Justin Puharic has Down syndrome but would be the last person to believe he’s different than anyone else.
The 17-year old leads an active life. He loves school, takes part in extracurricular activities and enjoys time with his family and many friends.
“He’s a great kid,” says his mother, Theresa Puharic of Shaler. “He has a terrific personality and he’s done very well. I’m extremely proud of him.”
Justin is one example of how Our Campaign for The Church Alive! supports special needs students while helping donors to live out the Gospel message to welcome the children.
Expanding the Church’s high level of commitment to all young people, the campaign is providing $2 million for a fund to teach students with developmental needs. Theresa is a strong supporter of the campaign and helped promote it as a volunteer at Saint Bonaventure Parish.
“Justin is such a nice, nice boy,” said Christine Westrick, a Saint Anthony School Programs teacher at Bishop Canevin High School. “He’s friendly, extremely sensitive and caring, and he puts forth his best effort all the time.”
“Our students are wonderful teachers themselves,” said Mark Sieg, executive director of Saint Anthony School Programs. “We learn from them that we don’t really know what a disability is, and we learn about ourselves.”
Sieg started his long career with Saint Anthony School Programs in 1986 as a volunteer while attending Central Catholic High School. “I really connected with the kids and enjoyed being with them. They make you feel good and realize you should be grateful for what you have in life,” Sieg said.
Offering an inclusive education for children ages five to 21 with autism, Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities, Saint Anthony School Programs provide academic studies and vocational training to help young people live as independently as possible after graduation.
Established in 1921 as an orphanage in Oakmont called Saint Anthony Village, its mission was broadened three decades later to educating youth with intellectual disabilities under the name Saint Anthony School for Exceptional Children.
In the mid-1980s special education trends changed again from segregated schooling to mainstreaming. A satellite classroom was opened and a new model of service delivery began. In 1992 the program was renamed to Saint Anthony School Programs.
Christine remembers growing up in the 1970s and never coming into contact with special needs children in class—they were always at their own school.
“I became a special education teacher because when I was young I knew a little boy with Down syndrome named Mark, and I enjoyed our friendship,” Christine said. “It’s important that these children are part of our Catholic schools. All students benefit from inclusion.”
Today, 105 Saint Anthony students are enrolled in Catholic elementary, high school and college classroom sites at Saint Thomas More, Saint Therese of Lisieux, Saint Mary of the Assumption, Mon Yough Catholic, Bishop Canevin and Serra Catholic high schools and Duquesne University.
Every year they get together for their own mini-Special Olympics called the Inclusive Games. Each brings a friend, and they take part in the 50-yard dash, the long jump, softball throw and other contests.
“These children give unconditional love,” said Justin’s father, Michael Puharic. “Their teachers and aides return that love—you can see and feel that. It’s where I want my son to be.”
