A face you may have seen pass through the hallway, walking with a group of smiling kids, may be a face you don’t quite know yet. Well, the name to that face is Mr. Roman. Mr. Roman has worked in the field of Special Education for over a decade. He didn’t expect to have the passion of working in this field, but after he took a gap in law school and worked in a group home of teenagers, he soon learned he wanted to do this for the rest of his life. 

Mr. Roman has been working in high school with special education students since 2015, including working at high schools in Texas, where he was raised. 

     When asked what he does with the students in his class, he says that he focuses mainly on functional academics like: budget math, reading, reading and making schedules, and reading menus. Another thing he focuses on is cooking. Room 116 is stocked with a full kitchen and many different materials, making it a great learning experience for the students in his class. 

Mr. Roman works with many wonderful people in his room who bring the whole community together. One of the many teachers in that room is Mrs. Evans. Mrs. Evans has been working in the special education field for as long as she can remember. I asked her what her favorite part of working in this field was and she said, “The connection we create with the kids, and they have such great personalities. It’s a lot of fun.” Just like Mrs. Evans, Mr. Roman says that his favorite part of working with special education kids is, “The opportunities for students to learn new things and connect with other students; it is a rewarding job to see students reach their maximum potential, and it’s so much fun.”

There are many things students can do to play an active role and become part of a community with the Mr. Roman’s students. As a school, it is important that we all get to know each other and participate in activities together. Activities include: becoming a tutor or mentor for these students, joining Unified Skills or Unified PE, and joining Mr. Roman’s new advisory club known as “Baking and Board Games” where a variety of different students get together in Room 116 and do things such as bake and play board games. This club will be great for both students and special education students as we will get to bond and grow closer together as a community.

Mr. Roman has influenced many and continues to do so while working in the special education field at Ledyard High School. Our community continues to grow together thanks to Mr. Roman. 

Junior Ally Keefe is a staff writer for the 2021-2022 yearbook. She is a dedicated cat and fish mom!! She enjoys spending all her money on things she doesn’t need. And when she is not working, she is with her besties!!