Who We Are

Khiry's Story

 
Left: Khiry at West Side High School
Right: Khiry (right) on his first day of college at BMCC

Khiry is a 24-year-old young man with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. When Khiry started high school, he was placed in a school that did not have any of the accommodations or services he needed. For four years, Khiry waited at home to get another placement, during which time he received only infrequent home instruction. In 2009, Khiry was finally placed in a local public school, but was put in a special education class that moved too slowly for him. After passing all of his courses, Khiry was moved into an integrated co-teaching classroom where he continued to succeed, but was surrounded by much younger students. Khiry was focused on getting his diploma and planning for life after high school, and he wanted to find a school that would help him achieve his goals.

With the help of his occupational therapist, Khiry contacted AFC for help. Fortunately, AFC was able to find a school willing to accept Khiry. In the fall of 2010, Khiry started attending Edward A. Reynolds West Side High School, an alternative high school in Manhattan, where he thrived. He took college prep classes, made lots of friends, got the services and support he needed to be successful, and graduated with a local diploma in August 2011.

AFC continued to assist Khiry with the transition out of high school, and we are proud to report that last year he completed his first college course at BMCC (he got a B+)!

Khiry says, “I never would have been able to finish high school and get my diploma if AFC hadn’t stepped in to find me the right school.  They have been so helpful to me and my mother – I don’t think we could have done this without them.”