This Friday, Council President Wardine Alexander will be giving the commencement address at the inaugural graduation ceremony for the Miracle Academy, located in District 7.
The K-8 school was founded in 2020 and provides a safe and inclusive learning environment for children of all backgrounds and abilities.
“Our daughter Miracle was not accepted back to the specialty school where she had been from kindergarten through the 5th grade,” Miracle Academy Founder Gregory Mullen explains on the school’s website. “When we received the letter in the mail we were distraught and wondered what we were going to do. It was not feasible for us to take her to the school that she was zoned for. As many may not know that sudden changes for a child with Down Syndrome can turn their world upside down.”
After figuring out the logistics, Mullen decided their family would set up a school that was inclusive and catered to children of all needs. “From that day the plan was put in motion to launch the school,” Mullen says. “After various meetings, phone calls, etc. Miracle Academy was ready to open in the Fall of 2020. The decision was made to accept special needs students and honor the Individualized Education Program. We also adapted to the concept ‘If they don’t learn the way we teach, we will teach the way they learn’. We are honored to serve students from in and around Birmingham and give them opportunities that they are not likely to get anywhere else.”
The graduation ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, May 27th at Abraham/Nest Church of Love (3420 Hickory Ave. SW Birmingham 35221)
“I am honored to be a part of this celebratory day, as we highlight the accomplishments of these young people,” President Alexander said. “The work this school is doing to make sure young people with individualized learning needs are not being left behind is amazing, and I’m looking forward to speaking with them as we celebrate their achievements on Friday.”