Published November 5th, 2022
Fall is a great time of year in Bend, Oregon for so many reasons. This year, during the week of October 17th, CCT welcomed a visitor back to our community. That guest came here to enjoy all that Bend has to offer in the fall ~ hiking, crisp weather, river trail walks, and breath-taking scenery. Gratefully, he chose to reconnect with our CCT community that had such an impact on him as a young man.
11 years ago, CCT had the privilege of supporting a caring young man in his work transitioning to independent living. Not only was Elias known for his quick wit, sense of humor, and love of adventure; he was one of two students who were the first to graduate from CCT in 2012.
During his visit to Central Oregon, Elias reconnected with members of our CCT staff with whom he formed such meaningful connections all those years ago. As we visited with our former graduate, we reminisced about the “good old days” and celebrated the changes and growth in both our organization - and in him.
Elias tells us, “When I think back to my time at CCT it is nearly impossible to recognize who I was then to who I am now. CCT was the catalyst to start to pry away the destructive vices from my life and replace them with healthy life patterns.”
The highlight of our time with Elias was when he attended a long-standing tradition in our program: Thursday’s Business Meeting at our Academic Therapy Center. If you’ve ever visited or attended CCT or known a student who attended our program, you’ll know that Business Meeting is at the heart of our community’s culture. Everyone attends – every student, and every staff on duty that day. It’s where we acknowledge and celebrate students for their personal achievements and make plans for the great adventures we have at CCT. After returning to Business Meeting one more time, Elias shared that it brought back many memories of having once attended as a young adult; now, experiencing it from a dramatically different place and time in his life.
This welcome visit reminded us all that powerful relationships are formed at CCT. Those great relationships help us realize our mission every day: helping students and their families grow more skillful, independent, and resilient to achieve their life goals.
Thanks for stopping by, Elias!