This month, two students from Shaker High School are being recognized as the February North Colonie Kids Care recipients. Eveline Hanchett and Haitham Hussein have a very special relationship that was established during Unified Physical Education class, more specifically the newly established swim unit. Both students were nominated by their Unified PE teachers, Coach Keith Bateman and Coach Sarah Bruno.
Evie is a senior partner athlete in the Unified PE program who aspires to go into occupational therapy as a career choice. Haitham is a sophomore student athlete who not only brings his best to PE class everyday, but inspires others around him with his hard work and determination.
Initially, Haitham was fearful of the pool and going into the water. Evie sought out Haitham and the two worked together for weeks. With kind and supportive encouragement from Evie, Haitham made progress week after week. Some classes, he would go down into the pool one more step. The process took a lot of patience, communication, learning and trust on the part of both students. After five weeks, Haitham officially made it all the way into the pool, walking around the shallow end with confidence.
“To see Haitham and Evie's faces and eyes light up, and the joy that stemmed from everyone else watching; is a moment that anyone who was present in the pool that morning will never forget,” said Coach Bateman.
Most students would have given up, but not Haitham and not Evie. Haitham was driven to succeed in the swim unit and is still making progress every class. Evie’s coaches say she has a natural gift when it comes to working with people and is quick to give others credit for their successes.
This is a partnership and a friendship that happened organically and has flourished into a shining example of what happens when two students care for one another. For this reason, we are so pleased to recognize Haitham and Evie as our Kids Care recipients for February. Congratulations!