In our work with colleges and national organizations around the country, we have had the opportunity to hear directly from students about their college experiences in academics, socially, finding meaningful employment, and making their way in the community. Below are testimonies from just a few students over the last five years.
Rachel Adams-Duffy was an intern at Think College in 2022. She worked closely with the knowledge translation and dissemination team, writing blogs and social media posts, and doing some editing work. After graduation from Bergen Community College, Rachel applied for and was hired at the Institute for Community Inclusion. In this part-time role, Rachel supports different teams at ICI, creating plain language documents, and assisting with advisory boards. Rachel said “college taught and showed me I can be what and who I want to be.” Learn more about Rachel in this interview.
In the bustling city of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, lives a self-described “hard working man [who] looks good.” Davis Spain’s journey began during his college years with a simple, yet powerful aspiration: to work with people and serve his community. Guided by this goal, while attending the University of Alabama’s (UA) CrossingPoints Tier 3 program, Davis enrolled in hospitality management, public speaking, and Kinesiology courses, thereby laying the foundation for his future endeavors.
As Davis navigated through his college experience, he seized every opportunity to immerse himself in service-oriented roles: at a local public golf course in guest services as a cart attendant, in a guest services’ support staff role at a local hotel, and in UA’s Undergraduate Admissions Office as a student assistant doing college tours for prospective students and families. When he started at UA, Davis was involved in Greek Life as a member of the Beta Upsilon Chi (BYX) fraternity. In his final year, Davis moved from the dorms to an off-campus apartment that he shared with two roommates.
After graduation, Davis chose to live in Tuscaloosa instead of returning to his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. He found employment in Tuscaloosa— not one, but three jobs! He holds a part-time position with benefits at UA as a program and recruitment associate, traveling extensively for recruitment, which allows him to share his passion for the university with prospective IPSE students. He balances his UA role with two part-time positions as a host at two popular Tuscaloosa restaurants. Davis thrives in environments that capitalize on his hospitality and people skills. To read more about Davis and other students making the most of their college experiences, read this 2022-23 TPSID Annual Report.
Looking back, Betsy remembers the overwhelming emotion when graduating. “It felt awesome [graduating from TAP] because I achieved my goal and I was going to advance to the next step of my life.” After graduating from TAP in 2018, Betsy’s dream came true. She was hired by the UC Early Learning Center to work with children and support the teachers and staff. “It feels really great because I get to work with children and it’s my passion,” Betsy said. Betsy King is a true success story. Betsy was able to overcome challenges and succeed. “I felt great because I knew what I wanted to do after school.” Her dreams of becoming an independent educator have been realized and there’s no doubt her successes will continue. Read more about Betsy in this feature story; NOTE: this publication was written by another student in TAP.
In July 2024, Susanna Miller-Raines sat down with Mary Warm, a graduate of THRIVE at the University of Central Missouri. When asked why she went to college, Mary said, "it was important to me to attend college because a lot of people with Down syndrome don't get the experience to go to college…. "I live independently without my parents and have a full time job as a preschool assistant teacher!" Watch the entire video here.
When asked what it meant to earn his paraprofessional certification, David Canipe said: “This certification is a sense of accomplishment. It is a way to help me get involved in the field of education. It was stressful preparing for the exam, but it was worth it because now I get the opportunity to work in a classroom. [Getting this certification means that] I will be able to work in a classroom setting with special needs students. I will work with students and help them succeed and grow.” David is a graduate of University of South Carolina; read more about David in the 2020-21 TPSID Annual Report.