TAMPA, Fla. — Five adult special needs students have distinguished themselves for being eager to help younger special needs students.

Destiny Diaz, Damaris Gutierrez, Christopher Harper, Reinaldo Vazquez, Jessica Wetherington and Ternisha Zellner are students of Brewster Technical College and attend classes at the Caminiti Exceptional Center in Tampa.

What You Need To Know

  • The adult students are educated through Brewster Technical College

  • They attend classes at Caminiti Exceptional Center in Tampa

  • The adult students help with tasks like feeding classroom animals and escorting children in wheelchairs to music classes

One morning, the students walked to a classroom for special needs children and fed their fish and guinea pigs. They were very careful to give the animals just the right amount of food and water.

“We are very responsible caring for animals. It is a lot of fun when you know how to do it correctly,” said student Ray Vasquez.

Later that morning, the adult students pushed disabled students in wheelchairs to a classroom for music lessons. Vasquez was joyful while pushing a wheelchair. “We do it because it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “To help around here. This is what we love doing.”

Once inside the music room, the music teacher played a guitar in the front of the room while the adult students helped the children create music on xylophone keys. Everyone involved seemed to enjoy the experience.

Teacher Wendy Conley has a lot of admiration for the way her adult students care for the children.

“They just love it,” Conley said. They like to be a part of the school and they like to help people. Because they can understand the need for help.”

Conley believes it is important for the adult students to feel like they are needed and appreciated for their efforts.

“They are wonderful. I don’t remember somebody saying ‘Oh we need this, and they are not there.’ We have a Christmas play and they are right there cleaning up afterwards or helping set up,” said Conley.