Very Special Coffee Shop Opens At Beaumont Adult School

BEAUMONT, CA — A new coffee shop unlike any other has opened at Beaumont Adult School.

The Beaumont Bean recently celebrated its grand opening at the campus located at 1575 Cherry Avenue. The school, which is part of the Beaumont Unified School District, serves adults looking to earn a high school diploma, High School Equivalency, or U.S. citizenship. It also caters to adults who want to learn English as a second language or who are enrolled in the campus's Vocational Nursing or Medical Assistant programs.

What makes the Beaumont Bean special is that it is run by BAS students with various learning and/or physical disabilities.

The shop was launched by Holly Jenkins, a teacher in the school's Adult Transition Program, with the financial assistance of a BEST Foundation grant. It's run like any other business, with Jenkins explaining that all sales return to Beaumont Bean to keep it running.

"Anything extra goes to field trips, an end-of-the-year party, or anything that this student body needs for the 24-25 school year," Jenkins said.

The coffee shop is not open to the public, but it does serve the school's other students enrolled at the campus.

Neighboring employees at the San Gorgonio Middle School also frequently place orders for a morning pick-me-up.

"The coffee shop has helped students with disabilities grow so much because they are able to take orders and talk to customers," explained Kang Yang, a health instructional aid who is one of the staff members assisting with the Adult Transition Program.

Students also learn practical math skills by making the correct change for cash payments under the encouraging support of Ramzi Sunna, a continuous roving substitute teacher.

Marissa Segovia, an Adult Transition Program student, was at the busy grand opening, darting about, taking customer orders. She sees a future with the experience she is gaining at Beaumont Bean.

"When I turn 22, I will try to get a job at Starbucks or anywhere that will keep me in charge of coffee and stuff," she said.