The Faison Center

Nikki Wilson came to Faison nearly 20 years ago, thinking she was taking a temporary role as a Teaching Assistant. Find out what sparked her to pursue a career in special education and how the people here – from the students to the staff – make it worthwhile.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻?
Senior Training Specialist, 19 years.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻?
The people: Working with a variety of people of such varied backgrounds, skills and interests. Working alongside people who share the same goal, to help improve lives, and who become like family. I also like seeing student success and how that impacts families and the quality of life that they have.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?
Overall, the beach! I love to travel and would like to do it more. I loved France and Hawaii. My top wish list of future places to visit are New Zealand, Italy, Iceland and any National Park.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
Considering I was only planning on working here temporarily and then decided to do a career change into special education, I'd say a lot! Watching Faison grow into a more expansive organization that can serve more clients and be a place of support to families has been great.

Interested in a career with Faison? Learn more and apply now: https://loom.ly/KXiC0fk.

This week's Aces for Autism golf tournament was an absolute hole-in-one! The sold-out event enjoyed perfect weather, great food and a talented group of golfers. Congratulations to our winning team and gold sponsor: the Abbitt Family Foundation.

While the Abbitt team took home the number one spot, the true winners are the Peninsula School staff, students and families who benefit from the money raised at the tournament. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a success!

Today is the day for Aces for Autism! A full slate of foursomes will tee off during our annual golf tournament to benefit our Peninsula School. We're wishing every golfer returns to the clubhouse after breaking par at the James River Country Club.

And to our golfers, thanks for your support in helping us serve students with autism. We'll see you at the 19th hole this afternoon to celebrate your great shots and laugh about the mulligans.

We're proud to share that Brian McCann, our president and CEO, was recently appointed to Virginia's Autism Advisory Board by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. This leadership role reflects The Faison Center's commitment to not only provide world-class autism services, but also to be an active participant in autism policy conversations in the Commonwealth and beyond.

Our students ran into fall with every shade of the rainbow during a recent color run in our Outdoor Learning Center. The more colorful, the better - right?

Our staff members stand behind the success of every student, and we can't thank them enough for the commitment, creativity and energy they demonstrate. On this day and every day, we celebrate them.

If you're looking for a career with purpose and where you can make an individual difference, we're looking for you. Explore our jobs and apply now: https://loom.ly/1i-1g4A.

Our people make the difference for our students - people like Jonathan Smith, who works in our Employment Academy. Get to know Jonathan and what motivates him every day.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻?
I'm a Floater - I have worked here for almost three years now.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻?
My favorite part about working here is definitely getting to know not just the students but the staff as well. Everyone has such interesting stories and fun personalities.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸?
I don't know many trends, but I hope that Vine comes back one day because TikToks are getting a little too long. At this point, I might as well watch a YouTube video.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? My go-to is probably Kitty Hawk, but I want to travel more overseas if anyone is interested!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
Faison is a place where our population of clients can get a better education than at other organizations, and that's the most important part to me for sure.

Do you have your foursome pulled together for next month's Aces for Autism? Be sure to sign up soon to claim one of the few open spots.

If you can't make it that day, you can still support this worthy cause. We have some hole sponsorships available.

Learn more and register now: faisoncenter.org/aces

We've been celebrating our 25-year history and all the ways in which we've grown! But we're also looking forward to the future - and making sure we're prepared for the next 25 years.

With a focus on the future in mind, we're proud to present a fresh, inviting new website.

It's never been easier to find out who we are and what we do to support individuals with autism and their families. We'll keep adding more great resources and enhancing connections across our communities. Check it out:

https://faisoncenter.org/

Q: How do you keep an egg from cracking when you drop it?
A: Any way you can.

Our students took that challenge and came up with inventive ways to help cushion the blow and not let the egg break. It was a fun way to practice creative thinking and problem solving.

Our Family Partner program is a unique opportunity for adults with autism to live independently with host families who welcome them as one of their own. During a recent luncheon at The Jefferson, Faison celebrated our family partners, many of whom have been with the program for at least five years - and we have some who have shared a decade of dedication.

We value everything our family partners do to create a safe, welcome environment for these adults to continue mastering life skills.

Interested in becoming a Family Partner? Here's how: https://loom.ly/nkv0zz0

Practice those putts and bring your foursome out next month to Aces for Autism, our annual golf tournament to support our Peninsula School.

After all, where else in sports can we both be winners? For you, that means spending a fall afternoon on the golf course, while our organization uses your support to keep delivering meaningful programs for children with autism.

Sign up soon, because we only have a limited number of foursome spots are available. Learn more and register now: faisoncenter.org/aces

Tickets 🎟️ for Wine Women & Shoes - Richmond are LIVE! Be sure to secure your spot today. You can purchase both ✨VIP✨ and General Admission tickets at 👇🏼:
www.winewomenandshoes.com/richmond

How do today's future builders envision their perfect home? We'll find out soon when we host the Habitat For Humanity-Richmond Youth Lego Build at our Flo and Tony Guzman Community Center.

When building this facility, we envisioned a space that would serve not only as an important resource for Faison students and staff, but also as an asset for our entire community. Habitat's Lego Build is a perfect example of how this space truly lives up to its role as a community center.

Find out how you can host an event here: https://loom.ly/4bfgfOU

Thinking of pursuing your college degree this fall?

Join the Faison team, and let us help.

Our tuition reimbursement program can ease the financial pressure on you, while you gain valuable work experience - whether you choose a career in education or explore other options.

Learn more: faisoncenter.org/careers/

Who smells pizza? One of The Faison Residence's newest tenants, Ashton, jumped right into meeting neighbors with an invite to learn how to make yummy-tasting pizza on their own. That's exactly why we opened the doors to the Residence: To help adults with autism develop independence and build community with everyone who calls it home.

Learn more: https://loom.ly/ARr7kvU

Looking to transfer your military skills to a new career now that your service is complete? Check out the opportunities at Faison where we value the dedication, teamwork and pride in getting work done that you learned in the armed forces. It's Hire a Veteran Day, and we're looking for you!

Today is the day: Our Wine Women & Shoes VIP tickets are now on sale! With a VIP ticket, you'll get the best view in the house. You'll also find a specially curated gift waiting for you at your reserved place setting.

Get your 🎟️ today by visiting www.faisoncenter.org/shoes.

Wine Women & Shoes - Richmond

School runs year-round at Faison, but we still have time for summertime fun. After all, learning happens everywhere, including the playground and the pool. Our focus on play and healthy activity helps students master skills that they'll use for a lifetime.

Our Class of 2024 is ready to take on the world! To start, we have freshly minted alums who are planning to enroll in college courses. And we're ready to celebrate more as those seeking jobs find their next opportunities.

📷 Mia Artz Photography

Every class that graduates Faison is special, and we're honored to welcome our 16 new alums from 6 jurisdictions! Our students come from across Central Virginia, because families recognize that Faison provides an unparalleled community for every Pioneer.

📸 Mia Artz Photography

Woot! Woot! You did it, Class of 2024! You wore your caps and gowns with honor as you collected your hard-earned diplomas and certificates. We're proud of how brightly you shined, and we can't wait to see what you accomplish next.