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NEWS


​DECEMBER 2022

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A Special Time with Santa

​On Saturday, December 3rd, Santa visited the Autism Treatment Center in San Antonio to take photos with children and adults with autism and their family. Members of the Order of Alhambra, students from the UT Health Occupational Therapy program, and other ATC volunteers played games and did sensory activities with children while they waited to see Santa. 
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Many of the children who attended had never been able to get a picture with Santa before because they couldn’t tolerate being at a crowded, noisy event or they wouldn’t cooperate when it was time to get their picture taken. That is why it was so important to have a place where they didn’t have to wait in a line and it didn’t matter if they had behaviors. 
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​The families were so happy to have a dedicated event for their children to get a photo with Santa. “Our son Josh is the biggest fan of Santa,” said Adriana Crostley. “His face lit up as soon as he saw Santa walk into the room and he loves looking at his picture. We are grateful to the Autism Treatment Center, because they made it possible for Josh to spend time with Santa Claus in a sensory-friendly environment.”

Amy Miller brought her son, Henry, and two of his friends to get their photos. “This event was important for us,” she said, “because it was a safe environment where I knew no one would look at the kids any differently if they had a hard time. There was no long line to wait for Santa which was perfect for us because lines can be difficult sometimes. Everyone we came into contact with was nice and made the event fun for the kids. The kids all used the sensory activities so I know lots of planning went into the event to make it a fun place for them.“

Our Santa for this event was Rene’ Flores Martinez who is serving as the Grand Commander for the Order of Alhambra Caravan #269, a Catholic fraternal organization dedicated to serving people with developmental disabilities. Santa Rene’ not only volunteered his time, he collected stuffed toys and snacks that he gave to everyone after their photo. 

Our thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this day so special for the children, adults and families who came to see Santa. Every one of them was able to take home a photo with Santa and memories they can treasure forever.
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A Grand Celebration
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On December 7th, ATC hosted a grand re-opening in Dallas at our newly renovated group home for adults with autism. After months of construction, staff, residents, family, and board members gathered to celebrate with an official ribbon cutting presented by the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce. You can't have a celebration without snacks, so adults from ATC's culinary vocational program were the happy greeters welcoming guests with refreshments. When needed updates in the home where identified, ATC Board Member Monte Zajicek - a retired architect - worked to make sure the project was completed with the goal of keeping our residents safe and comfortable. Monte was presented with a gift of appreciation for his tireless dedication to ATC and those we serve. Thank you to everyone who attended and to all the donors who helped make this night possible!
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Christy Losoya, Julie Alexander, Rosalind Reeder volunteering at
​Art for Autism on October 8th.
Volunteer Spotlight
Christy Losoya began volunteering with ATC San Antonio over 10 years ago. She started out  collecting presents and hosting holiday parties with Santa for our residents and students as a member of the Women of AT&T service group. A few years later she started volunteering at almost every ATC event and she never came alone.  Christy still recruits friends and co-workers to help ATC and always brings at least one of her 3 children to volunteer, too. We are so grateful for everything Christy does for the children and adults in our programs. She inspires us!

​NOVEMBER 2022

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Maleigha (on the far left) at her booth
Art for Autism is an ATC outreach event that provides free booth space to artists with autism to sell their work, engage with the public, and connect to other artists as peers and mentors. This year the event was held on October 8th at the Shops of La Cantera in San Antonio and featured more than 25 artists of different skill levels ranging in age from 10 to 50+ years old. Their styles of art varied, too - oil and acrylic paintings, sketches, graphic arts, clay sculptures, and more.
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One of this year’s participating artists was 12-year-old Maleigha Medrano. When she and her family first arrived to set up, Maleigha looked around at the other artwork on display and started to cry because she didn’t think her paintings were good enough. Throughout the day, though, she received encouragement from other artists and people who stopped to talk and purchase her art. The owner of the gym that sponsored her booth even came to visit and offered to display her work at his facility. At the end of the day, Maleigha sold 10 paintings and 6 buttons for a total of $109. More importantly, she made new friends with common interests, got experience interacting with different kinds of people, and left with a huge boost of confidence.
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We were so honored to tell the stories of the Stars of the Runway models at a fashion show and luncheon on October 22nd. The event raised essential funds to help ATC provide life-changing therapy while shining a light on the models - each with their own personal connection to autism as a person with autism, the mother of a child with autism, or a professional in the field of autism. Thank you to all of our sponsors, guests, models, and volunteers for making this such a special day!

Check out highlights from the event and learn more about the model's stories at www.atcoftexas.org/fashionshow
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The mission of the Roundup for Autism is to raise funds for the Autism Treatment Center - which they have been doing since 1988!

We're excited to announce that this year over $70,000 was raised to fund renovations for our Dallas group homes and expand ABA therapy services in our Fort Worth and Dallas clinics.
We are so grateful for the support of the Roundup for Autism team and donors and look forward to putting these funds to work! Learn more at www.roundupforautism.org

​OCTOBER 2022

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On September 15th, 65 men and women from the ATC Dallas program jumped on a bus headed to Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth to attend the Friday night rodeo. Attending the rodeo has been an annual tradition made possible by the donors and volunteers with the Roundup for Autism, but had been put on hold for a few years. Our residents were very excited to return to the Coliseum! 
After making their way to their seats, everyone enjoyed dinner provided by the Coliseum and settled in for the big show. There was so much excitement for the horses, bull riders, and rodeo clowns! When asked what he enjoyed most, Peter, an ATC resident said, "Seeing the horses run around and watching the cowboys hold on to the bulls. I used to ride horses and that made me happy to be around them again." Another resident, Chris, said, "It was fun to get ready and feel special. Plus the food was good." 
In addition to being a fun night out, experiences like this give the individuals in our programs a chance to practice skills they learn at home and at ATC in a real-world setting. Everyone did a great job following directions to get to their seats, making conversation with volunteers, and of course cheering on their favorite riders. 
We are grateful to the Roundup for Autism for creating such wonderful memories for the residents of ATC year after year!
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The fruits - actually herbs - of their labor!
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Last year ATC San Antonio raised funds for a teaching garden for their school. Since then the students have enjoyed spending time nurturing the plants (look at all that basil!) and enjoying the butterflies it attracts. It is especially nice when their hard work pays off and ends up on their plates!
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Volunteer Spotlight
​Meet Subrina Calloway. Mother of a 12-year-old boy diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), grandmother to a beloved granddaughter who was diagnosed with Epilepsy and ASD, and the founder of Divas and Dons - a civic and social club that gives back to the community. 

Mrs. Calloway's personal connection to autism is why she commits herself to help others in the community by hosting outreach and funding events that support individuals living with ASD. 
4 years ago, Subrina moved to Dallas and was looking for a non-profit to partner with when she came across the Autism Treatment Center (ATC) and scheduled a tour to learn more.

Since then, Divas and Dons have donated lunches to the staff for their hard work and dedication, blankets and other home goods for the residents, and many special requests from the students. On top of the generous in-kind donations, they have coordinated, funded, and hosted two events, "Autism Parade", and "Tacos and Flip-Flops". Each event was a huge success and money raised from these events was donated to ATC. Subrina plans to host another event in early Spring 2023! If you would like to learn more about this upcoming fundraiser, please contact Carrie Nelson, Development Director, at cnelson@atcoftexas.org. 
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We are grateful for Subrina and the members of the Divas and Dons for all of their time and generosity. Thank you, Divas and Dons!

​SEPTEMBER 2022

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Bobby, an ATC resident since 1981, is a huge Beatles fan. We asked his sister, Julia, to share how the Beatles became such a big part of Bobby's life. Here's what she told us...
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Bobby has LOVED the Beatles for as long as I can remember, but he came to it naturally because his big brother and I have both always been big Beatles, and especially Paul McCartney, fans. I guess you could say it is his "special interest."  It is often hard to shop for someone with autism so when you find that special interest you tend to get everything related to that interest for them for gifts.  Bobby has had almost every Beatles product there has been over the years as we always rush to buy something when we see it before someone else in the family can! His room is full of Beatles wall art, figurines, books, and more. He has Beatles luggage, shirts, a jacket, and even Yellow Submarine Vans.  
He has had two fabulous Beatles cakes for his big 40th and 50th birthday parties. It is very common for my friends to message me when they see a Beatles item that Bobby might like, which is so thoughtful of them. Bobby would listen to the Beatles or Wings all the time if you let him, but he also loves most classic rock. He has surprised us in the past year or so by identifying the names of many of the bands he hears on the radio -- from Queen, the Doors, the Rolling Stones to REO Speedwagon -- he has amazed us because we had no idea he knew them. If you ask him who his favorite Beatle is, he will sometimes say Paul McCartney, sometimes John Lennon . . . he will name a different favorite song from day to day. He loves going to Paul McCartney concerts and any Beatles-themed bands that tour.  
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​We enjoy encouraging Bobby's love of music and think he's got pretty good taste!
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Partnering to Serve

On Saturday, August 13th, ATC partnered with the Autism Society of Texas and MeBe to provide an Autism-Friendly Vaccine Clinic and School Supply Drive at our Metric Dr. facility in Dallas. This was the second of two clinics held in Dallas over the summer following two clinics at our San Antonio location in May and June.

Children and adults with autism often need sensory-friendly environments to successfully get their COVID-19 vaccines. An autism-friendly clinic is one that provides staff who understand challenging behaviors and can use calming strategies to help patients overcome their fear of shots. The August 13th clinic was open to any child or adult with a disability and their family members for their first, second, or booster COVID-19 vaccine. 

As part of the back-to-school drive, ATC gave away free school supplies to families experiencing financial hardships. The children who attended got a chance to spin a wheel and receive a prize, including fidget spinners and snap bracelets. 

We want to extend a special thank you to our partners and the volunteers who came out to help! 

AUGUST 2022
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A Summer of New Experiences
When a caseworker from the Dept. of Family & Protective Services expressed an interest for two of the teens he supervised to attend summer camp, ATC’s Education Coordinator, Kathy Haugen, helped make it happen. While there were a few bumps along the way, all of the ATC campers had an incredible time. Kathy, who attended camp with the kids, found Tyler* in tears the first night because he was overwhelmed by the commotion at the evening gathering. A camp counselor found a pair of ear plugs to help him handle the noise and be part of the crowd. On the last night when Kathy saw Tyler, he proudly pointed out that he wasn’t wearing the ear plugs. He had gotten used to the noise and didn’t need them anymore!
All the ATC campers had new experiences they will never forget. Carly* got into a kayak for the first time and paddled around the lake with another female camper. While Darrell* didn’t participate in many activities, he enjoyed watching the action and being part of a group. He did get out of his comfort zone, though, and was the only ATC camper to go ziplining.
 
For children with autism, activities in the community help build confidence and independence. Thanks to the generosity of a few individuals, four of our residents were able to enjoy summer camp the way it was intended - not as teenagers with autism, but as just teenagers.  
 
* We changed the names of children who are wards of the state to protect their privacy ​
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From left to right - ATC Development Director Cynthia Hamilton and Board Member Ron Botello; Mary Helen Flores, Michael Flores, and Tommy Flores.
The Autism Treatment Center was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from The Texas Housing Finance Corporation in memory and honor of Apolonio “Nono” Flores for his contributions to affordable housing in Texas. Nono served as the President and CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of San Antonio from 1979 to 1997. During his tenure, he secured millions in federal grant funds to expand affordable housing and created programs that increased employment opportunities for public housing residents. 
Nono was recognized nationally for his expertise in affordable housing and his passion for helping people who were economically disadvantaged become self-sufficient, productive members of the community.

In total, the Texas Housing Finance Corporation donated $100,000 to four nonprofits that provide housing to underserved and at-risk populations. The benefiting nonprofits were recommended by Nono’s wife, Mary Helen Flores, and sons, Michael and Tommy Flores. 
When asked what the donation meant to his family, Michael said, “We were touched that this organization my father helped create would want to carry on his legacy with this incredible gift to the community he served.”

​We're grateful to the Flores family and TX Housing Finance Corporation Board President Michael Hernandez, Board Vice President Frances Ferguson, and Director Stephan Fairfield for helping make these funds possible.

JULY 2022
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Connecting Healthcare & Art

​In June, ATC San Antonio was pleased to receive a piece of art to display at the downtown ABA clinic. The art was created and donated by Christina Deltoro, a Rehab Science student at the University of the Incarnate Word. As part of a class in Cultural Issues in Healthcare, Christina and the other students spoke with parents of children with autism to identify barriers to healthcare and created art that communicated what they learned. 

For Christina, this meant expressing the connection between the community, healthcare workers, parents, and insurance companies and their collective impact on individuals with autism, both positive and negative.

“As healthcare professionals,” she says, “we really need to listen to families so we know how to work together to make the system work better for them.”

Pictured above: Artist Christina Deltoro (left) and ATC staff Sierra Stegemann
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Finding Santana.
Santana was just 2 years old when he was diagnosed with autism. He was nonverbal and could get aggressive when he became frustrated. His parents, Juan and Lydia, were both in the military, so Lydia left the service on a hardship discharge to focus on caring for her son. She didn't know anything about autism but was determined to learn everything she could. It wasn't long before she recognized signs of autism in Santana's younger sister, Senovia. A diagnosis confirmed that she, too, was on the spectrum.

​Lydia and Juan made it a priority to get treatment for their children. Although Juan was still deployed and wasn't always at home, he and Lydia were united in their commitment to help their children be as happy and independent as possible. They were also determined to be proactive and prepare for what was ahead rather than react as problems came up.  Keep reading >>

JUNE 2022
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Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Dick and Carol Weitzel are true neighbors. Their house is near one of our community group homes in San Antonio.
For several years now, Dick and Carol have made a wonderful habit of stopping by to lend a hand with the yardwork, planting flowers, putting out mulch, and even blowing leaves off the roof.

Most recently they have even been working on beautifying the landscaping at our main office a few blocks away!

Dick says that Carol loves working outside and pulls him into her projects. We are so grateful to both of them for the time and energy they give to ATC and our residents!
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A Champion for Melvin

Charolet Jones knows what it means to be a champion. For years she has been working to improve opportunities for her grandson, Melvin, to overcome the challenges of his autism. 

When he was 12, Charolet stepped in to help Melvin get services and took responsibility for getting him to therapy appointments at ATC several times a week. Charolet even took on homeschooling Melvin because she wasn’t satisfied he was learning all he could at his public school. Keep Reading >>

MAY 2022
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Michael, 8 years old, began receiving Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services at ATC’s Fort Worth Therapy Clinic in May 2021 and has made great progress over the past year.
 
Michael initially had difficulty sitting in a chair, staying in a room without running off, and was easily distracted by objects around him which made it close to impossible to focus on treatment and learning skills. In addition to those challenges, Michael did not speak and exhibited self-injurious behaviors, such as head-banging, when walking throughout the halls.
Michael’s dedicated therapists worked with his mother to develop a plan specifically suited to meet his needs. The plan includes additional safety equipment, special training for the staff and parents, and teaching resources to use at home.
 
Today, Michael is moving around the clinic without harmful behaviors, has learned to express his needs using a Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) book, and now uses 10 words vocally!
 
We are so proud of Michael and thankful for the additional resources that allow us to provide the best care possible. These are just a few of the MANY examples of how our donor’s gifts are helping to change lives at ATC.
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ATC student Bryan works on his vocational skills helping maintenance team member, Jacob, with projects at our group homes.
In 2016, when Bryan first enrolled in ATC’s school, he had not attended his public school in California for several semesters because they couldn’t meet his behavioral needs. His grandmother, a retired college professor, was tutoring him during the day, but his father, who worked from home so he could care for Bryan, always stayed close by in case his son became aggressive.
 
During his time at ATC, Bryan has made remarkable progress, not just on his behaviors, but on his academic and vocational goals, too. Bryan is a bright, inquisitive student who excels in math and science. Now 19, he is focusing more on job skills he can use once he graduates. He practices office tasks like filing, addressing envelopes, and delivering packages around the ATC campus. He also keeps track of and stocks hygiene and cleaning supplies for the school. Recently, Bryan helped the maintenance staff put together outdoor furniture and change air conditioning filters at all the group homes, activities he especially enjoys.

APRIL 2022
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Everyone's walk in life is unique. This April, for Autism Awareness Month we want to share stories from the autism community.

​Whether you are on the spectrum or someone in your life is, send us a 1-minute video letting us know who you are and what it's like to walk in your shoes. Share a happy moment from your day, a challenging task, an activity you enjoy, your daily routine, introduce us to you and/or your loved ones, or simply talk to the camera and tell us about yourself - like Garrett does in the video below! Click here to learn more.
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An Act of Kindness Comes Full Circle
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When KRW Lawyers decided to do an autism awareness campaign in San Antonio, they connected with sneaker artist Dimas Anthony Martinez to create two pairs of hand-painted shoes to raffle off for the Autism Treatment Center.  Dimas immediately connected to the cause because his 4-year-old son, Zayn, was diagnosed with autism a few years ago.  

​On March 31st, Dimas, his wife, Chelsea, and their sons Zion and Zayn, helped celebrate the KRW Kicks for Autism 
campaign at an event at ATC where two lucky winners were drawn to win the custom kicks.  Altogether the raffle and art sales from that night raised $6,500 for local autism services!

Dimas had no idea that his generosity and desire to help other families would turn out so quickly to be a blessing for his own. While visiting with ATC staff during the KRW Kicks event, Dimas and Chelsea learned that Zayn, who had not been able to receive ABA therapy for a while, was eligible for services through ATC’s state-funded therapy program. Rather than the $700 they previously paid for a month of therapy, the family would be able to continue his treatment for as little as $25 a month.

Good things happen when our community comes together to support a worthwhile cause. We are so grateful to KRW Lawyers and Dimas for their desire to help people with autism in our community. And, we look forward to helping the Martinez family as they continue their autism journey with Zayn!

MARCH 2022
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Thank you to everyone who participated in the KRW Kicks for Autism awareness campaign and art contest!  View the winning entries
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Team Aiden!

When Aiden was 4 years old he started having aggressive behaviors, flapping hands, avoiding eye contact, and was non-verbal. In 2020, Aiden began Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services at our Fort Worth Clinic. Now 6 years old, Aiden uses single words to indicate his needs, exhibits less negative behaviors and responds to his name. His mother, Tasha, said "It’s incredible to see how far he has come from no words to echoing and using his picture book. ABA was definitely a life changing choice for our family."
We know it takes a whole team to be on board for the best results. Aiden's mother, Tasha, contributes to his success by attending and learning about ABA and his treatment plan twice a month at hands-on parent training meetings. These parent training experiences help Tasha and Aiden work together on skills needed in different types of environments. Raina Busoul, Program Director at the Fort Worth Clinic, said, "Aiden is a very hard worker. Observing his growth this last year has been very rewarding to his whole team!"

We're proud of Aidan and everyone who is helping him succeed!
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Taking Action in the Community!

On a walk through Comanche Lookout Park in San Antonio last fall, our students and staff noticed that benches along the trails were in need of a new coat of paint. We contacted the Parks and Recreation Department to see if our students could take on painting the benches as a service project. On March 4th, ATC students Bryan and Garrett started work on the project. They got several compliments from other park guests on the great job they did and you can tell by the smiles on their faces they had a great time. Way to go Bryan and Garrett!

FEBRUARY 2022
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Celebrating 40 years at ATC!

​The year was 1982...


Late Night With David Letterman debuted with first guest Bill Murray, the Commodore 64 8-bit home computer hit the market, E.T. premiered and crushed box-office sales, and Anna Hundley joined the team at the Autism Treatment Center.

A lot of big things happened 40 years ago and Anna's joining ATC is definitely one of them! We are grateful for her unwavering leadership and dedication to the children, adults, families, and staff of ATC. ​
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ATC resident Asa Hart and his sister, Aimee Brown, on a family outing during the holidays.
"Fun!" A small word that means BIG progress for Asa.
Several times a year, Carole Trisler travels to San Antonio from West Texas to visit her son, Asa, who lives in an ATC group home and attends our adult services program. In December, Carole and her daughter, Aimee, spent several days with Asa seeing the sites in San Antonio. Over the last seven years Asa has lived at ATC, Carole has seen improvements in his communication and social behaviors but she was especially amazed this visit by how much progress he had made since she saw him in the summer.

Asa is nonverbal but knows some sign language, so it isn’t unusual for him to communicate basic wants and needs.
Carole was surprised, though, when Asa initiated a conversation with her about something that interested him at SeaWorld. While riding the train at the zoo, Asa even responded out loud when Carole asked him in sign if he was having a good time. “Fun!” he said.
 
One of the most significant changes Carole saw was how patient Asa was when they had to wait in line at a restaurant or theme park. On past outings, he would dart to food areas and demand something to eat at every stop. This time he asked first and waited politely, understanding that his patience would pay off. Carole noticed a difference in his physical movements, too. Asa no longer shuffled his feet but picked them up and walked properly. He even showed improvements in self-care, dressing himself each day and reminding Carole when it was time for his medication. 

We're so proud of Asa and excited to see what 2022 has in store for him and his family! ​
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We have a new hallway mural at our Dallas program!
Our art therapist worked with ATC students to create this beautiful artwork. We're so proud of their hard work and wonderful talents. 

More News >> 2021

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