Meron is one of our students at Quest Kids Academy (QKA). She started last year in March 2020 — right before the pandemic started to worsen.
For Meron, QKA has been a great experience. At her previous school, Meron had some trouble with bullies. “At my old school, I got bullied a lot, and didn’t have any friends,” says Meron. “All of the teachers and kids at QKA helped me feel welcome, and when I came here, I said, ‘This is the one!’ I love seeing my friends every day and it makes me so happy.”
Ms. Ally is Meron’s teacher and loves working with her. “There are so many things uniquely beautiful about Meron,” says Ms. Ally. “She is always looking out for others, especially if she senses they are feeling hurt, sad, confused, or upset. Meron is also hilarious. She makes me laugh every single day and I look forward to seeing her each and every day because although I’m her teacher, she feels more like a lifelong friend.”
Throughout her time at QKA, Meron has made incredible progress. Before QKA, she would refuse school completely. She felt very frustrated and tantrums were a daily experience for her parents. At QKA, she has learned to love school and the people she gets to see every day.
Outside of school, Meron enjoys talking to her friends, playing FortNite, and listening to her favorite types of music: pop and hip-hop. She enjoys listening to the Jonas Brothers and Kane Brown the most. Last year, Meron wrote a song to the tune of “Be Like That” called “QKA Anthem.”
“I would say she is a triple threat, but it definitely goes way beyond that,” says Ms. Ally. “Meron can sing, dance, write, rap, play every sport you can think of, and she’s incredibly intelligent. We’ve written songs, stories, and jokes together. We’ve danced to every trending TikTok and even made our very own!”
Meron chose the song “Be Like That” because she says, “Sometimes it’s hard, and I feel like that’s a good song because if you’re having a bad day, you can still turn it around.” She also related it to school. “Even if you’re having a bad day at QKA, you can still turn it around, and you can’t go wrong with country music!”
When Ms. Ally first heard the “QKA Anthem,” she was excited for Meron to share it with others. She helped Meron practice her song every day for a week. When Meron finally performed it in front of everyone, she nailed it! “She’s brilliant and she will change the world one day,” says Ms. Ally.
Meron wanted to write a song about QKA because she wanted to spread the word about what a great school it is. “It helps a lot of us and it’s such a great school for kids who need a little more help,” says Meron. “I want to thank Ms. Melissa and the teachers for helping all of the kids at QKA to learn and grow! We love you and you’re amazing!”
If any kids are about to join QKA as a student, her advice is: “You might be shy or nervous, but just know that everything is going to be okay. It’s good to open up and make new friends.”
About Quest Kids Academy
QKA is a K-12 school in Orlando serving the academic and social needs of children with developmental disabilities. At QKA, teachers create individualized goals that will benefit each student and implement evidence-based teaching practices. The teaching strategies are informed by the principles and procedures of applied behavior analysis (ABA) and our evidence-based approach ensure that each student has an effective and enjoyable educational environment.