ABAC students enjoyed a long winter break from mid-November 2021 through to mid-January 2022. Many of them took that time to relax, catch up with family, travel, and even get some extra hours in at work.
Lois Friedman (Moultrie):
In early December, their father’s dog managed to escape the house and give birth to a litter of eight puppies. They spent plenty of time taking care of the puppies before giving some of them away to new families, and the others to a rescue.
In addition to the puppies, Lois spent time working with their service dog Luna, to help burn energy and conquer fears. Luna enjoyed going out to see lakes and looking at gators.
Lois also spent time collaborating with another ABAC student to work on the idea for the Sunflower Event, which will be held by Active Minds and aims to educate ABAC. Staff and Students on invisible disabilities.
Tj Acree (Tifton):
Tj didn’t do much travelling, and instead decided to take a very much-needed mental break. He went back to his position as a substitute teacher in Tift County Schools (the public schools had a shorter break ABAC students this year).
He really enjoyed knowing that he made some positive contributions to the well-being and success of the students under his watch.
Outside of work, he spent quality time in person with family members, as opposed to the usual video chats.
Anh Huynh (Valdosta):
Anh usually likes to go out with her friends, but for the break she preferred to catch up on some time reading and playing video games. To help her relax, she also went on walks to get fresh air, which was refreshing after spending so much time in school.
Daniel Cordova (Tifton):
During his break, he travelled to Rock City, an “enchanted” 4,100 feet walking trail near Downtown Chatanooga. Some of the trip’s highlights included seeing a waterfall, a rock formation with a “face”, and compass that points you to seven states.
To add to the magic, Garden Gnomes were scattered all throughout the attraction. Though he had a great experience, Daniel remembers how cold the weather was and feeling nauseated from the high elevation. He also visited a cat café in Chattanooga.
Izzy Altieri (Alabama):
Izzy spent her break traveling around the US starting with Las Vegas. She had the chance to visit several of California’s parks and natural attractions including the Joshua Tree National Park, Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, and Death Valley, where she dropped to 14,000 feet below sea level.
Highlights of her time in California include skiing, kissing an elephant seal, and seeing the famed actor Robert Pattison in person. After her adventures California, she travelled back to Las Vegas.
