STUDIO CITY, Calif. — The Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education (BGS) had its first graduation ceremony at Bridges Academy last week. Including students who earned certificates in 2e in 2020 but were not honored at the time due to the pandemic, a total of 41 students received a California State approved certificate in twice-exceptional education and 11 students received a Master of Education degree in Cognitive Diversity in Education. Many of the students received their certificates or degrees en route to pursuing a higher degree from BGS.
The Graduate School , which welcomed its first students in spring 2019, offers a certificate in twice exceptional education, a Master of Education degree in cognitive diversity in education and a Doctorate of Education degree in cognitive diversity in education.
“We knew we wanted to prepare leaders, poised to make a difference for 2e youngsters and those bright individuals whose brains were wired differently,” said Dr. Susan Baum, Provost of the Graduate School. “Bridges Graduate School has been able to achieve these ends by cultivating knowledge of diverse world views and perspectives, and developing the skills, insights, and imagination required of scholars who will assure leadership roles as instructional leaders, researchers, administrators, and policy makers.”
Cultivating and preparing the next generation of leaders in the field of twice-exceptionality is a mission of the program — a challenge that had been contemplated for years. Indeed, Bridges Graduate School CEO, Carl Sabatino, recalled questions he was posed when interviewing for the head of school position at Bridges Academy 17 years ago, including: “Where will the future generation of top minds in the field of 2e education come from? Where will the next generation of 2e teachers and administrators come from? How can we further educate the public?”
“The future of 2e education and the answers to these important questions come from Bridges Graduate School,” Sabatino said.
Two students spoke on behalf of their classmates — a group that also includes several who already hold advanced degrees in other areas. The first was Juniette Kang’a, a current doctoral student who received her certificate in 2e in 2020, followed by Karen Workman, a master’s graduate. The backgrounds of the two student speakers are incredibly different. Kang’a has 16 years of experience in marketing and customer experience, specializing in launching products, programs, and services, and Workman majored in special education as an undergrad and has been a teacher and learning support professional in China, Texas, and Cambodia.
Kang’a detailed her journey through the curriculum, which including “learning to identify the superpowers and strengths of children with autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and beyond,” she said. This helped to “put a language put a language to an intrinsic belief that I have about such individuals and how bright and smart they are.”
Workman felt a similar motivation.
“The quandary (I faced) was the common misnomer both by colleagues and by many parents that the students I worked with were not smart, and the expectation that they could not be excellent in their classes,” Workman said. “This simply is not true.” Workman’s journey to learn more about students with learning differences led her to more deeply study twice-exceptionality and, ultimately, attend Bridges. “I love that the teachers in the classes were current experts in the field.”
Workman was part of the school’s first master’s degree cohort. Among the master’s thesis topics were the effect of strength-based and talent-focused pre-writing activities on the attitudes and written production of twice exceptional leaners; the effect of teaching history with a social-emotional perspective on twice-exceptional students’ understanding and engagement; the effect of student presentation on long-term concept retention and confidence in math; the effect of gamification on student performance and confidence; and more.
“I (now) approach students from a more informed perspective,” she said. “I support parents and train teachers from a strength-based framework.”
The event culminated with Graduate School Dean Henry Nicols bringing the graduates and those in attendance through various academic rituals, including the school mace, the
sabrage technique of opening a champagne bottle with a sword, and the symbolism of the graduates carrying lighted candles (the flames of knowledge).
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Bridges Graduate School currently has 80 students in its certificate, master’s, and doctoral programs.
