have a legacy. The question is what people remember about our lives – and how they Continued on page 8

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Senior Care with Love

Our Day Center offers fun activities, delicious meals, weekly outings, and companionship. We have licensed nursing staff who ensure your loved one receives the health related care they need. At McKinley Community Care, we provide exceptional senior care with love. McKinley Community Care provides Music & Memory and Rehab Therapy. Funding and transportation available. HOURS: Monday through Friday 7am – 6pm Put more Social in your life. Senior Care with Love

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Dr. Julie Broom has only been the principal of St. John Neumann Regional Catholic School for two and a half years. But in that short time, she has made a big difference for the hundreds of students in her care. In fact, she has had such a positive influence on her students that she was just named Principal of the Year for the 2019-2020 school year.

St. John Neumann is one of twenty-three Catholic schools in the Office of Catholic Schools under the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Dr. Broom was informed that she had been selected as Principal of the Year in early October. The staff and students managed to surprise her the next Monday with a celebration and a banner made for her by her teachers, congratulating Dr. Broom on her recent honor.

For Dr. Broom, the award is nice, but her main focus is on her school and on her students. St. John Neumann is home to a diverse population of students, with over a dozen countries and over thirty languages represented by those who walk through its doors. It is this diversity that provides St. John Neumann with a rich culture and heritage, which is one of the qualities that Dr. Broom loves best about her school.

“Our students come from all over the world, and they and their parents have created a giving and loving community,” said Dr. Broom.

Along with the incredible students in her charge, Dr. Broom credits the school’s faculty and staff with creating an environment where students can learn to become the best versions of themselves.

“It’s easy to lead a group whose mission is to bring out the best in every child,” Dr. Broom said. “We provide both pastoral and educational support; it isn’t just about our classes. We see the whole child.”

Of course, no school can be successful without the help of parents. Fortunately, the parents at St. John Neumann are already part of their success story as they come together to achieve a common goal: the best education for their child. The seamless teamwork that takes place between students, staff, and parents has made St. John Neumann a place where everyone is truly out to help his or her fellow man as much as possible.

“It is our diversity and the dedication and love of the parents that make the building alive with the beauty of who we are,” Dr. Broom said. “We are only as strong as we are when we are one.”

Parents often return to St. John Neumann long after their children have graduated to thank teachers and staff for providing a strong foundation that set their children up for success in high school and beyond.

Dr. Broom would love for you learn more about St. John Neumann. They are tucked away off Tom Smith Road in Lilburn, and they are ready and waiting to learn how they can serve you as part of their community. Between the incredible staff, the educational content, and their fearless leader, St. John Neumann has quickly become one of the best schools in Gwinnett.

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I encourage each of you to Keep Pushing Forward (KPF) no matter what you are facing in life. I hope you will find the best in others and seek to make them laugh and smile. It makes a difference. My hope is you will wake up and deliberately choose to focus on others and make another person’s life great by their having met you. In short, I am thankful for the Our Town Gwinnett community. I wish you a wonderful March. Make your time count, laugh, and enjoy some warm weather and sunshine. As always, thank you for continuing with us on the journey of my town, your town, Our Town!

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Exceptional is a word that can be used to paint a broad descriptive spectrum. The word alone can be uttered with a little accompanying breathlessness when the speaker is presented with something or someone beyond expectations. It is especially appropriate when one first meets the three founders of the Exceptional Foundation of Atlanta (EFATL): Susan Keeney, Director of Programming, Renee Smith, Director of Marketing and Development, and Lauren Marks, Executive Director. All three took a leap of faith, cutting down from full time teaching and therapy positions with stable incomes to work part time with adult children with special needs, based on their love of God. They each knew their calling and heeded.

“I am a firm believer that everyone has a purpose and I thoroughly enjoy helping young adults discover that purpose,” says Susan. “I also believe that building strong relationships with others greatly increases quality of life.”

These special educators with many years of experience between them had one thought that kept rising to the top of conversation: “Where will our students go once they turn 22?” When students “age out” of the school system, families are faced with the opposite of “empty nesters.” Huge adjustments and new needs often present themselves with, sometimes, few options.

The question of what to do weighed on the trio until they placed their desires into prayer. What followed became a renewed passion for service to the exceptional population in and around their home base at Grace Church in Snellville. “We are so grateful to Grace because they have generously provided us space in the D House,” says Renee. “We saw a need and prayed for space; we were welcomed by Grace.”

From D House just off Dogwood Road in Snellville, the participants in EFATL plan their moves. What the casual observer might see are groups of people defined by their exceptionalities. But in reality the group is far from being defined by limits; they are driven by them. “The idea of this program is for our participants to decide what they want to do within a group of friends – just like any other young adult,” says Susan. “They want to go hang out at the mall, have a meal, laugh, play games. You know, just hang out.”

As the program has matured and the participants have worked out plans for their weekly events, they have found that some of their personal goals are being met. For instance, the group topic one day was all about transportation. With a little research and help from Lauren, the group decided to check out Olli, the driverless car located in Peachtree Corners. From there, with their transportation interests peaked, the group set out with the staff to go van shopping. “This is an area of our greatest need right now,” says Susan. “We are limited by our current vehicles as to the number of participants we can serve and transport.”

Like many programs, the need for funding is constant, and transportation is very important to all those connected to the Exceptional Foundation because, beyond heading out just to “hang out” is the heart and soul of each outing – the giving back part. One such extension of the Exceptional Foundation is the participant-led programs serving Calvin Cove, a local non-profit housed in Westminster Presbyterian Church that provides respite care for Continued on page 12 CHOICE Educational Academy 5510 Lilburn Stone Mountain Road Stone Mountain, GA 30087 Phone 770.921.3690 n Fax 770.921.3693 admin@choiceeducationalacademy.com www.choiceeducationalacademy.com n Traditional (1st - 12) Private school n Small classes, safe environment n Credit Recovery n IEP’s Welcome n Non-traditional program for 6th - 12th or working adults n Adult diploma program n Hope Scholarship/ Dual Enrollment available n Hands on curriculum/Rigorous STEAM Make the right “Choice” for your child.