Thomas Pickert starts his early morning with a smile on his face.
Thomas Pickert
Returning to KHS as a part of the Super Senior program
Thomas Pickert starts his early morning with a smile on his face. He stares out the window on the way to school, dreaming of his summer in Ireland or watching the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. Dr. Morgan Clough, Special Education Teacher, waits for him at the door to the classroom. Entering the room, Pickert’s face lights up, and so does everyone around him.
Clough has been working with Pickert since he joined the Pioneer family in 2019. He said Pickert’s routine has stayed steady throughout high school, which Clough said is something that has grounded him.
“Thomas always has the same thing for lunch, PB&J on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, then [he indulges a little] on Friday with some pizza,” Clough said. “He’s always so consistent, he comes in happy, he doesn’t let much phase him. It’s helped me learn that there are some things you just don’t need to worry that much about.”
Pickert said he looks forward to seeing Clough everyday. Clough said that Pickert’s peers enjoy his presence so much that they share the same feeling about him, particularly because of how encouraging Pickert is in the classroom.
“He’s a cheerleader for his peers [in the classroom], when someone does something good, he’s the first one to start [applauding them],” Clough said. “His energy [lifts up] the people around him, it’s easy to see [how much] people enjoy being around [Pickert].”
Pickert’s mom, Susan Pickert, said that while not everyone takes the time to understand it, Pickert’s style of humor makes everyday life just that little bit more enjoyable. Susan also said that Thomas’ personality is highlighted with someone as special to him as Clough, who Susan credits with helping develop him into a successful high school student, especially as Pickert became more social with his peers.
“[Pickert] has [grown] into a much more independent person over his years at KHS,” Clough said. “The school knows who he is and they look out for him. They’re not babying him, they’re saying ‘Oh that’s Thomas, we’ve got his back.’”