Yankee Hill classes help Alijah step into successful future

May 11, 2026

Lincoln Public Schools senior Alijah has gained a strong foothold in life by taking many steps forward at Yankee Hill Education Center.
 
Alijah will leave Yankee Hill this spring with multiple accomplishments on his LPS resume. He recently became a member of student government, which is the highest possible achievement on the school’s behavior chart. He assisted fellow Yetis with their life challenges throughout his senior year, which allowed him to become a trustworthy voice on campus. He was selected to speak at Yankee Hill’s commencement ceremony as a reward for his hard work.
 
Alijah said he enjoys learning about other people’s personalities and figuring out how to best support them. He has discovered that those kind actions often have a boomerang effect of coming back to him.
 
“I like helping people a lot,” Alijah said. “If you help people, you get help back.”

 
Yankee Hill Principal Amanda Shonka-Shanahan said Alijah has made substantial growth in his prosocial learning knowledge over the past four years. He has gained many skills that have helped him in classrooms, hallways and other school environments.
 
“During his time as a Yankee Hill Yeti, through cultivating trusting relationships with staff, fostering self-confidence, making positive peer connections and consistent daily practice, he has developed into an independent, self-regulated learner,” Shonka-Shanahan said. “He now consistently applies effective strategies to successfully navigate challenges and complex feelings. He is a caring young man who is the first one to ask if he can help in every situation. He has such a wonderful sense of humor that positively impacts the entire building.”
 
Yankee Hill staff members Shannon Huertas and Ray Finley said they have also been encouraged with Alijah’s actions. Both have known him for four years in their school roles.
 
Finley first met Alijah in Reflect and Set (RAS) sessions as a ninth grader. Yankee Hill students make daily goals in their morning RAS classes and then reflect on them in the afternoon. They learn how to process information and gain self-confidence in their choices.
 
“The cool part is that over these four years, he now believes that he is the person that we knew he could be,” Finley said. “He’s grown into that and has slowly found the belief in himself that he can do the hard things and can work through those tough situations. He started out unsure in himself, and now he’s like, ‘I’ve got this and I know I can do this.’ It’s really cool to see that.”

 
Huertas regularly meets with Alijah each week. She said Alijah has used his sense of humor as a tool for diplomacy and problem-solving at Yankee Hill. She said his interactions with fellow Yetis have benefited everyone in the building.
 
“The big thing I’ve seen from him is that he helps other students,” Huertas said. “He’s practiced these skills so much and has done such a good job at them that he can recognize when other students might need a little help. He then reaches out to them and helps them along.”
 
Alijah said skilled LPS professionals like Huertas, Finley and Shonka-Shanahan have been crucial in his development. They have taught him how to believe in himself and cope with many types of events. They have also helped him plan for his future. Alijah will work at Food Bank of Lincoln next year and would eventually like to become a zoo employee.
 
“My time here has been pretty good,” Alijah said. “When I’m here, I learn a lot more skills.”
 
Finley said Alijah has implemented those newfound talents with a sense of purpose and meaning. He often discusses what he has discovered about himself and others with both Finley and Huertas. Those conversations have given him a road map for handling similar circumstances in the future.
 
“Alijah has always been really reflective about things,” Finley said. “Once he gets through those hard moments, he’s really good about realizing, ‘These are the other options I could have had.’ He’s worked through some hard situations with students that even adults struggle with sometimes, which has been great to see.”

 
Alijah said he is proud of what he has accomplished at Yankee Hill.
 
“Yankee Hill has been the best place for me, because I’m about to graduate and will be a senior speaker,” Alijah said. “It’s been good.”
 
Shonka-Shanahan said she believes Alijah will continue to take forward-leaning steps during his days as a Yankee Hill alum.
 
“Alijah has learned how to advocate for himself, which will help him find a successful career,” Shonka-Shanahan said. “The staff at Yankee Hill have every confidence that Alijah will go into the real world meeting one of our core missions to become a productive citizen who will make a positive impact on everyone!”
 
Are you the proud family of a graduating LPS senior? Find everything you need to prepare for the big day, including ceremony dates, times and venue locations. View the 2026 Graduation Schedule and Details.
 
Do you have a story idea? Share it with the LPS Communications Team by filling out this form!

---