All It Took Was Being Seen

By: A WYSE Parent

From the time my daughter was small, she didn’t fit into boxes. She wore Darth Vader t-shirts with pink nail polish. Clip-on earrings while watching Formula 1. She was vibrant, complex, imaginative—and kids didn’t know what to make of her.

Even in preschool, other children would say, “You’re not a real boy.” “You’re not a real girl.”

And at just seven years old, my kid began to believe them. She stopped feeling real. That kind of confusion and hurt is hard to put into words—but I saw it every day in her eyes.

When the pandemic came and we were home together, something beautiful happened. She started to blossom. Away from the comments, the stares, the pressure to explain herself—she began to laugh more, eat better, sleep deeper.

So we homeschooled. For two years, we explored, created, healed. But as much as I tried to give her the world, I couldn’t give her what she needed most: a community. A place to belong. A place where she was not the exception—but simply herself.

That’s when we found WYSE.

At WYSE, my daughter was met with open arms. The teachers saw her—not just her academics, but her story, her feelings, her magic. The kids and parents welcomed us. There was no explaining. No hiding. Just space to be.

She graduated this spring, confident and self-assured. She no longer wonders if she’s real. She knows she is. Because now, she feels seen.

WYSE didn’t just help my daughter—it gave me hope, too. I got to see the kind of world that’s possible when compassion leads the way. That kind of learning environment doesn’t just appear. It exists because people support it.

So when I hear about the $25,000 match campaign, I know what’s at stake.

If you’re able to give even $26.05, your donation will be matched—and it might be the exact moment a kid like mine realizes they’re not alone.

Thank you. From one parent to another.