weird thing now is leaving Spectrum,” he said. “It’s been a place that’s basically been home to me for a long time. I consider my teachers there to be my friends. They taught me more than anyone possibly could imagine.”

Dowden said outgoing principal Wendelyn has made an incredible difference in his life.

“I have no idea where I would be right now if it wasn’t for him. He’s been the most influential person in my life,” he said. “I owe everything I am today to him.”