Sometimes, the most meaningful stories are the ones right in front of us. For Maggie VanFleet MSOTR/L, years of working with children helped her recognize something important: everyone deserves to be seen, heard and included, regardless of how they communicate.
That realization became the inspiration behind the 2014 grad’s recently published children's book, I’m Right Here: A Story About Communication, Understanding, and Inclusion. Today, VanFleet is bringing together her passion for occupational therapy, her love of helping children, and her own experiences growing up in the Maine-Endwell community to share a message she hopes will reach far beyond the classroom.
For VanFleet, Maine-Endwell has always been more than just a school district. With both parents working in the district, it was always a major part of her family's life. Her father, Rick, is a first-grade teacher, her mother, Kellie, is a 1:1 aide, and her brother Rickie also works for the district as a custodian.
“Having both of my parents work in the district has always kind of been like having celebrities as parents. As a little kid, I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. As a middle schooler, I was embarrassed, because middle schoolers are embarrassed by everything their parents do. By high school, I was proud of it,” said VanFleet.
Some of her favorite memories from her own time as a Spartan include playing in orchestra, attending football games and spending mornings in “Escott’s room” with the Morning Crew. She also remembers spending just about every free period of her senior year in Mrs. Murat’s room, thanks to schedules that always seemed to line up.
But one of her most significant connections came through her mother, who first introduced her to occupational therapy. The summer before her junior year, VanFleet completed an internship with the Extended School Year program at Homer Brink, hoping to learn more about the profession. It didn't take long for her to realize she had found something special.
She was fascinated by how a seemingly simple activity could help children develop and practice so many different skills. One student in particular made a lasting impression - helping shape the person and occupational therapist she would eventually become.
After graduating from M-E, VanFleet continued her education at Keuka College, where she studied occupational therapy. Following graduation, she joined Children's Therapy Network, working with children from birth through age five throughout the area. Her early career provided valuable experiences, even as she navigated the challenges of beginning her professional journey during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2023, after starting a family and looking for a new opportunity, VanFleet transitioned into a school-based position at Broome-Tioga BOCES, where she now works in the Oak Tree program.
The program supports autistic students through the TEACCH methodology, emphasizing structure, visual supports, predictable routines and individualized approaches to learning. For VanFleet, one of the most rewarding parts of the job is seeing a student reach a goal they’ve long been working toward.
“You can see when a student realizes, ‘I did it!’ and you can tell how proud or excited they are, especially when it is something they have been working toward for a long time,” said VanFleet.
She also treasures the everyday connections she builds with students, whether they greet her with spoken words, a gesture, an AAC device or another form of communication that is uniquely their own.
Through her work, VanFleet began noticing something that stayed with her: students who communicate differently were sometimes left out of conversations happening right in front of them, even when those conversations were about them.
She believes that every student deserves to be included in conversations about their own lives. A person’s ability to communicate in a different way does not mean they aren't listening, understanding, thinking or feeling. Then… an idea sparked.
Having always wanted to write a book, this former Spartan eventually brought that goal together with her passion for advocacy. The result was I’m Right Here: A Story About Communication, Understanding, and Inclusion.
The book follows Leo, a 7-year-old non-speaking child who uses an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. Through his story, VanFleet hopes to help children and adults better understand that communication comes in many forms, and everyone deserves the opportunity to participate, build relationships and feel included.
“If there is one message I want people to take away from the book, it is that different does not mean less. We just have to be willing to listen to people in the way that they communicate,” said VanFleet.
Now, VanFleet is excited to share her work with the same community that helped shape her journey. From starting half-day kindergarten with Mrs. DeLuca in 2001, to walking across the graduation stage in 2014, she recognizes the many teachers, staff members and experiences that helped guide her along the way.
“I feel incredibly lucky that Maine-Endwell was such a large part of that journey and that I had so many people here who supported me along the way. So much of who I am today - and what I have been able to accomplish - was shaped by the people who taught me, encouraged me, and gave me opportunities along the way. Being able to come back to the community where so much of it started, now with a career I love and a book inspired by that career, feels really special,” said VanFleet.
For a Spartan who once spent her mornings in Morning Crew and her free periods catching up with teachers, returning to M-E as an occupational therapist and published author is a pretty special full-circle moment.
And with I’m Right Here, VanFleet is sharing a message that reaches beyond her own career: sometimes, making a difference starts with something as simple as making sure everyone knows they belong.