Seeing Himself in the Next Generation: Keon’s PCAT Story

For Keon, looking back on PCAT feels a little like looking back on a second home.

Now preparing to begin high school, he remembers his own days in the program as though they were yesterday—the friendships, the learning, the activities and, most of all, how much fun he had along the way.

“PCAT taught me so many ways how to have fun, and it felt like a home away from home.”

Keon remembers PCAT as a place where learning didn’t feel quite like a traditional school day. There was room to explore, enjoy himself and learn how to work through things in his own way.

“PCAT is like school, but it’s more exciting. But it’s fun at the same time.”

Years later, returning for a PCAT graduation gave Keon an opportunity to see the program from a different perspective.

This time, he wasn’t one of the younger students participating in PCAT. He was an alumnus watching another group reach a milestone he once experienced himself.

And he recognized something familiar in them.

“I see myself in them.”

Keon spoke proudly about watching the students graduate, knowing that they are now getting some of the same experiences and opportunities that meant so much to him when he was their age.

“I love that they’re doing their thing, and I love that they’re graduating and getting the things that I experienced.”

His words capture something special about the PCAT community. Children eventually grow beyond the program, but the experiences, relationships and sense of belonging they found there can remain with them.

For Keon, coming back meant watching another generation of PCAT students move forward—and remembering just how recently he was standing where they are today.