WHO:             Sam Jones was adopted at a very early age by loving parents who have helped him overcome a brain injury, which caused him to have challenges with executive functioning that affects his academic, social, and behavioral development. Despite his learning challenges, Jones, now 22, and a student at Hillcrest’s Housatonic Academy for the past eight years, will celebrate his remarkable success when he receives his high school diploma on June 25. After graduation, the hard-working student will work as an agriculturist at Hancock Shaker Village in animal husbandry and horticulture.  

WHAT:           Hillcrest Housatonic Academy’s graduation ceremony, marking the accomplishments of students with complex psychiatric, behavioral, and/or developmental disorders.   Hillcrest is a member of the Massachusetts Association of 766 Approved Private Schools (maaps).  

WHEN:           Thursday, June 25 at 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  

WHERE:         Hillcrest Housatonic Academy Campus 1450 West Housatonic Street, Pittsfield, MA                                      

NOTE TO MEDIA: Sam Jones, his mother Donna Jones, Hillcrest CEO Jerry Burke, and Hillcrest Executive Director Shaun Cusson, are available for interviews at the graduation. Jones’s teacher, Christopher Conry, is available for an interview before June 18. Jones and Hillcrest staff are the only ones who can be photographed during the graduation ceremony.  

About Hillcrest Educational Foundation

A top area employer, Hillcrest Educational Foundation is a local, private not-for-profit parent company of three subsidiaries and one affiliate agency. They include:    

Hillcrest Educational Centers, Inc. providing therapeutic treatment and special education to children and adolescents with unique psychological and learning needs in Berkshire County, Massachusetts and the Northeast.  Their campuses include a day student academy, and autism program, and three residential schools.   

Hillcrest Community Support Services offers a broad range of psychological services, counseling and evaluations for individuals, families and schools in Berkshire County through Hillcrest Community Support Services.   

Hillcrest Dental Care, Inc. is a complete general family dentistry practice and the largest provider in Western Massachusetts of oral healthcare services to MassHealth recipients and special needs patients. Hillcrest Dental Care has two locations; one in Pittsfield, MA and one in North Adams, MA   

Berkshire County Kids’ Place and Violence Prevention Center, Inc., an affiliate of Hillcrest, is a fully accredited Children’s Advocacy Center for child abuse victims and their non-offending family members located at 63 Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield, MA.   

Hillcrest’s Administrative Offices are located at 788 South Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201.  More information is available at www.hillcrestec.org or by contacting Katrina Cardillo, kcardillo@hillcrestec.org or (413) 499-7924 x114. Hillcrest can also be found on Facebook.

About maaps

Hillcrest Educational Centers is a maaps member school. maaps is a non-profit association whose member schools provide educational programs and services to students with special needs throughout Massachusetts. The schools operate over 150 day and residential programs and schools, providing education and treatment to approximately 5,500 Massachusetts students with disabilities. They also bring in more than $148 million into the Commonwealth’s economy in tuition payments from about 1,500 out-of-state students, and employ over 9,000 teachers, clinicians, residential care and other staff. For many of the students, maaps schools represent their first real opportunity for hope, achievement and to become productive members of society. maaps media contact: Andrea D’Iorio, 617-269-7171, andrea@teakmedia.com


###

Media Contact:
Hillcrest Educational Centers, Inc.
Katrina Cardillo
Director of Communications
413-499-7924 ext. 114
kcardillo@hillcrestec.org