I am a seasoned parent of three kids with varied disabilities, ages 12-25. We’ve tried and experienced it all: A variety of public, private, magnet, and charter schools, as well as homeschooling-in two states and evenmore counties. We’ve tried other schools specifically for kids with disabilities as well. I had resigned myself to being ok with “ some of what we need”.

We started Victory under less than perfect circumstances, during the pandemic, when my son was entering 6th grade. Victory has far surpassed my expectations. I drop my son off and never have to worry about him, as he is in the best of hands. He is loved and appreciated, learning at the right pace, experiencing things he cannot get elsewhere, and physically and psychologically safe. Everyone knows him, whether they teach him or not. Each kid arrives in the morning to people who embrace and delight in who they are. The robust approach to social and emotional health and skill building, the focus on independence, the support for development of life skills, the careful matching of kid in classrooms, the enthusiasm of the teachers, the true desire to create a customized approach to serving each child as they need, is all part of the magic.

My son has found his place. There is a burden lifted that I have been carrying for 20 years of parenting.

I became a student at Victory Academy in 2012. Before that, school was unbearable. I never felt supported and I was often bullied. It got so bad that I was frequently ill at just the idea of having to go back.

When my parents first discovered Victory, I was nervous about it. I worried that I would have no friends, that the teachers wouldn’t like me, and that I wouldn’t learn anything. Boy was I wrong! In less than a week, I felt fully loved, supported, academically challenged, and I made a ton of friends. And it’s not just the classroom teachers that made such a difference in my life.

The occupational therapist helped me conquer my balance issues and taught me how to ride a bike. Their speech therapist found fun ways to help me with my speech apraxia and shyness around it. As a result, I went on to perform in several school plays. In music class, I learned how to play the piano because I was taught in a way that made sense to me. In art class, I learned how to sketch and became quite good at it. Before Victory, I cringed at the idea of drawing but now I sketch all the time. At the school coffee shop, I learned how to run a cash register, cook, and make a fantastic latte. In 2018, I obtained my first paying job at Killer Burger, thanks to Victory’s WE program.

It’s safe to say that as the years went by at Victory, their impeccable staff provided me with not just an academic education and confidence, but the life skills I needed to grow and thrive as an adult.

In 2019, I decided that for my senior year, I wanted to try public high school. I love basketball and wanted to play on a high school team. Victory’s PE teacher helped me train for tryouts, and my classroom teacher went with my parents and me to meetings at the public school to ensure that I would be properly supported. In 2020, I graduated from that public school where I was an integral part of the varsity basketball team.

Now, I am living my best life in large part due to the extraordinary opportunities Victory provided me. I will always be thankful to them and in the future, I hope to return to Victory Academy as an adaptive physical education instructor.

-Spencer Allard

We moved to Oregon in the summer of 2011 just so our son Michael could attend Victory Academy. We had searched the country looking for a place where Michael could thrive. It was a scary time for us making such a huge decision for our family, but we are so glad we did. In Victory we found a place where our child could be part of a community that loved and looked after him, a place of acceptance where everyone works tirelessly to help him reach his potential. Michael is nonverbal, so communication has been a challenge. Here at Victory, he has learned to use an iPad to help him express his wants and needs. This is something that has changed our family dynamic in very powerful ways. His communication continues to improve every day.

Over a decade later, Michael is now almost 17 years old. He loves being a student at Victory. In his time here he has gotten to participate in Special Olympics, his first prom, and summer camp, where we found out he not only loves riding horses but ziplining as well! He has started in Victory’s Work Experience (WE) program, which gives him the chance to learn new skills while working out in the community. He is also learning self-care skills and how to take care of himself.& We can never properly thank Victory for all they have done for Michael and our family. We are so grateful they are here!

Our son joined the Victory Prep program when he was six years old and this special place really changed everything for him, and us. We seamlessly transitioned from going to various locations for ABA therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy to having all this support under one roof. Additionally, he gets to explore and express himself through music and art classes, and so much movement in the massive OT room and outdoor playgrounds. He has done gardening club, tried new foods in cooking club, bird watching club, learned to ride a bike, shopped for items at various stores, increased his selfcare skills, and taken on more chores. This is all beyond what we could have imagined for him when we were touring kindergarten classrooms and primarily focused on where he would be safe. He’s not sitting on the sidelines here. He is learning so much and is excited to go to school every day.

All his teachers and therapists work cohesively to know and understand our son and keep his support consistent. Beyond that, we receive parent trainings to help support him in our home and out in the community. Last year, they even helped prepare him for a blood draw (something that has been so traumatic in the past) through social stories and mock doctor visits. I was speechless at how well he did when the draw day arrived. His team has reinforced hope that with the right support and preparation, this kid can do anything.

Every staff member on the Victory campus is not only kind but invested in keeping students safe and supporting their growth. We couldn’t ask for more.

Victory has stood by our family through thick and thin. The school takes a cooperative approach so families can be honest about the challenges they are facing and work with teachers to achieve real change. You will never doubt that Victory staff care deeply about your child.

My daughter began Victory Academy five years ago in the sixth grade and it has been utterly transformational for her and our family. While her public school teachers and staff used every tool in their toolbox to help her succeed, there just weren't enough tools to make a square peg fit in a round hole.

The staff at Victory has made school what it should be for my child - every child - exciting, loving, fun, intellectually stimulating, and successful. My daughter loves going to school at Victory and is eager to share what she learns. With school no longer a daily dread for her, she is happier at home, too.

We feel so blessed to be a part of the Victory Academy community!

Victory Academy is a magical place. You can just feel the positive energy when you're there. The children are so much in their element, and everyone who works there takes such pleasure in seeing children succeed. At Victory, every small win is celebrated. Victory is a place where children are loved and parents are connected to the everyone on the team. Victory is more than a school, it is a community - a community that has changed the lives of so many children and their families. We feel so blessed that our child has been able to go to Victory and have watched grow by leaps and bounds in his time there.