{"id":157774,"date":"2024-05-15T14:37:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T20:37:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/?p=157774"},"modified":"2025-01-03T11:34:24","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T17:34:24","slug":"joe-pawsey-success-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/joe-pawsey-success-story\/","title":{"rendered":"More than words: Joe Pawsey’s success transcends reading"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With the help of GiGi\u2019s Virtual Playhouse team, Joe Pawsey was able to regain his confidence and accomplish his dreams!<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At GiGi\u2019s Playhouse, we strongly believe that education opens doors. Whether it\u2019s at school, the workplace, or the community at large, literacy leads to inclusion. There\u2019s no better illustration of this than a recent success story from our Virtual Playhouse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joe Pawsey, a Virtual Playhouse participant, had lost his passion for reading. Like many individuals with Down syndrome, Joe had negative experiences at school that caused him to lose confidence and fall out of love with reading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfully, Joe\u2019s story did not end there. Joe enrolled into GiGi\u2019s Literacy and Math Tutoring Program, and through his literacy tutors, he regained his confidence and rediscovered the joy of reading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe truth is, GiGi\u2019s has made Joe love reading again<\/em>,\u201d<\/strong> said Catherine Pawsey, Joe\u2019s mother.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the one-on-one tutoring sessions, Joe has not only improved in literacy, but he\u2019s also developed better speaking skills, gaining confidence in expressing himself verbally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we see Joe engaged with someone else, we are so proud of him and excited for him to be so social,\u201d Catherine said. \u201cHis whole demeanor changes and [he] becomes more alive and more creative and more expressive. Joe becomes more his full self.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond his own improvement, Joe\u2019s newfound confidence has had a profound effect on those closest to him. \u201cI have a hard time expressing how important the GiGi\u2019s tutoring experience is for Joe and our whole family<\/em><\/strong>,\u201d said Catherine.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur lives are much richer because of the teamwork GiGi\u2019s has… just knowing that the tutors exist warms our hearts and gives us hope that our kids will be included and welcome out in the world even when it\u2019s not family.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As heartwarming as Joe\u2019s story is, it\u2019s not finished. In fact, it\u2019s far from it.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joe was recently accepted to Bowling Green State University Firelands campus and will be attending in the fall, with Catherine calling it \u201ca dream come true.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catherine credits GiGi\u2019s for helping turn this dream into a reality and recently wrote to the GiGi\u2019s Virtual Playhouse team to thank them for their efforts. \u201cWe appreciate all the time, creativity, patience, versatility, effort, and love you bring into our lives,\u201d she wrote.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat you do for Joe affects our whole family and lifts us all up! You make Joe feel like a very big deal. You\u2019re a BIG DEAL GiGi\u2019s team!!!!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entire GiGi\u2019s Playhouse team is thrilled we could play a role in helping Joe achieve his goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we had to do it all over again, we would do the exact same thing by connecting with GiGi\u2019s Virtual Playhouse and accepting all the love, encouragement guidance and teaching,\u201d said Catherine.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI really believe GiGi\u2019s made all the difference in Joe\u2019s life<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of us at GiGi\u2019s are beyond excited for Joe, Catherine, and the entire Pawsey family. We can\u2019t wait to see all the incredible things Joe is able to accomplish, and we look forward to continuing to be part of his journey! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With the help of GiGi\u2019s Virtual Playhouse team, Joe Pawsey was able to regain his confidence and accomplish his dreams!  At GiGi\u2019s Playhouse, we strongly believe that education opens doors. Whether it\u2019s at school, the workplace, or the community at large, literacy leads to inclusion. There\u2019s no better illustration of this than a recent success…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1921,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[47,10,50,71],"class_list":["post-157774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-acceptance","tag-down-syndrome","tag-learning","tag-virtual-playhouse"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1921"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=157774"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157774\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=157774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=157774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gigisplayhouse.org\/virtual\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=157774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}