PWCs Who Struggle Through High School Deserve Their Reward

By June Foran

Originally published in The CFIDS Chronicle, Fall '97

Enfield (Conn.) High School senior AnnMarie Reveruzzi, 18, sat in the audience on graduation day feeling cheated and alone.

She was a credit and a half shy of the 21 needed to receive a diploma. She was not allowed to be part of commencement exercises. She wasn't even given an honorable mention. School officials cited "standards" as the reason.

AnnMarie is no slacker; she didn't skip school, carry weapons or flunk out. AnnMarie is a student with a disability. Since she was 12, she has suffered from chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS). Her one goal was to graduate with the class of 1997, and she struggled to reach it. Sick as she was, she studied through summers and vacations. She memorized facts through brain fog and read chapters despite headaches. She maintained a B average.

AnnMarie wasn't asking for something she didn't earn. She simply wanted to wear a cap and gown and march with her class. She could have been handed a blank diploma, then completed the remaining credits in a few weeks of summer school.

Yet with the stroke of a pen, school officials ruled out the opportunity to recognize a deserving student's accomplishments. Further, the community was deprived of a chance to acknowledge AnnMarie's struggles and to celebrate her achievements.

Two nearby school systems, however, did act in a spirit of inclusion.

One is E.O. Smith High School in Storrs, Conn., where 18-year-old Raechel Stalnaker is a "foster parent" to Kiwi, a 14-month-old black German shepherd who will someday assist a blind person as a Fidelco guide dog. As part of her training, Kiwi attended school with Raechel. Most days, Kiwi kept tight at Raechel's side or lay quietly under her desk. The dog's good behavior was a testament to Raechel's patience and persistence.

Kiwi soon became a real part of the E.O. Smith community. At the end of the year, school officials rewarded Kiwi's and Rachel's hard work. The dog was given an honorary diploma.

The irony of a dog getting recognition when a few towns over a young woman was denied such honors speaks for itself. Even so, had I been there I would have stood and cheered for Kiwi and Raechel.

That's just what I did when my daughter Katie received an honorable mention at her class graduation in Tolland, Conn.

Katie is now recovering from CFIDS. She, too, remained connected to her high school, yet studied mostly at home. Unlike AnnMarie, Katie was welcomed at her ceremony even though she didn't complete enough credits to graduate.

At graduation, Katie was called on stage and was given a certificate. For a moment, she faced her classmates who stood and applauded her. She was too moved to speak.

It was her moment. The school and the community acknowledged her accomplishments. Moreover, she participated in the only rite of passage our society provides young people about to make their way in the world.

Like the graduates, she got hugged and kissed. She took pictures with her friends. She received bouquets.

The community cried along with her. Her tutor, teachers, guidance counselor, her family and friends - all those who walked the long road with her - got to share in the moment because it was their struggle and their triumph, too.

AnnMarie could have had her moment. She could have been allowed to march with her classmates. She could have been given a simple honorable mention.

Her parents, Mike and Linda Reveruzzi, who are as informed and supportive as parents can be, fought a last minute battle to have her included. They had her doctors, political representatives and The CFIDS Association of America write letters on her behalf. The Reveruzzis were told to "call off the hounds" because the superintendent had made his decision.

If there is a lesson here for parents, it is to deal with any "what ifs" early on in a planning and placement team meeting (or the appropriate equivalent in your state). Unfortunately, with some school systems, you have to get it all in writing.

Enfield school officials missed an opportunity to do the right thing. Like vapor on a brilliant June afternoon, AnnMarie Reveruzzi's chance to be part of commencement exercises - like so many of her other high school experiences - disappeared forever.

Editor's note: Both Katie Foran and AnnMarie Reveruzzi are continuing their educations. Katie, who earned her GED with honors in July, is taking classes at Manchester (Conn.) Community Technical College toward her goal of earning a bachelor's degree in American history. AnnMarie, who received her high school diploma this summer, is attending Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield, Conn., and is working toward a bachelor's degree in business. We wish them both the best as they plan their futures.