Camera Ready

 Day 7 of the 31 for 21Challenge

When Zoe arrived on campus in 2010, I thought, “Oh, oh. This young man is going to be a challenge for me.”

He didn’t look me in the eye, he was uncomfortable talking to me, and whenever I pulled out the camera, he had a way of turning and tucking his body so he almost disappeared into the person standing next to him.

Getting a good photo of him became my personal challenge. His mom and dad were following Shepherds College on Facebook, they missed their son, and they wanted to see pictures!

The first few weeks were difficult. I had a lot of photos of the side of his head and left shoulder, or of the palm of his hand, but nothing to show his parents that he was actually doing very well while he was away at school.

Then things started to change.

I first noticed it when we had a professional photographer on campus. Zoe chatted with the assistant. In group shots, Zoe still turned his body, but he smiled like he was having fun.  

After a while, when a camera came out, Zoe stopped trying to make himself invisible - he lingered.  He was becoming a noticeable presence on campus.

Zoe was growing in confidence and, with that growth, came signs of initiative.

Today, Zoe is a third-year Culinary Arts student. His mom, Kim Anderson, who now works for Shepherds College, shared this with me about the progress she’s noticed in her son.

“During Zoe’s time at Shepherds College, he’s developed an independent spirit. He knows who he is, what he wants and what he believes. He can now stand up for himself.

Three years ago, I couldn’t have left Zoe home alone if my husband and I needed to go away. Zoe now stays home on his own and is very sure of himself. He even taught himself how to ride the city buses in Milwaukee.

Zoe would like to live independently someday. He took the initiative to look for a Culinary Arts position online, hoping to find a job after he graduates. He also has visited the public library website to learn a foreign language - Spanish – again, all on his own.

My husband and I believe so much in what Shepherds College is doing. I feel blessed to be a part of it.”

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

Teacher Tuesday: A Social Para

A big part of my job as Director of Marketing for Shepherds College is social networking. It's hard for me to believe now, but before starting work at Shepherds over five years ago, it was common to hear me say, “Social what? Oh, you mean that face thingy … you know, that face… or is it space? … um, spacebook thingy.”

Now I can’t imagine my job without my daily dose of tweeting, pinning, posting, blogging, fact-sharing, friend-building activity.

Because of social networking – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Blogger and the like – I have been blessed in various and unexpected ways.

I can send out prayer requests and get immediate response from prayer warriors across the country.

I can celebrate important occasions, like our accreditation and FSA approval, and have any number of people join me nationwide in joyous whooping.

I am introduced to other organizations that share our passion for supporting people with intellectual disabilities, like Klundt Hosmer, Logan Magazine and Apostrophe Magazine.

I can read and be inspired by the work of other bloggers whose heart is vulnerable and open to whoever chooses to read their thoughts that day, like A Perfect Lily and Ellen Stumbo.

And I also meet amazing people who offer support, motivation and encouragement on a daily basis – someone like our new classroom para, Kim Anderson.

Mrs. Anderson became a regular on our Facebook page when her son Zoe started attending Shepherds College. She was eager for information on what Zoe was doing and “liked” and shared posts regularly, especially ones that included pictures of her son. 

Kim's son Zoe

Her enthusiasm for the college was contagious and some days it was just the boost I needed to keep plugging (and tweeting and posting and pinning) away.

All the warmth and interest Mrs. Anderson brought to our almost daily interactions online, she now brings to the students at Shepherds College. You can see by the big smile on her face that she thrives working with people with disabilities. They hold a special place in her heart.

I asked her about her experience teaching people with intellectual disabilities and was so impressed by her response, “My two children both have intellectual disabilities, so that is where I have the most experience.  I also volunteered as a “surrogate” parent for foster children who needed special education services. I was their advocate at IEP meetings and made sure they received the appropriate services they needed.

 I also served as a resource and mentor for parents who had children just being diagnosed with disabilities who were in need of special education services. A lot of these parents were in the denial stage of their children having special needs, so I was able to help them process that, as well as help them navigate the special education system.

Before coming to work for Shepherds College, I was in an Area Education Agency in Iowa. I supported staff who worked directly with children ages 0-3 who had intellectual disabilities. One of my responsibilities was to create tools for them to use with those children. That was a part of the job I really enjoyed!

Now I’ll be working one-on-one with a student using various ways to help him understand each lesson – hand motions, flash cards, white boards, computers -whatever is necessary to help him reach God’s full potential for him, and for him to reach the level of Appropriate Independence that will allow him to have a rich and fulfilling life.”

Wow! Not only am I impressed with Mrs. Anderson, but I’m amazed at the quality of people God consistently leads to work at Shepherds College. We are truly blessed.

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.