A book signing and graduation party for students in the Navigators program of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) took place on Thursday evening. Snacks, lasagna, and a charcuterie board were available on the patio outside the school cafeteria for the students, friends, and family during the joyous occasion.
“We’re a big family, so we love to get together with our extended family and spend time together, and they’re all wonderful people,” Keren Albiston, the lead teacher of the Navigators program, told The Times.
The program has helped the Navigators to develop as individuals. “They do amazing things. They’re great kids, and we believe that anyone of any ability can do amazing things if they’re given the support they need,” Albiston said about the Navigators, listing the weekly coffee cart the students run as a class at school, and the donation they made to be used as a scholarship for an Island Autism summer camper as examples.
Although a graduate is not someone who appears every year, the book signing is something that has happened annually. The Navigators published three books this year. During the two previous years, the class published two books. One of the books the Navigators wrote and published as a class this year was, “And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.”
“We were inspired by Martin Luther King [Jr.] and his speech about his vision for the world, so the students designed their own worlds and what magical things would be in them,” Albiston told the audience.
Two of the Navigators wrote and published their own books, a first for the program. Sophomore Alyssa Sylvia wrote “YouTuber Academy,” which follows the story of a girl who goes to an academy and becomes a famous YouTuber overnight. Graduated senior Connor McGrath wrote “Home Resting,” which was inspired by an episode of the show “Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends,” telling the story of two locomotives helping each other at a time of need. The students signed each other’s copies of the books, and their family members also received their orders of the books.
There was one more reason to party. McGrath and fellow graduate senior Kyra Wildanger will be moving on from the Navigators program, and will be joining the Voyagers program next year, which trains young adults with special needs between the ages of 18 and 22 on how to live independently.
“Kyra and Connor are both wonderful kids. They were freshmen when I started working here, so we were kind of freshmen together,” Albiston said. “I can’t imagine not having them in my class every day. They work hard, they have kind hearts. We do a lot with the Voyagers so, thankfully, we’ll see them.”
McGrath said the process of making his book was good, and expressed excitement about graduating from the Navigators program. “I feel great,” McGrath said.
The soon-to-be-Voyagers’ parents told The Times how they felt about their children taking the next step in their lives.
“I’m terribly sad she’s moving on, because this is family. They’ve become an amazing part of our family,” Alexis Wildanger said. “They’re at our fingertips at all times, they’ve done so much for her.”
Alexis said Kyra had difficulty singing at first, whether that was on the stage or not. Recently, she performed with her classmates during a school production. Alexis was “happy-sad” for Kyra and her future steps.
“They just clicked so well together. I know the Voyager program, we’re going to have a great time there, too. But I can’t picture it right now, because we’ve been with them for four years, and it’s been a really big thing for us,” she said. “The program’s amazing, and I couldn’t have asked for better teachers.”
Kevin McGrath, who is also the MVRHS unified track and field head Coach at MVRHS, said he and his wife were nervous after graduation. However, Kevin said Connor was excited to head back to school the next day.
“We were glad that these teachers who worked with Connor and Kyra welcomed them back to school the next day, because it’s what they love to do,” Kevin said.
Kevin said Connor and Kyra are already working with the Voyagers program in preparation for the transition.