Andrew Needham

Congratulations to Andrew Needham, our June 2021 Rising Star!

Andrew was nominated by Lindsey Schubert:

"Andrew is a 5th grader in Bellevue Public Schools, and I've been working with him for the past 8 years. Due to the pandemic, he is being home-schooled this year, but has been receiving his IEP services via Zoom. As we're all learning right now, being taught through Zoom can be difficult and sometimes frustrating. However, Andrew does not let that get him down; from practicing listening to sounds with his cochlear implants, to 2-minute dance parties, he's always ready for whatever we do next. He's also made enormous growth this school year while working at home, including learning the Braille alphabet and reading sentences in uncontracted Braille. I believe his biggest achievement this school year has been his growth in self-advocating; speaking up for himself with adults is outside his comfort zone, but he's now taking it upon himself to make sure his family and teachers know about his needs if he's struggling with something. I'm so proud of you, Andrew!"