Griffin, 17, and a junior in high school, was not always excited about learning. At a very young age he was diagnosed with a cognitive memory delay, which made school more difficult for him. Fortunately his mother, Bonnie, was able to homeschool him through elementary and middle school, but by the time he reached high school, they both knew Griffin needed another option.

“His cognitive memory delay would scramble things up and make it difficult for him to learn,” said Bonnie. “I didn’t know where to fill in the gaps of what he was learning from me and where he might need extra help.”

Bonnie discovered Brightmont Academy Deer Valley, a school that specializes in one-to-one instruction, and she knew right away that the school’s unique approach could be a good fit for Griffin. He started off just taking math, but now Griffin takes Spanish and English as well at Brightmont Academy. His mother still teaches him history and an art class, and he enjoys the fact that he is able to work at home independently and with Brightmont Academy during the week.

“He has done really well with the one-to-one instruction at Brightmont Academy,” said Bonnie. “Brightmont Academy has provided the support that we needed and has built up Griffin’s confidence. “

The flexible schedule at Brightmont Academy also enabled Griffin to play tennis competitively, one of his passions. He used to travel across the country for national tournaments, but now he sticks to the local ones.

“Tennis keeps him balanced and other parents regularly tell us that Griffin should receive the sportsmanship award,” said Bonnie. “It’s so touching as a mother to see how others respond to our son as a friend and value him as a person. We believe Brightmont Academy has helped tremendously. ”