A new chapter has opened for almost a dozen students with disabilities who are starting their college experience away from home. In the spring, they were thrilled to be accepted into the Living Resources’ College Experience Program, a two-year residential program on campus at Russell Sage College. This program has a 20-year history of success, and with its support, these students will gain the skills and confidence they need to live independently.
Pinch Me, This Can’t be real!
Gabe, who traveled to Albany with his parents from Long Island, is ready for an adventure. He’s known as “The Cookie Gabe” by his friends for his entrepreneurial cookie baking business and is absolutely up for any challenge. Maddie wasn’t quite ready for a college program right out of high school. With the support of her parents, she gained confidence and experience until she was ready to take the plunge. Now she is so excited that she had to ask, “Is this real? Pinch me!”
Orientation Week
Colleen Dergosits, Director of College Programs at Living Resources, knows the effect of homesickness on college freshmen. The program has used its 20 years of experience to create a packed orientation week schedule. It’s filled with activities designed to get students ready for success by helping them get to know their classmates, explore their new dorms and campus, and establish new routines. The week also offers fun bonding experiences like baking brownies and trivia nights.
With a packed week of orientation activities and plenty of support, these students are not only starting a new chapter in their lives—they’re writing a new success story, one where they are the authors.
