Who Have We Supported?
As an organization, we strive to recognize and support the achievement of individuals with a variety of disabilities and activities. To us, it isnĘžt about how disabled you are, but rather how you decide to handle the hand that you are dealt. Any person can reap the benefits of hard work, and it is our goal to give those displaying a genuine effort a chance for success.
Take a look at those who have received a Think Alive Achievement Grant. They are already a diverse group of hard working individuals, who with our help, are staying active while pursuing the passions they love. In the future as we award more grants, we only anticipate more and more different types of goals and disabilities to adolescents nationwide and, hopefully down the road globally.
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Ulysses Abeles
Age: 11
Disability: Downs Syndrome
Eleven year old Ulysses Abeles will receive an Achievement Grant to further his explorations of the worlds of acting and acting. Ulysses has been attending Whole Children classes for over 6 years with great success. Within the accepting environment there, he has thrived and, according to his mother, is “persistently accessing the experiences of mastery and joy.” It has become one of his only communities, and, despite his successes, Ulysses is increasingly dependent on its services.
Our Achievement Grant will allow Ulysses to continue to explore of his particular passions: drama and dance. These classes hopefully will provide an added boost of confidence for Ulysses to better adapt to the real world. Whole Children is a great launching pad for Ulysses to accomplish great and we are honored to support his quest.
William Duffy
Age: 12
Disability: Downs Syndromes
Hometown: Amherst, Massachusetts
Partner Organization: Whole Children
Activity: Hip Hop Dance
What He Received: Tuition for Dance Classes
William’s new fun outlet, however, is dance. With this, he is able to learn much about social standards and, with time, overcome his social limitations. The Think Alive Achievement Grant will allow William to attend a 6 week hip-hop dance class at Whole Children, a local organization. The dance classes will hopefully enable William to increase his confidence in social settings and open his creativity.
We wish William the best of luck as he explores the world of dance.
Paris Boggs
Age: 10
Disability: Cystic Fibrosis
Ten year old Paris Hobbs from Murfreesboro, TN is our latest Lively Thinker!
Paris has refused to let cystic fibrosis impede his musical passions. He has been active in several sports, but it is behind the drums where Paris has found his calling. He had the honor of sitting in the first chair while performing, a school band or orchestra's top honor.
We are happy to support Paris, awarding him with his own drum set, and a series of lessons from a local instructor.
Since excelling in the school band last year, obstacles have presented themselves for Paris and his family. Switching school left him without the security and stability of the band where he stood out as a performer. Financial difficulties keep Paris from having his own drum set to continue practicing. Despite this setback, Paris’s passion for music has prevailed as he continues to play music - using his pencils as drumsticks!
Paris epitomizes the Think Alive philosophy, working tirelessly to overcome the barriers of cystic fibrosis to achieve his goals.
UPDATE 9/15/2011
Paris' mother sent us some photographs of Paris in action with the rest of his school band from last year! We look forward to seeing him succeed this year.
Jose Najera, Jr.
Age: 12
Disability: Sickle Cell Anemia
UPDATE 8/29/2011
Jose sent us some of his favorite recent photos. Below he is pictured at Victory Junction! To see some of his favorite photos, click here
Blake Asmus
Age: 11
Disability: Cystic Fibrosis
We are awarding Blake a $500 Achievement Grant to cover the cost of his soccer league’s entry fee. Playing soccer has given Blake great opportunities to move past the limitations of his disability, embracing the beautiful game and its plentiful benefits. He has learned how to succeed as a part of a team, and been able to apply his resiliency to picking up new skills on the pitch.
In addition to soccer, Blake also swims to build stamina and keep his lungs clear. His active lifestyle is a testament to the power of a positive outlook and unflinching determination towards a goal.
Elende Finn Connor
Age: 12
Disability: Juvenile Arthritis and Blinded in one eye
At the age of five, Elende was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis. Shortly after, she also suffered another devastating diagnosis related to her arthritis: she lost the use of her right eye.
The condition caused her extreme pain in her joints; her mother tells of days where she could not even walk. And yet the doctors insisted that she move around, to avoid loss in her limbs range of motion.
Elende took the doctor’s recommendation to heart, and despite the challenges and pain, enrolled in dance classes. It was quite difficult, but she insisted on continuing. Last year, however, she left dance for team sports. She now plays soccer, basketball, and ultimate frisbee.
Ultimate frisbee in particular has sparked her interest. Her eye and arthritis limits her immensely, but it is on the field where her confidence has flourished. Even with limited depth perception and only one good, she finds a way to catch the frisbee.
She is obviously working hard to overcome her disabilities, and as her mother says, “is becoming a great athlete.”
The Achievement Grant will allow Elende to further the exploration of the athletic world, learning more of the cooperation, dedication, and discipline that success requires.
Nathaniel Crapse
Age: 13
Disability: Aspergers
While acting, Nathaniel glows. It was clear during the awards ceremony that, although a little shy, he opens up and is a bubbly and charming boy. He cracks joke after joke. He is proud to point out that he has been in several recent school plays.
According to Nathaniel’s mother, Deborah, he has struggled socially with his Aspergers. But he enjoys and looks forward to the weekly sessions. He has attended the previous three, and will, with the help of Think Alive, attend an adapted all-new Improv class and be apart of the ActSmart Improv Troupe.
Aspergers often greatly impacts social interactions and can cause a disconnect with peers, especially among children. Nathaniel is no exception to this rule. Acting has increased his social confidence according to his mother, and we look forward to seeing his confidence increase as he expands his understanding of the Improv world.
Kassandra Guerrero
Age: 10
Disability: Cornea Visual Impairment and mild retardation
Much like many disabled youth, Kassandra’s athletic endeavors drive her increased self esteem. She plays any and all sports she can. She has even told her mother, “[Sports are] the only thing that I am good at.” While this certainly is not true, it most certainly demonstrates the importance of athletics in Kassandra’s life.
She has taken to softball in particular. Her visual impairment is greatly challenged with the intense hand-eye coordination that such a sport requires. Such concentrated effort also allows Kassandra to learn the ins and outs about
Team sports, in addition to a sense of cooperation and teamwork, allow her to socialize with children her age, something that oftentimes can be a difficulty for disabled children.
The significant downside with softball, however, is the very expensive equipment. Unlike many sports like basketball or swimming that require little to no activity specific equipment, softball requires expensive gloves, pads, bats, and special clothing that can discourage participation. The Achievement Grant she received will provide her with the equipment she needs to both practice and play this summer and for seasons to come.
Maxen Callahan Grower
Age: 11
Disability: Autism, ADHD, Celiac Disorder, Epilepsy
Despite his multiple diagnoses, Max is a very very active 11 year old. Many children in his situation struggle finding an activity in which they both excel and fit in. But not Max! He bikes around with ease and has found it to be an activity he can do with anyone his age, disabled or not. His mother credits biking to enhance Max’s “ability to relate with peers his age.”
Concerns about his disabilities have kept Max from participating many activities. With the proper safety equipment, however, biking is something in which he certainly can excel.
In the past, Max has always either borrowed bikes or used the free second hand ones from around the neighborhood. Meanwhile many of his friends have the new shiny bike that he desires.
But with the Achievement Grant, Max will be able to ride his own brand new bike with his friends. Just as importantly, though, he will bike with the comfort of a new helmet and safety pads.
Olivia Smulyan
Age: 19
Disability: Williams Syndrome
When asked why she plays the violin, Olivia Smulyan puts it quite simply. “The word ‘violin’ just came out of my mouth...and I just wanted to do it.” She explained that she grew up playing the piano with her mother, but she wanted a unique instrument to call her own. It was a “harder instrument anyway” in her eyes.
Over the past few years, she has attended Maine Fiddle Camp, and has advanced well. She is determined to be a career musician. At the camp, she will be exposed to fellow musicians of all ages and ability levels. There she will get formal music training in a fun environment.
Described as a multi-generational camp, according to its website, the “emphasis at camp is on learning tunes the traditional way—by ear.” The camp provides support for a number of instruments-- fiddle, piano, guitar, banjo, cello, accordion, bass and others--with workshops with performances, jams, singing, dancing, and swimming.
You can learn more about Maine Fiddle Camp here.
Daniel Mandigo
Age: 13
Disability: ADD/ADHD
Danny started playing the trumpet four years ago. Since then, he has been steadily progressing, and seen his skills develop. Danny progressed from basic instructional lessons during the first three years and this year, is now a member of the school band.
His recent increased interest in the instrument has corresponded with a lot more skill. His ADD/ADHD diagnosis has kept Danny from being able to explore multiple extra curricular activities, leaving trumpeting as his lone one. Regardless, he absolutely love playing anytime he can!
Danny stays after school three days each week to play with the Amherst Regional Middle School School Band. But, he has always longed to play more with more formal training like his classmates. Furthermore, due to his complicated family situation, he is unable to participate in many of his scheduled concerts.
As a result, he often feels ill-prepared for the few concerts in which he plays without this additional experience. According to his grandmother and legal guardian Debora, “he feels inadequate because [of it].”
With the help of a Think Alive Achievement Grant, Danny will gain the experience he desires through an alternative means: private trumpet lessons. Our grant will allow for weekly trumpet lessons at the Amherst Regional Public High School.
Bradley Sherwood
Age: 8
With the help of a Think Alive Achievement, Bradley will try a brand new activity: Kung Fu. He willl receive full tuition for an “Intro to Kung Fu” class. Although he is brand new to martial arts, he told everybody how much he was looking forward to it at the grant presentation!
Kung Fu is the perfect activity to challenge Bradley’s ADHD. According to SEPAC Co-President Pat Baku, “ Physical activities for kids with ADHD provide opportunities to release energy appropriately and [great] social interactions with peers.”
To Bradley, it will be a fun and social experience through which he can succeed. But his mother, Sylvia, it also provides her son with a way to learn four core lessons:
- Learn to deal peacefully with confrontations
- Increase his ability to concentrate and focus
- Respect others and himself while enhancing self esteem
- Improve physical strength and agility.
The classes will be taught at Whole Children Inc., a nonprofit based out of Hadley, MA providing classes and other classes to disabled youth throughout the Pioneer Valley. To learn more about Whole Children, click here.
Perla Parra-Dominguez
Age: 15
Disability: Cornea Visual Impairment and mild retardation
UPDATE 3/18/2011
In a "Meet and Greet" at New Mexico School for the Deaf in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Think Alive Founder Tim Enfield and Board Member Eric Enfield presented Perla and her classmate Pamela with a framed certificate and a new picture book, Horses, while being given six weeks of therapeutic horseback riding lessons.
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UPDATE 4/29/2011
Perla has spent the last few weeks learning how to groom the horses, put on the saddle, and riding the horses at the therapeutic horseback riding clinic. Most importantly she looks forward to the weekly lesson!
Pamela Kayonnie
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Age: 14
Disability: Downs Syndrome
UPDATE 3/18/2011
In a "Meet and Greet" at New Mexico School for the Deaf in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Think Alive Founder Tim Enfield and Board Member Eric Enfield presented Pamela and her classmate Perla with a framed certificate and a new picture book, Horses, while being given six weeks of therapeutic horseback riding lessons.
UPDATE 4/29/2011
In the first few weeks of her Spring lessons, Pamela has been learning basic horse care, including how to to groom the horses, put on the saddle, and even lead the horses. Of course Pamela has also been riding the horses at the therapeutic horseback riding clinic. According to her therapist, Aaron Martinez of New Mexico School for the Deaf, after some apprehensiveness early on, both Pamela and her classmate and fellow grant recipient Perla are much more comfortable around horses.
Kristen Gately
Age: 6
Disability: Cerebral Palsy and Visual Impairments
UPDATE 3/11/2011
In a small presentation at Henderson Inclusion Elementary School in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Think Alive presented Krissy her new bike in front of her classmates, teachers, and mother.
Aaron Strack
Age: 9
Disability: Bilateral Microphthalmia and Autism
UPDATE 1/3/2011
The Think Alive Foundation has received word that AJ has won a Holiday Talent Competition in Northampton, Massachusetts. Below is both a picture of AJ with his trophy and a Youtube video of his performance.
Megan Neal
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Age: 11
Disability: Epilepsy
UPDATE 8/31/2010
Megan has continued her lessons with her new equipment, as you can see below. However, she has abruptly stopped her lessons as she deals with a slight medical setback that looks to be resolved shortly. However, judging by the smile on her face, when she does get back to riding, she will enjoy it even more moving forward.
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UPDATE 1/3/2011
Megan has once again continued riding after an extended absence due to a unforeseen medical complication. We are delighted to hear that once again she is enjoying horses!
UPDATE 2/28/2011
Megan's mother sent us these photos from one of her lessons last week. On the unseasonably warm day in mid February, she is pictured below riding.
Daniel Shiflet
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Age: 16
Disability: Cerebral Palsy
Jena Shively
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Age: 17
Disability: Epilepsy
UPDATE 6/15/2011
Jena has fell in love with Karate. She still loves archery, but she now plans to teach Karate once she gets her black belt & even open her own Dojo one day!Her Sensei is grooming her to take over or franchise his operations throughout NC- They have BIG plans!'
We are so happy for Jena! We at Think Alive realize that passions often change. But she is certainly expanding her horizons. And no matter the activity, her epilepsy is not impacting her aspirations. She is a lively thinker...
We are honored to have played a role, however minor, in Jena's successes, and wish her the best of luck as she learns the business world.
Hank Grissom
Age: 13
Disability: Spina Bifida
Partner Organization: Victory Junction Gang Camp
UPDATE 8/13/2010
Hank buys his equipment and signs up for his lessons at Barefoot Archery for September. Below you will see the photographs of Hank with his new equipment as he prepares for his upcoming lessons.
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