By: Arden Wynn
The Empower program gives students, with mild intellectual disabilities, the ability to receive the four-year college experience. The program prepares these students to make the transition into independence and employment.
Junior, Mackenzie Rex, is a student who has been a part of the Empower program for the past two years now.
“I want to be a special ed teacher, art school teacher, or even grade school teacher. The program has helped me learn to cook Mac ‘N’ Cheese, use an oven, and not be reliable on my mom and dad.”
The Empower program gives students on campus the opportunity to be peer mentors to the students within the program. This is a semester commitment, and requires meeting 1-3 hours per week. Peer mentors assist the students both in and out of class. Whether its helping with note-taking or homework, or even going to grab some ice cream and talk about life, these peer mentors are invested in building knowledge and skills.
The program has already doubled in size since last Spring, and is projected to keep growing.
Peer mentor, Ciera Willis, says that this experience, “is like having a true friend. Someone that doesn’t have a filter, in a good way, and will tell you things straight up. Especially being away from home, it is a whole new experience and we all get to experience it together.”
Willis said “These kids are going to be the ones to change the world.”