Dexter has a single-sided profound hearing loss and wears a bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA) to help access sound. He started attending Clarke New York’s Preschool Program when he was three and graduated from Clarke in 2018.  

“Dexter is proof positive that Clarke invariably accomplishes its mission… he has excelled both academically and socially,” explained Charles, Dexter’s father. “Needless to say, none of it would have been possible without Clarke’s crucial impact, and for that our entire family is immensely grateful.” 

As an eight-year-old, Dexter was thriving as a second grader at his local elementary school. During the 2020-2021 school year, he participated in remote learning and transitioned to the new environment well. 

Charles reflected on parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic and noted, “Not a day went by over the school year when we didn’t realize how lucky Dexter was to have experienced Clarke prior to the pandemic, where he was a fulltime, in-person student. In a lot of ways, you never realize how impactful the routine experiences in life are that can easily be taken for granted.”