“The legacy I hope to leave is that I was a bridge or ‘safe person’ for
the students,” she said.
Hutchinson is president of the Missouri Career Development
Association, and a strong advocate of women’s rights, human rights and
education, and passionate about social justice and equity in the school
setting and the community. She and her husband are strong believers
in philanthropy.
Diane Alt
Determined Parent, Healthcare Marketing Specialist
When Andrew Alt was born 23 years ago, his parents, Diane and
Richard Alt, didn’t know a lot about autism, but eventually became
experts on the subject.
“We noticed that he didn’t respond to sound, he wanted to arch his
back and wanted to be held upside down,” Alt said.
Doctors thought he had hearing loss.
“We knew something else wasn’t right, and we didn’t give up,” she said.
Alt became a stay-at-home mom, giving her son her undivided
attention.
At 2, he started at United Services Pre-School for the Handicapped,
which offered physical and occupational therapies, special education
teachers, and addressed hearing loss.
After many doctors’ visits, much research, and the Alts becoming
determined advocates, Andrew received multiple diagnoses within
the realm of autism spectrum disorder, along with epilepsy, which later
evolved into Landau-Kleffner Syndrome.
First Steps provided therapy at home, and the Parents as Teachers
Program through the Missouri Dept. of Mental Health helped the Alts
learn about ASD.
They heard about the Center for Autism Education in O’Fallon,
Missouri, founded by Amy Dauie, who had worked with autistic children.
“That was a dream come true,” Alt said.
The center continues to provide services for Andrew through the
adult day program. Two years ago, he moved into a group home in
Wentzville, through Emmaus Homes Inc., where he has one-on-one
support.
Diane Alt
Christy
Curtis Buss
“He knew it was time, and that’s what we all want - to see our children
grow into independent adults,” Alt said.
Christy Curtis Buss
Dancer, Choreographer, YouTube Series Host
Christy Curtis Buss’s real-life Cinderella story began when shows
like “American Idol” and “The Voice” were not so common.
Buss competed on ABC’s “All American Girl” in 1979, winning
$25,000, two television contracts, and headed to California.
She grew up in her mother’s North County dance studio, Virginia
James Dance Academy, and became a ballet, jazz and tap dancer herself,
as well as a gymnast, all which prepared her for the requirements of
the show.
Now 58, she recently began looking for a new career direction.
“As you get older, you have to learn to recreate yourself a little,” she
said. That can be exciting - and challenging. Buss had to discover what
would spark and motivate her. The YouTube series, “All About Christy”
is the result.
“There are many things that I know and want to share with other
women,” Buss said of her videos that cover topics from nutrition and
beauty to travel and many other topics.
She said her experiences have made her knowledgeable in a range of
subjects, and empowering women is what it’s all about.
After winning “All American Girl,” she did TV work, commercials,
was a recurring nurse on “Days of Our Lives,” and then did choreography
for the show for many years. She also opened The Studio Art of Dance
in El Segundo, California, where she has taught hundreds of dancers.
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