Communication looks different for every student. Across Peoria Unified, students use a variety of tools and supports to express themselves. Assistive technology, including communication devices, are one of the many ways that students, who cannot always rely on traditional speech, participate in learning. When Brooke Guysi, a freshman at Raymond S. Kellis High School (RSK), received an upgraded communication device, her excitement quickly turned into frustration. The transfer of her customized vocabulary from a previous device proved more complicated than expected, creating a challenge for Guysi and her mom.
That’s when Matthew Press, an occupational therapist in Peoria Unified, stepped in. With expertise and thoughtful support, he worked alongside Guysi to ensure her new device was properly set up. During that time, Guysi’s personal occupational therapist shared with her mother and Mr. Press why a key guard, a tool designed to create a barrier between buttons on a communication device to improve motor accuracy and use, could be helpful for Guysi. Though key guards had not been successful in the past, her mom was willing to give it another try.
Here is where the magic happened.
Press reached out to Sunrise Mountain High School (SMHS) engineering teacher Robert Wills, whom he had collaborated with on similar projects in the past, to pose a challenge to Blake Symolon, one of Wills’ students in his fourth engineering course. In collaboration with Wills, Press presented the details for building a personalized key guard to Symolon before the device was even in hand. Wills empowered Symolon to practice his professionalism and leadership skills, allowing him to take the lead. Once Symolon received the device, he designed and fabricated a key guard to fit Guysi’s specific needs.
Symolon took the challenge head on, applying the concepts he learned in the classroom to a real-world situation which had real-world implications for Guysi. Symolon’s task wasn’t just a technical fix; it was collaboration rooted in care and creativity.
When Guysi learned about the process, she used her new key guard to say, “thank you.” A simple phrase, but one filled with heart-felt meaning and gratitude. Now, with one less frustration, Guysi was able to focus on getting to know her community of support at RSK, becoming comfortable in a new environment, and taking in the excitement of a new school. Not only did Symolon develop a solution to a problem, he stood alongside Guysi in her journey to using her new communication device.
“A key guard to fit Guysi’s device is available to buy commercially, but the experience and collaboration we get out of making it is much deeper and much greater,” shared Press.
This story is a shining example of the power of public schools and the people within them. The schools in Peoria Unified are filled with dedicated individuals who go above and beyond to ensure that every student, every day, has access to the best possible education.
From Press, who saw a challenge and turned it into an opportunity, to Wills who embraced this situation and gave Symolon hands-on experience that changed a peer’s life, people made this happen. Guysi didn’t just get a tool; she gained support from her community.
Guysi’s mom reminds parents, “You don’t have to know everything, you just have to know when to lean into the help.”
In the end, education is not just about classrooms or devices. It’s about people. It’s about collaboration, compassion and creativity. When schools and communities come together, incredible things happen. Guysi’s story proves that when we unite with purpose, there is no limit to what we can achieve.
“In engineering, we don’t just make things to make things. We build to serve a purpose and to hopefully benefit someone.” - Robert Wills
Read the latest edition of unifiED magazine at www.peoriaunified.org/unified.