On December 9th, 2022 the Don Lugo Adult Transition Program, or ATP, had two students graduate from its program. Josiah “Jojo” Tucker and Jimmy Hull, have attended Don Lugo through their high school years and for 4 additional years through the ATP. The ATP is a program that helps students with disabilities transition into the adult world better. For many students with disabilities heading straight into adult life it can be hard and challenging to keep up,”They help you find jobs, they help you with your career, and they help with college.” Jojo summarized.  Jojo is going to attend a film and media program where he can learn how to produce movies. Jimmy is going to attend a program called “No Limits” which is a day program where they do a lot of social activities and will be working with his family’s business.

While attending the ATP, students are encouraged to do volunteer work, social activities, and be involved in the community. “Jimmy and Jojo got tons of extra credit points for greeting customers at Smart&Final because they just love talking to everybody, and everybody loves talking with them.” Mrs. Encarnacion stated during the graduation ceremony. One of the main goals of the ATP is to help the students become more independent and to be able to manage any health conditions they may have, Jimmy reported “It helped me manage my diabetes, like how many carbs I get in, how much insulin I get, and I told my teacher that I’m sad to leave Don Lugo.”. It’s sad to see these two wonderful students leave, but Jimmy and Jojo will have a world of opportunities to explore.