The ACES - The Austin Centers for Exceptional Students

We are very excited to announce two additions to our ACES team!

Ms. Nicki and Ms. Jade will serve as human resource generalists for our campuses. Both come to us with a large knowledge in human resources and have made meaningful impacts on employees in organizations they have worked with over their careers.

Welcome to the ACES family!

Today, our students built, packed, and shipped boxes of food for in need to Ukraine and Haiti. Thank you to Feed My Starving Children for allowing us to volunteer today! Our kiddos are the best!

Happy 100th day of school!! 🙌 🎉

Our amazing kiddos are busy this school year running our student run school store, known as "Circle A" (our version of Circle K)!

The students run and operate day-to-day sales, stock inventory, count the cash drawer after each shift, work on customer service skills and count inventory upon closing. At the end of the year, the students will also report our sales for the year! This vocational activity simulates and prepares our students for working a job upon graduation!

We are excited to announce the newest addition to our executive team, Mr. Martin Favis, who will serve as the President & Chief Executive Officer. (Previously, he was our Chief Growth Officer).

Martin graduated from the Villanova School of Business and has over 30 years of experience in the behavioral health field, including Special Education.

Martin enjoys cooking, traveling, golf, and spending time with family. Martin is a proud father of 4 daughters, 7 grandkids, and wonderful wife, Kathy.

We look forward to the great things Martin will bring to the students at The ACES!

Welcome, Mr. Martin!

We are happy to announce our first ACES employees of the quarter! These particular staff have gone above and beyond for our students and staff and continually make a positive impact on our growing success. Thank you to Ms. Jenell on our Peoria campus, Ms. Ebony on our Phoenix West campus and Ms. Annette on our Gilbert campus. You are ROCKSTARS!

Although it was labled “ugly Christmas sweater day”, we think they look great over at our Phoenix West campus. Happy Holidays from our ACES family to yours.

Our ACES staff love spreading holiday joy to our students. Thank you to everyone who came out and celebrated in our WinterFest celebrations!
🎅🎄

STAFF SPOTLIGHT 🔦 🔦

"Hi everyone, my name is Mr. Shawn Herbella. I am a high school coordinator and certified special education teacher at The ACES, Tempe campus. I started out as a support staff in November of 2015 and have been teaching for over little over 6 years now. I was born in Tucson and raised in Springerville, Arizona. Outside of my time in the military, I have lived my adult life in Mesa, Arizona. I can’t imagine living anywhere else!

One of my most memorable moments are when students let me know that they are thriving after they graduate high school. I love knowing that they are working, have their own place, own their own car, etc. It is completely fulfilling to know that I had a small part in making that happen for them.

I enlisted in the Army in August of 2004 as an aircraft structural repairer. I wanted to be a pilot but the cut off age was 28 at the time and I was 30. We moved to Camp Humphreys near Seoul. While there, the Army upped the age limit to apply to be a pilot to 32 so I started working on the paperwork. After only five months, I was told that I was going to Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah Georgia to train up for a deployment to Iraq. I spent the next two years learning how to fly Blackhawk helicopters. After graduating flight school, my family and I were stationed at Katterbach Army Airfield near Ansbach Germany. We trained for one year in Germany and then deployed to Baghdad, Iraq in late 2009, where I spent a year. Again, we returned to Germany around Christmastime, 2010. We trained for another year in Germany and then deployed to Shindand, Afghanistan in 2012. My family and I left the Army in late 2014.

I knew that I wanted to work with underprivileged teens because I am compelled to help. The ACES gave me a home and I look forward to helping my students on a daily basis while training new teachers who share the same passion".

The word around town is someone is making a special appearance on our Gilbert campus tonight…😏

Check it out! We are now on Instagram! 💪😎

Be one of our first 100 followers and like any post on our account to be entered into a raffle to win a $100 gift card!

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: 🔦🔦

"Hi everyone! My name is Mr. Chris Kummen. I am a Jr. High teacher in The ACES Exceptional Program on the Gilbert Campus. I have earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Arizona in Religious Studies (Bear Down) and I have a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education. I have been a teacher at The ACES for 19 years.

I love being a Jr. High teacher, but I really love training and teaching others to be effective educators even more. I have been the mentor teacher for countless students and teachers over the years and I have been the motivator for many of my TSS to pursue careers in education or fields that center around helping others in need.

My father was an immigrant to the United States, holding dual citizenship in Norway and Canada before coming here. I was born and raised near Issaquah, Washington. I still call the Cascade mountains home and visit when I can but I find my time in the Northwest has become more and more infrequent over the years. All of my parents and step-parents were career educators.

I was a sponsored cyclist in college. I first raced Cross Country mountain bikes for a few different teams including the University of Arizona, and then switched to racing downhill mountain bikes before having my daughter and finishing my Bachelor’s degree at the U of A in Tucson. I love the outdoors and enjoy being in the mountains. When I am not spending time with my family, I am spending time outdoors and on my bike. I am married with two kids. My daughter is currently attending NAU in Flagstaff as a Sophomore. She has a declared major of Ecology with an Emphasis in Evolutionary Biology and pursuing a certification in Wildlife Management. My son is a Senior at Higley High School and he is exploring pursuing a career as a fireman. My wife, Melissa, grew up in Kodiak, Alaska. She currently works for the State of Arizona as the head of instruction for all librarians in the state.

In college I spent time working in different third world countries and with different inner-city philanthropic organizations. I found myself drawn to helping those less fortunate, and individuals in need. I have always viewed life as very fleeting and my time on this planet best served helping others and trying to give what I can to help those around me.

The individuals I have worked with over the years have been incredible. The ACES has attracted some of the most motivated, experienced, and talented teachers and educators in Arizona. An individual must have an incredible heart and be exceptionally motivated to be effective in our programs. Working with this hand-picked group of motivated professionals, all working together in concert for the benefit of these children, has been nothing short of a dream.
I will say that one of my favorite parts of my job is making parents cry...because they are so happy and impressed with the changes and progress that their children have made."

We appreciate Arizona Department of Public Safety for coming out and showing our students support and collaboration within the community. We had a blast getting to know you and what you do to keep us safe daily!

We are for our staff’s continued dedication and commitment to the school, families, and most importantly the students. This year, we started a new tradition, The Great Turkey Giveaway. Congratulations to Ms. Judy on our Gilbert Campus, Ms. Alysia on our Peoria Campus, Ms. Soraya at our Phoenix West Campus, Ms. Liz at our Paradise Valley Campus, and Ms. Daveanna at our Tempe Campus. They were the recipients of a turkey and visa gift card! Happy Thanksgiving from our ACES family to yours!

Great things are happening every day at The ACES! We are proud to announce the newest addition to our executive team, Ms. Christine, who will serve as Chief Financial Officer.

Ms. Christine has been in accounting/finance for 10+ years and enjoys being part of a company where she is able to feel the impact.

"Today I was able to spend the day in a classroom. Thank you to Ms. Brianne, Mr. Domenic & Ms. Anabel for letting me join their classroom today! I made some great friends, and even asked where I was the next day! I feel so lucky to be a part of this school!"

Thank you to The Salvation Army USA for allowing our high school students to volunteer and give back to our community. Our students worked hard getting Salvation Army’s Christmas Angel Trees ready for the holiday season. These trees will be displayed at SanTan Village where shoppers can purchase gifts for children in need.

Future class of 2034.

Coming August 2022. The ACES is proud to announce the opening of our 5th campus located in Paradise Valley at 3602 E Cholla St. More details to follow. Good stuff!

Happy Birthday Doctor Seuss. To Celebrate, Green Eggs and Ham!

Happy 100th Day of School!!!

Magical time of year making special memories with our students.

Another December ACES graduate from the Tempe campus. Sweetest girl ever!

December graduates from our Phoenix campus! So proud of our students! Truly the best!

The ACES - The Austin Centers for Exceptional Students updated their information in their About section.

The ACES - The Austin Centers for Exceptional Students updated their information in their About section.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve the community!

ACES students doing good in the community. Check out this news story of our students gaining life and vocational skills while making a difference for others. Best. Students. Ever.
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/video/996961

Update: Also covered by 12 News.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncJxxywBdWI&feature=youtu.be

It was an super fun day for our students! Here are some Peoria campus pumpkin decorating contest entries which are simple amazing!

One of our amazing students rockin' the coolest wheelchair on earth as part of his epic halloween costume! His teacher is pretty amazing too! It doesn't get any cuter than this!

The Tempe campus also knows how to party in 101 ways. The pumpkin with the reimagined Halloween version of The ACES logo is my fav.

Our Gilbert campus has a ball with over-the-top spooky halloween decoration for the kids! So fun and creepy too!

Annual ACES pumpkin decorating contest! Here are the entries from the Phoenix West Campus! Super fun ideas from super great students and staff!

The Austin Center for Exceptional Students Special Education Teacher, Assessment Coordinator Review: Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful | Indeed.com

Love this review we received from one of our amazing teachers. Our students and staff are truly beautiful people!

The Austin Center for Exceptional Students Special Education Teacher, Assessment Coordinator Review: Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful | Indeed.com Read what Special Education Teacher, Assessment Coordinator employee has to say about working at The Austin Center for Exceptional Students: I have been in education for 22 years. Once I came to The ACES over 3 years ago, I finally felt t...