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Alumni Profile
Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin is currently the Manager of the Computer Incident Response Team in the Electronic Data Systems (EDS) Global Security Operations Center. He is a 1990 graduate of The School in Rose Valley, who also graduated from Westtown School and Carnegie Mellon University.
I don't think I'm where I'm supposed to be in life. I used to think that somehow I cheated and beat the odds, but as I've gotten older, I've realized that one of the most important reasons that I've gotten to where I am today is because of the friends and teachers that I met through The School inNow, as I find myself almost 20 years after the testing and diagnosis that would change my life, I don't hold any illusions that I would have ever gotten to where I am today without the support of my friends and teachers from SRV. I remember how frustrated I was at points prior to being treated and it was their patience and love for me that helped me break out of the very long shadow cast by ADD and hyperactivity. Rose Valley.
When I came to The School in Rose Valley, I was 3 years old and a terror on wheels. Always moving and talking, I was quickly characterized as the local "Tasmanian Devil" and all the teachers knew to keep an eye on me because they never knew what I'd be up to next.
What I imagine started off as being initially perceived by teachers as a cute quirk in my personality continued to pour out of me as I continued through SRV. During math and reading, I could never stay focused long enough to finish the assignment we'd be given and consequently, my progress wasn't keeping pace with the other children.
Outside the classroom, I became a conscientious bully. I would beat up other kids, realize what I had done and apologize. When teachers found me, I had usually already put myself in the "timeout corner." I set what I still believe to be the modern day record for visits to the Principal's office: five in one day.
As I continued to attend SRV, it became apparent that these behaviors were a constant in my life instead of the phase that many assumed that it was. It was at this point that I was formally tested for a variety of behavioral disorders and diagnosed with ADD and Hyperactivity.
Now that there was a clear reason that I wasn't able to keep up with my classmates in the academic side of school, we had a clear goal to work towards. The teachers at Rose Valley worked closely with my parents to determine the right amount of medication for me and also provided constant feedback as to how I was doing in my classes as dosages were adjusted. More than anything else, the folks at Rose Valley were incredibly patient and supportive.
