White House invite for Seattle student

A young woman from Seattle has received an invitation to meet with Michelle Obama at the White House because of her ability to reach higher and break a few barriers along the way.

Devon Adelman, 18, is a recent graduate of Nathan Hale High School in Seattle. Her dream is to become a Marine Biologist.

“Ever since I was two years old, and I grew up on a beach, I was a curious girl inside and I wanted to know all about the ocean,” she said.

Devon has Down Syndrome. But that diagnosis didn’t stop Devon or her family from reaching for her dreams. Devon’s mom, Susan Adelman, said every child is different and has their own strengths and weaknesses.

“I think not putting preconceived limits on any kid is what’s important,” Susan said. “Let the kid show you how far they can go.”

At first, it was easy. The Adelman family lived in Michigan, where Devon was immediately placed in an inclusive classroom where she thrived. Then they moved to Seattle.

“We hit a roadblock, to be honest,” Susan recalled. “They saw Devon’s diagnosis and said, ‘Oops. We need to be in a program for simple life skills.’ ”

That was the event that sparked their advocacy efforts on behalf of Devon and other Down Syndrome students. After some convincing, they were able to get Devon back into an inclusive classroom in the eighth grade.

In ninth, she began attending Nathan Hale High School. It’s there that Devon was able to take on some new challenges.

“I was part of the Unified Soccer Team, and we won State two times,” Devon said.

The Unified Soccer Team is a partnership with Special Olympics in which typical students partner with disabled students. At Nathan Hale, there was always an overwhelming number of typical students who wanted to sign up, Susan said.

Devon is also a Docent at the Seattle Aquarium. She answers questions from visitors and gets to spend time with her favorite creature, a Giant Pacific Octopus.

And, Devon was part of the Nathan Hale Cheer Squad, where she won the award for Best Attitude.

With her recent graduation from Nathan Hale, she’s packed a lot into the last four years.

She’s not done yet.

All her hard work has not only earned Devon a spot at Highline College and a Marine Biology Internship, it’s also earned her an invitation to the White House to be part of the First Lady’s “Reaching Higher” campaign, which encourages all young adults to continue their education after high school.

“It’s a bit breathtaking,” Devon said. “Just being at the White House is so amazing.”

The Reaching Higher campaign is not aimed specifically at people with special abilities. So, Devon’s mother is glad to see two students with Down Syndrome were invited to the event.

The “Reaching Higher: Beating the Odds” summit will be held July 23. It brings together recent high school graduates from across the country, giving them a chance to speak with current college students and encouraging them to continue their education.