Courtesy photo The 10 graduates of the Nashua region IMPACCT Academy gather for a group photo with staff members following Thursday's graduation ceremony. (Courtesy photo)

NASHUA – Without the proverbial tools she’s been able to collect over the course of the 14-week program called IMPACCT Academy, 18-year-old Emily Czmut doesn’t think she would be as far along as she is in pursuing her goal of becoming a pharmacy assistant.

“This program really helped me a lot,” Emily said of IMPACCT Academy, a unique partnership of Granite State Independent Living (GSIL), New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation (NHVR), high schools and statewide community colleges designed to assist at-risk students with disabilities in transitioning to post-high school life and career opportunities.

The program has four regional sites, including Nashua, Manchester, Concord-Lakes Region and Berlin-Littleton.

The academy’s full name – “Inspiring the Mastery of Post-secondary Achievement in College, Careers and Training” – is best known by its acronym, IMPACCT.

On Thursday, Emily and her younger sister, Sarah, became two of the 10 graduates of the Nashua region’s fall 2020 class, each of whom received certificates, accolades and a steady stream of congratulations and refrains of “we knew you could do it!”

“This program goes a step further than high school does … on teaching you how to be independent,” Emily said before the graduation.

A resident of Mason, Emily is now about to graduate from Milford High School several months early, thanks to her collection of credits and the guidance she received from the academy.

Dealing with anxiety issues has made working toward her goal of becoming a pharmacy assistant difficult at times, she said, but thanks to the coping skills she learned at the academy, she has succeeded in conducting a pair of significant interviews, one with a nurse and the other with a representative of CVS – where she hopes one day to work as a pharmacy assistant.

In her case, Emily’s occasional bouts with anxiety has created a situation that negatively affected her ability to consistently engage in high school curriculum, which in turn led to frequent absences from school.

“She is a young woman with tremendous potential for success, but needed to build some skills for increased self-confidence, independent living and goal setting for her life after high school,” an IMPACCT spokesperson said in a statement.

“Emily’s skills grew impressively during her time in the IMPACCT Academy … she developed new approaches to difficulties she had faced throughout her life.”

Thursday’s roughly 40 minute graduation was led by Debbie Cortes, lead transition specialist for the Nashua region of IMPACCT, Mary Beth Hammond, associate director of educational services at GSIL, and GSIL CEO Deb Ritcey, each of whom addressed the graduates both as a group and individually.

“There are 10 students here who worked really hard to achieve a lot,” Hammond said at the start. “They’re here today, ready for what’s next.”

“You should all congratulate yourselves,” added Ritcey, who also praised parents and other family members who tuned in via Zoom to watch the graduation.

“Today is day one of the rest of your life,” Ritcey added. “You can’t stop believing in yourselves.”

Cortes mentioned the extra challenges the grads-to-be encountered along the way. “The COVID pandemic only added to the series of challenges, but you guys stuck together. You got through it.”

Three graduates were recognized for what could be considered near-heroic accomplishments given the era of the pandemic: Perfect attendance.

“Whether you joined in remotely or in person, you had 100 percent attendance,” Cortes said as she called up Jillian Sirois, Kiera Parlow and Connor Frizzell to receive certificates.

A video and slideshow capped the morning’s activities, drawing laughs and jogging memories for the grads and staff alike.

Three graduates – Emily and Sarah Camut and Lucca DaSilva – are from Milford High School; Gabrieu Barbosa and Star Basler, from Alvirne High in Hudson; Brooke Buotte and Kiera Parlow, from Merrimack High; Connor Frizzell, from Souhegan High in Amherst; Samer Abukhalaf, from Nashua High School North; and Jillian Sirois from Pelham High.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

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