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Correspondence: Melissa J. Rivers, Oliver Winch Middle School

“Hello Coach Johns,

I wanted to write to you about my conversation with Jakob on our way back to class this morning.

First of all, thank you for taking the time to sit with him and sign a book. He really wanted to meet you, but was a little overwhelmed when he actually approached you. On our way up the stairs, I asked him how he liked the assembly. He said that at first, he had expected it to be a “regular old assembly,” but it wasn’t. He said, “something changed. Something definitely changed.”

Jakob is on the Autism spectrum, and struggles to express himself on anything that is not clear-cut black and white. For him to be okay with just recognizing that something in him changed during your presentation, that was pretty huge.

The other reason I am writing you is to let you know that I would love a copy of Bystander. Thank you so much for all that you do. Your work makes such a huge difference in the lives of people who meet you.”

Melissa J. Rivers
Direct Consultant Teacher
Oliver Winch Middle School
South Glens Falls, NY