The Office: How It All Began

“Where are the 20-somethings?”

As I talked with Dr. Bill Amstutz, president of Shepherds Ministries, he repeated this question that he had voiced just a few years ago. The very inception of Shepherds College can be traced back to that simple question.

“Where are the 20-somethings?”

For the majority of Shepherds Ministries’ existence, the organization has been known as a residential home for adults with intellectual disabilities. But as Shepherds reached its 50^th anniversary, they realized they were not seeing growth within their program. Their residents did not appropriately represent the younger generations of people in their 20s and 30s. Shepherds wanted to find those people, but they realized they would have to create a new program to reach this age group.

Dr. Amstutz’s soft eyes seemed to twinkle as he told me how it all began.

As the administrators and board of directors met at a visioning summit, Dr. Amstutz asked that important question. Ideas were bounced around, and eventually, the group focused on instituting a program that would connect Shepherds back to their educational roots. Shepherds had begun as a boarding school for children with intellectual disabilities, and now the administrators designed plans to start a post-secondary school for students with intellectual disabilities.

This was new territory for everyone involved, and there wasn’t any other program like this that Shepherds could use as a model example. As the research was performed, Shepherds quickly recognized a nationwide lack of post-secondary options for students with intellectual disabilities. Shepherds College planned to combine education, vocational training, daily living skills, residential life, spiritual training, and lessons in appropriate independence to create their college, a combination that had never been instituted in an intellectual disability program before. This school would truly be the first of its kind.

As Shepherds College continued the development of their program, they realized that many young adults with intellectual disabilities struggle with transitions. These young people need help transitioning from school to work and from home to independence.  Shepherds understood that their school would have to successfully support the students throughout these transitions. It would be an essential element to their program.

Not only was Shepherds College designed to influence their students academically and socially, but also spiritually. You see, Shepherds does not want their ministry to simply offer a service. They want to equip their students to live a successful life by providing high quality education with a spiritual foundation. Shepherds College trains their students to have a meaningful relationship with Christ.

Nikki and Dr. Amstutz at the 2011 Commencement

Unlike Shepherds Ministries, Shepherds College does not anticipate making a long-term commitment with their students. Instead, Shepherds College looks to make a brief, but permanent imprint on their students’ hearts during their three years here. Dr. Amstutz refers to it as “a wonderful touch on their lives.” Shepherds College expects their students to take the next step in independence and go out in the world to wherever it is that God has called them, but to always keep Shepherds College in their hearts and minds.

Shepherds has finally found their “20-somethings,” and they’ve created a program that will help those 20-somethings succeed on multiple levels. Now, Shepherds Ministries is able to offer programs that attract adults of all ages.

And to think, it all started with just one question.

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

Friday's Top Five: What We're Missing, Part Two

If you read last Friday’s post, you saw how much we were missing our students. Well, we haven’t moved very far from that point yet. We want them back! And we’re so excited that their return date is less than a month away!

As we thought about our students, we realized there were a couple more things to add to that list of what we miss about them. So, here you have Part Two.

1. Student interactions

Students interact with multiple groups of people on a daily basis. They interact with teachers, staff, Shepherds residents, visitors, their community, and other students. It is encouraging for us to see the students act appropriately within these various relationships and grow their friendships.

Some students lack the knowledge of acceptable social behavior when they first come to Shepherds College. They may not be able to maintain eye contact during a conversation. They may try to hug a complete stranger. They may misinterpret someone’s nonverbal communication. Now, seeing these students look people in the eye and shake their hands shows how far they’ve really come. Learning how to respond in social interactions helps our students maintain healthier relationships, and those relationships are a good indicator of the progress these students are making.

2. Taste-testing the Culinary Arts masterpieces

Here’s a major plus for having a Culinary Arts program on campus: free samples!

Now, this may seem a little self-serving to you, but we love our student’s culinary creations! Not only because they taste so delicious (and believe me, they do!), but also because they hold important value for the students. It’s something that they made all on their own. Each beautiful presentation and every encouraging compliment is a new success and adds a little bit more confidence to the students’ character. Seeing the students take satisfaction in their work makes us smile, and getting to taste the results is just an added bonus. In other words, make sure you visit us on pumpkin cheesecake day!

3. Enjoying the Horticulture students’ landscaping

The Horticulture students do a wonderful job of helping to beautify our campus and our surrounding communities. It’s quite normal to see these students digging in the dark earth and planting the gorgeous flowers and plants they have been tending to in their greenhouse. Although we are still reaping the delightful benefits of their work now, we miss seeing the students tend to their plants. It’s their tender care that helped those plants grow, so it makes us a little sad that they are not here to continue showering their beautiful projects with attention. We can’t wait to see the greenhouse full and active again!

4. The students’ prayer lives

Whether they’re asking for prayer or promising to pray for you, the Shepherds College students daily demonstrate that prayer is a major part of their lives. These students have much faith in prayer, and it excites us to see how the power of prayer has affected their relationships with Jesus Christ. Friendships also grow when the students pray for each other. Praying for someone shows that you care about them, and our students realize that.

During my week of visiting Shepherds College, I joined the students for their chapel session. The time was spent worshipping together with music. While some students were focused completely on the music, other students took the time to worship God through prayer. They were silent, focused on their conversation with their Savior. It was a moving moment and truly expressed what prayer means to these students.

5. Their joy

When the students are here and the school year is into full swing, there is so much joy on this campus. Smiles, laughter, excitement, encouragement, fun, confidence, energy: all of these contribute to this wonderful sense of joy. We miss that. We miss the life and happiness that joy brings to our classrooms, our dorms, and our offices.

So, enjoy your summer, students. And be ready to bring all of that joy back to our campus! We’ll be waiting.

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

Friday's Top Five: What We're Missing

For most people, summer is a time of fun and excitement, rest and relaxation. It’s the season we look forward to all year long. But for those of us still at Shepherds College, summer can be sort of a drag.

With the students and many of the teachers away on their summer break, things can get a little boring around here. It’s a lot quieter. There’s not near as much activity going on. And we’re all just waiting for school to start up again.

I’m sure if you asked most of the students, they would say they are enjoying their break way too much to think about school. But whether they admit it or not, I’m sure they’re starting to get at least a little bit excited about the new school year.

The students may not be missing us quite yet, but we sure are missing them. Here are some of the things we miss about our Shepherds College students:

1. Their energy.

If you were a visitor at Shepherds College and you happened to be walking down the hallways in between class periods, you would understand exactly what we’re talking about when we say energy. Maybe the students are nervous about an upcoming test. Maybe they’re releasing all the wiggles pent up during class. Maybe they’re just excited about all that they are learning. Whatever it is, there is definitely a high level of energy in our hallways when the students are around. It makes you excited to hear the chatter and laughter and to see the activity and smiles. It will energize you, too!

The “Move to the Groove” program encourages our students to have fun while being physically active and also really increases the energy level on campus. It’s usually held in the gymnasium, and students can exercise by shooting hoops, riding the stationary bikes, walking laps, or doing aerobics. Even some of the Shepherds residents get involved. Mrs. Harvey says that she can feel the happy energy when the students’ participate and it gives her a boost to get past the after-lunch slump.

2. The things they say.

Nicole

You never know what our students are going to say, and that’s what makes life with them so interesting. From their sweet words of kindness and encouragement to their hilarious jokes, the students always have something intriguing to talk about. And they love to talk!

 

Miranda

When I observed a personal development class, students were giving speeches as part of their final. The “audience” was supposed to give the speaker critiques on their speech by using the “sandwich” method: positive comment, something to improve on, positive comment. Nicole only gave positive comments. She could never find something for her classmates to work on. She was quite the encourager. And for some reason, Miranda has taken to teasing me with the nickname “troublemaker.” I haven’t the slightest idea what that’s about! Oh, they make me smile.

3. Their hugs.

Many of our students are gifted with the abilities to comfort and encourage. It feels good when they are so excited to see you that their whole face lights up and they hurry to you for a hug. The students have a special way of making you feel important and appreciated. They’re also very perceptive and can tell when people are worried or hurting. The students love to make friends and be a part of the Shepherds family. They love making people feel loved.

4. The stories they share.

Remember when I said our students love to talk? Well, I wasn’t kidding. Our students enjoy asking people questions and finding out more about them, but they also love telling their own stories, too. They like to surprise you or make you laugh, so their storytelling is usually pretty exciting and dramatic. But they are heartfelt stories, too. They are stories that make you smile.

I think the biggest storyteller on campus is Ray. He always has a story to share, and I love hearing his deep, scratchy voice. Ray has told me stories about movies he’s watched, music he listens to, his mom’s birthday, his extended family, memories with the 2012 graduates, his excitement of being a third year student, and just about every plant growing in the greenhouse. This guy loves stories, and he does a great job of telling them, too. I miss that.

Ray

5. Their smiles.

I could write words upon words about the students’ precious smiles and what they mean to us at Shepherds College, but why make you read when I can show you instead?

Need I say more?

So, while our students enjoy a break from their studies, we eagerly anticipate the coming school year because oh, how we miss those students!

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

First Flight

For those of you who have visited Shepherds, you know the place has a tendency of sticking with you. Well, Shepherds has stuck with me for quite awhile. I was 15 when I first traveled to Shepherds, and ever since then, I’ve had a hard time getting the place off of my mind.

For two years, I’ve been hoping and praying to work at Shepherds as a marketing intern. God granted that wish this summer, and I am now fulfilling my dream. My name is Megan, and I feel incredibly blessed to be spending the next few weeks at Shepherds.

Although I’ve visited Shepherds Ministries a few times, this was my first encounter with Shepherds College. And I only had one week to take in the full experience. One week until the Class of 2012 graduated and everyone headed home for their summer break. One week to get to know the students, hear about their growth and accomplishments, and understand why they love being at Shepherds College. Just one week.

That week is over. The hallways of Shepherds College are quiet now. Classrooms are being cleaned, and teachers are training in preparation for the next school year. The students are all across the globe, enjoying their summer. But this scene was very different not so long ago.

At that time, students bustled through the halls excitedly, restless from the pressures of finals week and the anticipation of summer break. I could feel the energy in the building. It made me half-excited, half nervous, too.

My schedule was filled with classes to observe and activities to attend. As I headed to my first class, I admired the pictures gracing the hallway walls. Someone once said that “a picture’s worth a thousand words,” and in this case, that saying is quite true. The photos of the students and their Culinary Arts and Horticulture masterpieces spoke more to their inspiring accomplishments than words ever could.

I entered the classroom. The colors were warm and inviting, and several windows provided bright, natural light. It felt like a prime place to learn.

These are the second year students at Shepherds College, but now that finals are finished and the next school year is on their minds, they would be quick to inform me that they are third year students, the top dogs on campus. The teacher asked them to introduce themselves to me, and I watched as they stood, looked me in the eyes, and told me their name, their major, where they were from, and one thing they learned at Shepherds College this past year.

Meet Kelsie. One of the first questions she asked me was “Do you know Jesus as your Savior?” She had met me only moments before, but she was already concerned about my spiritual life. I assured her that I did, and I shared my personal testimony with her, but looking back, I wish I would have said “no” just so I could have heard her share the gospel in her own words.

Then, there’s Annie. As her teacher explained to the class what it meant to be a dependent, she confidently blurted out, “Oh, I want to live on my own.” She’s looking forward to the future and developing a dream of independence that may have never been realized before her time at Shepherds College. She’s eager to see what she can do on her own.

Finally, we have Sam. As Sam prepared to introduce himself to me, he calmly pushed his chair out from under the table, turned around, and looked me in the eyes. His dress shirt and tie were classy and professional. Sam cleared his throat and began his introduction. He carefully told me his name, major, and hometown, but then he faltered.

You see, Sam was so excited about all of the skills he has learned in Culinary Arts that it was difficult for him to choose just one thing to tell me. Should he share learning to cut vegetables or preparing some of his favorite dishes? The decision was too hard, so he decided to disclose them all. I certainly didn’t mind listening to his record of accomplishments.

These are the faces of Shepherds College. Their struggles, their triumphs, their stories – they are all a part of who the students are and who they will become. Shepherds College wants to take that journey with their students. They want to be there through the highs and the lows, the smiles and the tears.

And when it’s all said and done, Shepherds College can’t wait to see these faces headed down the pathway toward success. Their own individual successes.

I’ll be honest with you. When I first heard that the majority of my duties as an intern would be to write about Shepherds College, I was a bit doubtful. How could I write about something I only spent a week getting to know? How do I write stories about students who aren’t here right now? How could I feel passionate about something that I’m not familiar with?

But I was wrong. Because one week observing classes tells you everything you need to know about the program. One week with the students floods you with enough stories to fill a book. And one week at Shepherds College makes you a zealous advocate for the growth and accomplishments you see happening here.

I look forward to sharing my stories and experiences with you during the next month. I can’t wait for you to see what can happen in just one week.

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