Lakeland Student Honored

Evan Wolfsdorf sometimes draws to express the thoughts he cannot write. For a recent assignment, when he was asked what he knew about Martin Luther King, Jr., Evan drew a detailed sketch of Dr. King in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

Evan, a Lakeland student who attends Putnam/Northern Westchester’s Walden School, was named a Student of Distinction for the month of March. He was honored last week during Lakeland’s Board of Education meeting.

His teacher, Athena Swikata, said that, in addition to creating a drawing of King, “Evan was able to recite the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, with an intonation similar to that of King’s original speech.”  She added that Evan is “a personable, well-mannered young man who carries a wealth of knowledge and experience from outside activities and experiences.”

"I've been the principal of the Walden School for a number of years and I've seen Evan mature, grow and develop in to a very special young man," said Michael Sowul, who also attended the Board of Education meeting.

Evan also enjoys the performing arts and participates in Walden’s annual Talent Show.  His teacher describes him as “quite the entertainer,” performing song-and-dance numbers in the yearly production.

Since coming to Walden, Evan has shown considerable growth in his social and emotional interactions with staff and peers. “I think the whole process of Evan getting to this point has really been due to the fantastic team of people he works with every day," said Terese Giammarco, Evan's mother. "He's such a lovable guy and he's surrounded by teachers, therapists and parents who really love him.”