The Wall of Love

“You have created something more than just a school. You have created a village. You're always striving to make each and every one of us happy and feel welcomed to the max!… That continuous excitement that I feel stepping foot upon Gateway's campus is something I have never experienced at my other schools or anywhere else.”

“Our lives have changed forever, today we will rise from the ashes. Today, we will walk together as one warrior village and, no matter what, we stand by each other as friends and as warriors through the storm, because we know we come out stronger and more powerful on the other side.”

“Every teacher at Gateway and my family help give me the motivation to keep on going no matter how bad things get for me, especially with my nieces and nephews, because I want to be there and be an inspiration for them in their life.”

“…something I gained from your class is a love and interest for history. The way that you taught it was something that was able to retain my interest and to be honest you were always my favorite teacher that I had and your class was always something I could look forward to… you were always someone who you may not have known but you pushed me to be the best that I can be as a person.”

“I remember all of these memories that we had on campus… taking care of a frog and flytraps for science, reading Romeo and Juliet for English, and acting out as the character. And sure, Mrs. Mariel, we haven't really done anything in person, but I am waiting to go back to campus to create memories with you.”

“As I moved into my ASU dorm the other day, I knew that I wouldn't have made it here without the support of my wonderful teachers, Mr. Chris, Mr. Curt, Mr. Max, Dr. Bloom, and Ms. Robin. Thank you for helping me reach my potential!”

“I was thinking about Gateway, and you specifically, Ms. Robin. I just wanted to really thank you for everything that you did for me. I can now work a full-time job, and I am planning on enlisting in the United States Navy. I have come so far because of Gateway.”

“I have learned so much from Gateway and Spectrum and I thank you both very much for teaching and taking care of me. Everything I have learned I have applied to my everyday living and look at me now. In my opinion, I am an example of the success you can achieve by applying the tools and strategies you have taught us.”

“Macallister has interacted with me on levels never seen that I was hesitant to even hope for… Thank you for giving me back my son!!!”

“For the first time in over 3 years, my son doesn't hate and dread going to school each and every day. He actually looks forward to it! Colton is no longer picked on and bullied for being different. Instead, he has been welcomed and accepted by both the faculty and the other students… A parent's dream comes true!”

“In just the last 6 weeks, Gateway has changed our lives beyond what we could have imagined. 2024 was a very challenging year. The lack of support and constant bullying at school had Joshua in a downward spiral filled with feelings of hopelessness and defeat. Thanks to you and everyone at Gateway, all of that has changed. I cannot begin to find the words to explain how grateful we are.”

“After being in the public school system through 7th grade, it became apparent that public schools are not educated on helping children with Autism and Spectrum diagnoses. After years of being bullied… His self-esteem was poor, his grades were falling and he became depressed… My son made friends at Gateway and looked forward to going to school. The teachers and the staff care and they put the kids first… There is no bullying, there are small classrooms, and the children are taught to advocate for themselves, while the teachers work with the kids on executive functioning and daily living skills.”

“Thank you all for being a part of the best first week of school that Camden has ever had. This was the first year, in his entire life, that I did not worry about the school, his teacher, the kids, the campus… It has been a long-awaited dream for me to finally be at peace knowing Camden is in his perfect place.”

“A short 5 months ago, I brought to you a broken child that I was not able to help alone. She had withdrawn into herself, found it difficult to socialize with nearly everyone, sad, lonely and truly hated going to school… I now see an albeit stubborn, but a happy child that once again looks for opportunities to socialize, join willingly in family dinners, game nights, willingly attend events (such as prom) and even proclaims that she likes her school.”

“This weekend for the first time Colette had a real birthday party with friends from school. It was a delight to watch her greet the guests, interact with them and their parents, and smile when they sang happy birthday to her. I know this could not have happened without the great work and support from Gateway and all of the staff. It was a thrill for me and nothing short of miraculous.”

“For a teacher to conceive of such an activity and then commit to completing that task was something I never thought I would see… Mr. Resler planned this. He knew his actions had value. I am certain his students, years, after this event is over and high school is fading in their rear view mirrors, will recall Mr. Resler and how he proved by his actions that their lives mattered.”

“Words cannot express my gratitude for yours and all staff at Gateway's work with Gabe over the last two years. You all have helped him connect with the young man he truly is. He's more equipped now to take what he knows about himself into adulthood. I'm so grateful that when he came to Gateway, you all saw him for his potential not for his obstacles.”

“As a parent of two boys with autism, it is very hard to let your guard down and relax for a single second. We are always waiting for the phone call that something happened, but at Gateway, you all took that worry away and we felt so safe and relaxed for our boys because we knew that everyone there loved and cared for our boys like they were their own.”

“Never did I think Gabe, at 12, would be so independent. He would not be this way if it weren't for teachers like you at Gateway. His executive functioning issues are extraordinary. I have many friends struggling with distance learning and I happily cannot relate.”

“I want to give kudos to all of you at Gateway. My son for the first time in 5 years is telling people that he likes school again and is no longer asking me if he 'has' to go… He is super excited about the Nerf Club and the opportunity to take Japanese, neither of which were available at his previous schools.”

“Many teachers are good teachers, but Lisa is truly a special teacher. Her ability to relate to students and families and to build confidence is amazing. When Brian watched the story and I said Lisa is a great teacher, Brian corrected me. He said, 'Mom, she is not just a great teacher, she is a great person.'”

“The door bell just rang. I went to get the door, and it was Mr. Richard! Avi and I almost fainted! He had Avi's school supplies as well as a frozen pizza to have his own pizza party (he said the class earned it and they couldn't do it in person). It was just amazing. Such a nice, wonderful and caring teacher… I am seeing Avi write…write! It was like pulling teeth when Avi was in his past school… I can not thank you or your staff enough.”

“Sammy and I were so shocked at his award! I had to explain to him what it meant. He looked at me and said, 'this means I'm smart?'… I don't know what Sammy's life would be like today if it wasn't for you and your wonderful school. I'm scared to imagine.”

“With his most recent experiences at the past two schools, he had gotten to the point where there would be days he didn't want to go. He always stuck with it and managed, but I know it wasn't always a positive experience. For him to now be saying everyday how awesome his day was and how much he loves it there and is excited to go to school, I know he's found his fit. You all are doing amazing work.”

“I just want to tell you how impressed we are with Gateway. Aria has been so relaxed every day when she comes home compared to the anxiety and tears that I used to see. This school is a true blessing and we appreciate all you do for these very special kids. Thank you for everything!!!!”

“The journey to get here was long, a little exhausting, but totally worth it - and our son is finally where he needs to be… We've seen our son grow more in his first week of 6th grade than we did his entire 5th-grade year at his previous school. CHEERS TO 6TH GRADE!”

“My son has been at Gateway from grades 6 through just entering 9th and it has changed everything from his self-esteem, self-control, confidence, and ability to make and keep friends… We've had other possible work opportunities out of state however would never consider leaving due to the specialty of this program.”

“I am so happy for my Dani! She finally feels she fits in. I have no doubt in my mind she will go places because now she has the Gateway family on her side providing her with the right tools to succeed. Many times I hated myself for not being able to fight harder. But she is there now and a lot has to do with all the help, and support we received from you.”

“We have seen such amazing growth in Diego… When I was trying to explain to my husband why I got so emotional seeing Diego up there singing, I told him I felt Diego had given us a gift. He let us see a side of him that we had never seen, and it was all of YOU at Gateway that helped him find that part of him!”

“I love that you gave Alex the opportunity to be the MC and that you created such a wonderful and creative way for all the kids to experience and practice being on stage. Once again — I go back to what my daughter always says about Gateway… 'I wish all kids could be educated this way.' Thank you!”

“We just want to tell you again how phenomenal the graduation was. We can't stop talking about it. The effort, thought, and creativity that went into planning and executing this was second to none. It doesn't go unnoticed that the Rockband started practicing and preparing for this early in the school year. Thank you so much for giving us an unforgettable celebration.”

“I actually cried when the seniors were getting their diplomas and I don't know a single one of them! I just felt like the format was perfect and each student that was recognized looked like they felt happy and special.”

“When I walked in today to pick Skylar up from school and all of you were talking and laughing with Skylar and encouraging her efforts with writing poetry about lightning dragons - to see her smiling and laughing with all of you, I could tell you genuinely care about her and the other children too. This comes after a warm experience during curriculum night last night where I could tell each and every teacher truly cares about the kids.”

“Thank you for your very kind words, it's so wonderful to hear that he is flourishing and settling in so nicely… My son really needed that opportunity to feel safe, respected and 'heard' at school. You and your team have shown up and done all of the above repeatedly, thank you!”

“I wanted to write you a note and tell you how incredibly impressed we were with Gateway Academy. The tour gave us such a great feel for the quality of your curriculum, students, instruction and the entire campus… Your understanding of special kids was so evident and it permeates every inch of Gateway. Cameron loved it.”

“…just wanted to thank you for such a wonderful graduation ceremony! Loved the speaker!… D'mitri will be touring this summer on a National tour called The Civil Unrest Tour with all adult bands! He's very excited.”

“He is very excited about becoming a student at the school and while he has some trepidation about missing his wonderful teachers, he said he has a really good feeling about the school. And so do we. From everything we have seen, from meeting you and your impressive staff, and taking in all of our conversations, we know this is going to be a success for Aiden.”

“I just want you to know that Gateway Academy has my heart. Watching how much Amber has grown makes my heart sing.”

“The students were extremely polite and well-behaved… Our Gallery Attendants and security staff knew that when Jessica was arriving with students, they would have nothing to worry about. Congratulations on having such wonderful students and staff.”

“I am super proud to be a small part of helping the kids to want to come to school again. It means everything to me.”

“I have said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE this job. The students are so amazing and truly inspiring. I keep having to pinch myself that this is real life!”

“Gateway has been amazing this year, to work for, but also to see how you guys responded to a once in a lifetime difficult pandemic crisis… It still sounds weird. But Gateway really stepped up and were instantly there for the students and had their well being in mind since day one.”