2007 - 2008 Dandurand Award Winners

Daniel Sandberg

(from Damon Reeves)

I have been working with Danny Sandberg for almost exactly one year…Danny is a musician and songwriter who loves The Beatles and The Kinks… As a musician myself, I am constantly impressed as well as inspired by Danny's dedication to his dreams of being a songwriter and producer, and his consistent creativity, enthusiasm, and love for his music.

I have also been consistently impressed with Danny's consideration for others, positive attitude in the face of hardships,…and perseverance.  At some point over the course of the year, his world was shattered when he was essentially forced out of the charter school he had been attending for three years when the school referred him back to [home] district… Despite the initial hardships that accompany anyone's attending a new school, Danny has adapted, made friends, and maintained his positive attitude…

In my opinion Danny is a shining example of how one can succeed,…with success being measured not only in one's happiness and ability to persevere in the face of hardships, but also in what one contributes to the world.  Danny plays his songs at his new school, shares his recordings in various classes, helps anyone and everyone whenever he can, and has a strong desire in the future to advocate for others on the spectrum…

(from Charles Hopkins)

Danny came to Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter School in mid October 2007. His transfer came about as a result of his previous school being unable to address his needs. As Director of Academic Support…my role was to work with him and his family to develop an appropriate plan for being a member of our school community.

Like many students diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, Danny was extremely anxious. Learning the culture of our school, meeting new teachers, and integrating oneself into the student body are all daunting tasks for any student…This major change in his life was made even more difficult by his arrival after the school year had started. Initially he would come to school for a partial day…

At mid-year…he made a determined effort to stay for the entire day. He began working on a project with fellow students that culminated in his participation in an “open mike” in which he and two other students performed before the entire student body. With the beginning of the second semester he began attending the full extended day. He began to interact with other students…

Most recently he has begun a project to educate his peers and teachers about Asperger’s syndrome. Large, professionally executed posters shaped as a large yellow ribbon are covered with jigsaw pieces that are added daily. Each jigsaw piece is a piece of the puzzle that is Asperger’s syndrome. It will conclude…with his disclosure to peers that he has Asperger’s syndrome.

I am nominating Danny in recognition of how far he has come in such a short time, and in recognition of how much effort and determination he has put into becoming a part of our school community. He is truly an example that determination and effort are what bring success and a sense of worth.

Evan McNamara

…Evan’s life has been riddled with either physical or mental pain for the majority of his life. At around 2½ years of age…a new medical term of Pervasive Developmental Disorder was added to his long medical chart-eventually this diagnosis would be refined to Asperger’s Syndrome…Through it all, Evan was resilient and strong, even when his medical Team could not remain hopeful about his future, Evan would always see the glass half full…Many thought he would never make it beyond a hospital as his least restrictive environment, but Evan carried on against adversity and began to prosper. Last year, he was asked to lecture at Tufts New England Medical school to students interested in pursuing careers in science—unassisted he spoke for over one hour on the struggles of his disabilities…Just recently, Evan was accepted into our public high school’s transitions’ program for adolescents… with special needs—he had been placed in out-of-district special needs schools since the beginning of 2nd grade…Evan must fight daily to maintain stability in a world in which medicine in still in its infancy stage struggling to understand the complexities of brain disorders. His approach to life remains simple and to the outsider naïve—he sees only the best in others, he appreciates the simple offerings life has to offer, and he is earnest in his desire to be the best he can be…It is our privilege and honor to count Evan as our hero.

Morgan

Morgan is an extremely creative, comedic, and generally talented young man who never gives up. He has the unique ability to be both analytical and improvisational; philosophical and down-to-earth. He has compassion for and understanding of others that is at times beyond his years.

His achievements are impressive for any young person AS or NT: theatrical performances that include Rolf in the Sound of Music production by our local community theater; assistant for construction of the giant "Audrey" puppet-plant in his performing-arts high school's production of Little Shop of Horrors; a tenor in his high-school's award-winning cappella singing group 5 Alone (that included a performance at NYC's Lincoln Center); and multiple roles in high-school productions of exceptional quality.

Morgan is currently a freshman in the Media Arts program at Greenfield Community College where he has taken on, solo, virtually all the responsibilities college students face. Fortunate enough to have his own car, Morgan is as punctual for his weekend job and Sunday morning church services as any busy teen could be. His vision for his future is to be a director of films, and his current dedication to learning as much as he can about directing and filming -- and developing his own filming style -- has been an inspiration…I couldn't possibly be more proud of him for who he is and for the man he's becoming. Cheers, Morgan!