Donor: The DiGiovanni Family

 SPOTLIGHT donor

In It for the Long Haul by Brittany Kenney

“Dad, come get me NOW!,” said Matt DiGiovanni’s tearful daughter, Jessica, as she called him from her middle school. She had just received a poor grade on a test for which she had studied hard. Her dad knew this because they had worked on it together. Yet there she was again, not seeing academic results that matched her arduous efforts.

Matt understood his daughter’s frustration better than most; he had been diagnosed with a language-based learning difference (LBLD) as a child and confronted imposing obstacles throughout his educational journey. Labeled as “lazy” by his parochial school teachers, Matt was shuffled from school to school and never considered college a possibility. Likewise, Matt’s wife, Fiorella (Fee), immigrated to America from Italy as a child and faced the incredible challenge of learning a new language while trying to grasp complex academic concepts. They both knew what it felt like to be misunderstood by the educational system.

Fast forward many years, and now the DiGiovannis are a family of seven, with five children—Andrew, twins Jessica and Christina, Guilia, and Catherine. Despite his academic hurdles, Matt attended Wentworth Institute of Technology and built a successful career in the construction industry. Fee went on to become

The DiGiovanni family from left to right: Catherine, Guilia, Fee, Matt, Christina, Jessica, Front Row: Ceasar the dog and Anthony.

a talented hair stylist and devoted mother. The children attended parochial school in Woburn and were all doing well until the twins were in late elementary school. That was when their teachers started noticing some learning challenges. The girls were tested, and both were diagnosed with LBLDs. Christina did not need accommodations for her learning differences and enjoyed a successful traditional school experience. But Jessica, her twin sister, was not as fortunate.

Like Matt, Jessica was moved from parochial school to public school. The DiGiovannis were often told, “She just isn’t trying hard enough.” Knowing that simply wasn’t true, the DiGiovannis held meeting after meeting with advocates, attorneys, and administrators in an effort to attain a quality education for their daughter. After years of difficult meetings, Matt asked his daughter where she might like to go to college. Her response: “Dad, I’ll be lucky to finish high school.” Matt and Fee were devastated—and angry.

At the end of Jessica’s freshman year, the DiGiovannis knew they needed to make a drastic change. A former special education teacher suggested they look into Landmark School. This teacher had taken part in Landmark Outreach’s Summer Institute and knew that the school’s educational model could work for Jessica. They applied, and Jessica started the Summer Program a few weeks later.

Matt recalls, “I picked her up on the first day of summer school, and she looked at me and said ‘Dad, I can learn.’” As heartbreaking as it was to hear those words from your 15-year-old child, the DiGiovannis knew they had found the right place for their daughter. Jessica had a rocky start at the beginning of her sophomore year, but despite the challenges, she excelled. She transferred to Landmark’s Prep Program for her junior year, graduated the following year, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Adelphi University. She is currently working on her master’s degree at Simmons College.

When younger daughters Guilia and Catherine started having learning issues, the family knew where to turn. Guilia attended the Landmark Summer Program for three years and graduated from Lexington High School. She received her bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from Endicott College and will attend graduate school in the fall. Their youngest, Catherine, graduated from Landmark in June 2020, after spending four years in the Prep Program. She was named a 2020 North Shore Honors Scholar and was accepted to seven colleges. She plans to study neuroscience at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut in the fall.

Matt and Fee have been loyal supporters and donors to Landmark School since Jessica arrived at Landmark over a decade ago. Landmark, they say, “was a godsend for our family. We want to make sure kids less fortunate than ours are able to access the educational opportunities available at Landmark.” The DiGiovannis gave generously during May’s Landmark Cares Day, a fundraising drive that supported financial aid. Matt has also been involved with Landmark’s annual golf tournament for many years and has been a vocal supporter and advocate for the school.

It’s been a long and oftentimes bumpy road for the DiGiovanni family when it comes to education. Matt and Fee’s childhood experiences helped them understand the complicated challenges their daughters faced. They did not take “no” for an answer and fought to get their children the education they needed—and deserved. They are now fighting to make sure that the same education is available to other children by supporting the financial aid program at Landmark.

Catherine’s graduation in June marked the end of the DiGiovanni’s tenure as Landmark parents. “This isn’t it for us though. We’ll continue to stay involved with the school in any way we can.” We welcome them as Alumni Parents and look forward to fighting right along with them for many years to come! BOOK-OPEN

 PENLIGHT in her own words

Ready to Move On by Erin Morrisseau ’20

When I started at Landmark, I knew it would not be easy. I thought that, after my past school experiences, it was going to be extremely difficult to be happy and learn. Classroom confidence is something most people with dyslexia struggle with on a daily basis—especially in school. I thought that Landmark would be the same, but I was wrong.

Having attended Landmark for seven years, I have watched myself grow mentally and academically into who I am today. Landmark not only gave me the ability to read, write, and complete math problems properly, but it also rebuilt my confidence as a learner and a student with a learning disability. The experiences I had at Landmark shaped me to be strong and determined. I know that when things go wrong, it is up to me to make them right.

However, as I entered into my senior spring and got ready to close this Landmark chapter, COVID-19 appeared. At first, it was strange, new, and of little concern to me, but once the senior trip was canceled, I knew it was over. Just like seven years ago before I came to Landmark, I felt lost. I was scared not knowing what would happen after Landmark. I sat back and I thought about my past seven years of school and all the skills I learned to help me succeed. I remembered all the times I struggled and felt as though I would never finish a chapter on time, but I would always finish the book. I knew that I could get through this and that everything would be all right in the end.

Just as I figured all this out on my own, Landmark announced a delayed graduation ceremony. Looking back now, knowing the Erin I was seven years ago, I would not be able to stand where I am today with a smile on my face if it wasn’t for Landmark. Times are very tough with COVID-19, but with the skills and perseverance we’ve learned, we can and will get through this together. Moving on to the new chapter of my life, I will take the skills I learned from Landmark and be a stronger and wiser person. The Landmark community, as always, will stay strong and teach little sixth graders like I was how to be strong. I am ready to move on, thanks to Landmark. BOOK-OPEN

NAME

Erin Morrisseau

HOMETOWN

Ashland, Mass.

CLASS OF 2020

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Unity College to study Captive Wildlife Care and Education