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I came to St. Coletta in 1993. The gentleman who was in charge of it said to me very
nicely that these are lovely people, but I should
very gently try to close this program. They only had 19 children
in a church basement.
And then all of a sudden you turn around and within a year, being Sharon,
she's just accepted everybody, and then they were up to 70 students.
I've always loved people with intellectual disabilities.
And I've always been angry
at the way society marginalizes them. And I think maybe it's that kind of anger that
drives me that...
the people say this can't be done. And it CAN be done, and it can be done well, and
I know that, and I'm just determined to do it.
She has spoken truth to power all over the place. She doesn't care
at all because she is talking not just for herself, but she's talking for a
whole slew of kids and adults.
She's working to get folks with intellectual disabilities
what they rightfully deserve.
And so she just keeps doing it.
In 2000, the District of Columbia approached Sharon,
and asked that we come into the district, where most of our students were from.
But we began
incurring some severe problems.
If we did not resolve the issues, we would have had to shut the doors, and all the
children would have been on the street.
But if a door is blocked,
first thing Sharon's going to do is try to go straight through that door.
I've known you since you were 6 years old? Uh huh. So you and me, we've known each other a long time?
Yeah! Long time... Uh huh.
With all the problems that Sharon went through,
she, she was able to to open this Charter School
on time, and under budget
You go from the church, to a garage,
to a 3, some-odd, million dollar building, to another million dollar building,
and to, to this. And she didn't just, she never looked back.
I think that's unbelievable.
Sharon is, um, a great innovator.
She has always had a big vision, and a big commitment.
I mean initially if you said "glass,"
"pressed glass..."
people with intellectual disabilities... how is that all, you know, a workshop, how's that
all going to work?
Well it works beautifully. And its expanding, and the
weaving is expanding. So, yeah, there is an entrepreneur here
at work, and she's always looking for the next thing.
And that atmosphere, and that devotion to our kids
flows from Sharon. It's a part of who she is. It's a part of her philosophy.
She doesn't think little when it comes to our kids, she thinks big.
It's not only a beautiful school,
but it's a wonderful school, and it's exactly the right thing that should be happening
in this neighborhood, and it's the right thing that should be happening in this city,
and it's definitely the right thing that should be happening for these students.
Sharon you are my good person, and I'm very proud of you,
and you have a good spirit.
Gimme a hug, you're the best guy.