Stories of Bridgeway House: Erin Strickland

Presenter: To celebrate Autistic Pride Day, we’re visiting with the extended family of students, teachers, parents, grandparents, staff, and volunteers at Bridgeway House. Founder Patricia Wigney’s daughter has worked at Bridgeway House a little over ten years in various roles. Here’s Erin Strickland:

Erin Strickland: I left a office job in the insurance industry and I was trying to figure out what to do next and my mom said, ‘Hey, you should come down and observe a classroom and see if it’s something you want to do. You’d be so good at it with all of your past experience.’

[00:00:36] And so I did. I came down and observed and there was a lot of growth happening at that time within the organization, and it was really amazing to see what was happening and how many students were being supported. And yeah, it really drew me in and made me feel really excited to make a difference.

[00:00:58] So I worked in a classroom for a year and realized it is very challenging. It’s really hard work. And at that time, the administrative needs were growing. And so I transitioned into the office, just to help with office support, and so I’ve done a little bit of both of those things, jumping back and forth over the years.

[00:01:25] And the changes throughout the organization, the evolution of what an important role Bridgeway is now for education in the community especially, it’s no person’s or entity’s fault. It’s just we clearly have some gaps in our broad system, educational system, and there’s a lot of students that need something different than what’s being offered.

[00:01:54] And Bridgeway is just one option, but it’s a really vital one ’cause there’s a lot of students that depend on this space to get an education and to feel accepted and to feel more comfortable and in a place where they can learn without some of the other challenges that come in a bigger system or a public school.

[00:02:18] When I was working in the office, one thing you hear from parents that call in (which is sometimes daily) looking for a different place for their student, is: There’s a lot of bullying that goes on.

[00:02:33] Anywhere that can happen, but it’s a huge concern. And so one thing we hear from our students a lot is just that they feel accepted and it’s a special place for them to be able to come here.

[00:02:48] And everybody here understands them, and the staff are amazing, the teachers and the IAs. And they understand autism and it’s a space for them to be able to learn.

[00:03:01] Presenter: You can support this amazing local resource by donating through their website, BridgewayHouse.org, or calling (541) 345-0805. Erin Strickland:

[00:03:13] Erin Strickland: We always can use volunteers, anybody that could offer their services, volunteer time donations. I think there’s still a lot more growth for Bridgeway to come in the evolution of this organization. So, yeah, any help that Bridgeway receives will help us continue to evolve so we can help more—more kids in the community.

[00:03:38] Presenter: Celebrate Autistic Pride Day June 18 by supporting the downtown Eugene and Camp Creek locations for Bridgeway House. Call to donate at (541) 345-0805.

During summer break, calls to Bridgeway House will be automatically transferred to school admin team cell phones. For faster service, call the cell phones directly: (541) 743-5159 and (505) 930-6910.