Deneen

2018 College Experience alumnus Nick Williams has been in the spotlight these days.  Not only is he active in the Blue Horse Repertory Company, a theatre group located in New York's Capital Region, but he is expanding to the Big Apple! Nick is now a proud member of EPIC Players based in Brooklyn. EPIC, which is an acronym for, “Empower, Perform, Include, Create” which was founded in 2016, as a nonprofit, neuro-diverse theatre company dedicated to creating professional performing arts opportunities and supportive social communities in the arts for persons with developmental disabilities. EPIC asserts that only 2% of roles in [...]

The Alumni Activities Club was thrilled to have their first out-of-town trip in at least fifteen months. The participating College Experience alumni and staff, all of whom have all been vaccinated, made their destination a worthy one for this special occasion - The Walkway Over the Hudson @walkwayoverthehudson. Staff drove Mia, David, and Rob to Poughkeepsie, N.Y. to trek across the walking path known to be the “World’s Longest Elevated Pedestrian Bridge.” When they arrived, they were greeted by 2019 graduate Rachael and Mia's mother Sue, who lives nearby. Together they travelled across the steel cantilever bridge across the Hudson River [...]

Moving out is a rite of passage for young adults, and not one to be taken lightly. Our College Experience seniors are getting ready for this milestone, as always with the support of their instructors. They recently visited Taft Furniture on Central Ave. in Albany as part of Suzanne Bernier’s Apartment Life Class. The class is designed to help CEP seniors understand the many layers of moving into their first apartment. Some examples of class discussions include finding an apartment, budgeting, understanding how to pay bills, how to read a lease, safety in the community, and furnishing your apartment. The class [...]

There is a lot of pride at College Experience! Many students are taking an Introduction to LGBTQIA+ Studies class. Not everybody in the class identifies as being a part of this population, but they are certainly passionate allies who believe in supporting their peers and those around them. Instructor Megan Taylor-DiCenzo shared that the students are learning about the history of the LGBTQIA+ movement, the meaning of each letter of the acronym, the flags associated with each of the letters, and all of the relevant terminology. They are exploring the science of being gay, famous (and not-so-famous) gay people throughout history, [...]

With the return of our in-person brain injury services, this amazing group brings back the much celebrated “Brain Food Café.” This weekly event is staffed by participants in the TBI & ABI Program, helping them build basic skills that can help them gain greater independence in their lives. Participants are given opportunities to practice task-execution, money management, cooking, and socialization skills. Proceeds raised by the Brain Food Café go towards supporting the TBI & ABI program activities.