Week 3 at Shepherds College

Daniela has now completed her third week at Shepherds. Each phone call home sounds happier, less nervous and more confident in her surroundings.

Classes have now started in earnest and Daniela's biggest challenge is just keeping her schedule straight and bringing what she needs for each class. I would imagine this is common for most students with disabilities (and for most new college students regardless of abilities or disabilities). Fortunately at Shepherds, they help them with this challenge. There is a class in study skills and also Mrs. K., Daniela's adviser, is helping her to devise strategies to make sure she stays organized. Daniela is also coming up with her own suggestions of what will help her to stay on top of things. Let me be clear about this - Shepherds students are not coddled or patronized. There are clear expectations which they are expected to meet. AND there are clear consequences if they do not meet them, including not being able to participate in a class or other activity. (And the classes and activities are so interesting, and so much fun, that students DO NOT want this to happen).

Students are expected to dress in a professional manner for classes, and to bring everything their class requires in order to participate. No phones or other electronic media are allowed in certain areas, especially the academic areas. Proper behavior and participation, of course, is a must. The strict routines will be very helpful to students as they make their way into the job force. In fact, I have worked in places where employees would certainly have benefited from these lessons!

I thought you might be interested to hear about the classes Daniela is taking this semester. There are many, so I can see why it is a bit difficult to keep them all straight. Here they are:

1. Language Arts
2. Math
3. Personal Bible Study
4. Root of Faith
5. Computer Skills
6. Personal Development
7. Study Skills
8. Introduction to Culinary Arts
9. Introduction to Horticulture
10. Daily Living Skills and Daily Living Skills Lab

Wow, Huh! Each class is held 1-4 times a week. They also have a study hall at the end of the afternoon where they are expected to complete all or most of their homework assignments. They have Chapel on Monday mornings and attend church on Sunday mornings. There are also evening activities planned many evenings. There is a student led group called Ai2 which holds weekly meetings. (It is led by third year students with the assistance of second year students.) There are also activities planned most weekends. This past weekend they went boating on Saturday and went to the Down Syndrome Buddy Walk at the Milwaukee Zoo on Sunday. ( see links to photos below.)

Daniela loves almost everything about Shepherds, with maybe the exception of chores, which are mandatory. Even then, she understands she is part of a team, part of a family and that she needs to fulfill her responsibilities to make that family run smoothly. I know there will be more challenges as the year goes by for Daniela but, happily, she seems ready to face them, meet them head-on, and move ahead in her journey to independence!


Here are some links you might want to check out -

This a wonderful blog by the mother of another young woman on her own journey to independence! The Ordinary Life of an Extraordinary Girl

Photo of Daniela in Computer class  (first class of the day - hair still wet from a shower)


Daniela and friends at the Buddy Walk at the Milwaukee Zoo - It was a little chilly and rainy but looks like they had a great time!

Daniela and her friend Lindsey

Daniela and classmates at the Buddy walk

Not sure who this character in the middle is!

A New Postsecondary Program in Virginia and Photos of Daniela at College!

           I want to pass on info about a great new post-secondary program for young adults with intellectual disabilities here in Virginia. It is called ACE-IT and it is starting this coming spring at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. I am very excited to see Virginia taking another step forward with this program. The deadline to apply is Sept. 30th so any interested families need to act very quickly!! It is a 30 month program and VERY reasonably priced. As far as I can tell, it is a commuter program so that may be disappointing for those who live further out from the Richmond area. Their goal is to also start the program in 2 community colleges, so that will make it accessible to many more families. It also has a part-time work component which is super. You can email me for  the application here and I'll send you the attachment. Or you can email the program directly for more info here. Thanks to Renee Wilson, Daniela's terrific job coach at Gloucester High School for the info!

          Daniela had a second very productive week at Shepherds College. She is settling in, making friends and learning all the ropes to being successful at the program. It's been challenging for her and she has faltered a little, but is trying very hard and we are so proud of her efforts to be brave with all of the new challenges facing her. The staff has been so supportive in helping the students to adjust to new expectations. Daniela told me she "LOVES" the college and her new friends. She especially loves her "Intro to Culinary Arts" classes. She told me last night she misses us, but does not really feel homesick anymore! (Yah!) You go, Daniela! - oh - and don't forget to do your homework and your chores!!

          The college just posted new photos of the students today in some sort of group exercises in the gymnasium. You will notice Daniela proudly wearing her Shepherds t-shirt, obviously having fun. You can see the photos on Shepherds College Facebook page . Thank you Susan Griffis, member of the Shepherds staff and dear friend,  for taking and posting them! (I kind of bugged her a little about posting some - she wanted to wait until the students got over some their new student anxieties before she started shoving a camera in their face ( my choice of words here, not hers!) As always, the staff is always thinking with kindness!) She picked a perfect time to take photos. The students were very involved in their activity and having too great a time to be worried about photos! (photo of Daniela!)

Have a great week everyone! Enjoy the photos!

all the best,

Tina

Daniela Goldstone - College Girl!!

Daniela at orientation - meeting her friend Katy from New Jersey. They have been writing to each other for months and were so excited to finally meet!

meeting Lindsey from Wisconsin, Katy's roommate

Daniela sees her room for the first time. (see her new guitar which she can't wait to learn to play!) Daniela was very gracious. Though we arrived first, she let her roommate choose which bed she wanted. Her roommate chose the single bed on the other side of the room. The top bunk is reserved for the college's only commuter student, Cody. Cody will sleep over occasionally, especially when they have evening activities. The rooms are beautiful, just remodeled and very spacious.

The first year academic advisers making a presentation to students and their families. They are just great young women. On the right is Daniela's incredible adviser Lori Konopasek. In just the first week, she has emailed or called me several times to ask questions and let me know how Daniela is doing. She is very proactive in trying to make sure all her students have the best transition possible. Daniela is so very lucky to have her there supporting her.

At lunch the first day - so typical - young women checking the texts on their cell phones!

Daniela with her lovely roommate Miranda. Miranda is from Wisconsin and her family has already invited Daniela to come visit when Miranda goes home some weekends. Such a nice young woman and family!

Sitting on her bed, decorated just as she wanted! (sorry it's blurry!)

sitting at her desk, where hopefully, she will do lots of work in the coming year

her storage area in her room, lots of space!!

Daniela's bed - very cozy!

In the first year kitchen - Daniela has already helped cook dinner there. She helped make spaghetti with one of the first year guys!

With Bethany, a really sweet first year student who we met when we came to Wisconsin in June. She's from Illinois. Her family has also invited Daniela to come home with Bethany!

From Tina -

Well - at long last Daniela Goldstone is a college student! Last weekend she and I flew to Wisconsin so that she could begin her new journey. She was so excited and nervous, we both were!

She had so much fun meeting all of the new students. She especially was looking forward to meeting Katy Stengele. (You can read more about Katy by clicking on her name). They have been emailing each other for several months and were already friends before they met! She also couldn't wait to meet her roommate Miranda. Also in the photos are Lindsey and Bethany. They are all great young women, just like Daniela, so excited to be starting this new journey together. There are also 4 other young women and 8 young men in the first year class whom she will come to know very well in the coming year.

Daniela's room is beautiful, as are all of the facilities of the college. The administration and staff have gone to a great deal of effort and expense to make sure the students have everything they need to live, learn, and work for their three years at Shepherds.

The orientation was wonderful and informative, getting to meet so many other families with high expectations for their children's lives. Everyone was so thrilled that they were getting this spectacular, unique opportunity.  Such lovely families, filled with hope and happiness! The air was electric!

We had sessions with our children and separate from them, gradually spending more and more time apart to ease the students into their families leaving. Everything was so well planned out. I could feel Daniela becoming more comfortable and safe. By the time I left her on Saturday afternoon,  she was ready and there were no tears on either side (though she told me she cried a bit that night, as I'm sure was true for many students).

This past week has been challenging for her, I'm sure. So many changes - no family, no TV (or very, very little), no cat, no nightly calls to her boyfriend, no food in her new room PLUS new food, new friends, new bathrooms and showers, NEW RULES! In addition - getting used to all of her classes, instructors, combination locks on lockers, and last, but not least, HOMEWORK! Wow, I'm sure she and the other new students crash into their beds at night (along with the very devoted staff and teachers!)

As I said in the photos, Daniela's adviser, Lori Konopasek (Mrs. K to the students) is amazing. Intelligent, insightful, and kind, she and I are totally on the same page when it comes to helping Daniela adjust. I already trust her advice completely. To add to the stress this week, all of a sudden, the State of Wisconsin decided (after I left, of course.....) that Daniela DOES qualify for the IRIS program (see the previous posts concerning IRIS)! Great, fabulous news, to be sure. The funding means that her scholarship can be used by other students, which is absolutely what we wanted. It did mean, however, that Daniela had to attend the meeting required to begin the IRIS program without me there. I was able to attend by conference call (from work, which was a bit awkward), so that helped a bit. Fortunately, her adviser and another Shepherds staff person, Trecia Christianson (who Daniela knew well from our visit in June) were there for her. Challenging for Daniela, but she got through it...

I won't share details here on any other challenges right now but I may share some later on (ONLY with Daniela's permission). I'll never share issues about any other students, unless I have their and their families blessing). As this first week went on there has been concrete progress in Daniela's comfort level. She loves her classes, the instructors, and all of her new friends. We are going to touch base by phone several times a week, and email each other in between. Thursday night, she went to a gathering in the second year girls housing to watch football (Green Bay Packers!), play games and eat popcorn. She sounded like she was having a blast and ended the call by saying "I gotta go, mom!" I look forward to hearing how her weekend went when I talk to her tonight.

For now, it will be just be me writing on the blog. Daniela will be far too busy with school, chores, (and fun!) to write, though I will ask her what she wants me to say about her experiences and will ask her if I can quote some of her emails. Hopefully, I'll be able to get some photos to share as well with the help of the staff. So keep reading - the blog will continue! Now is the time when Daniela's journey will start to get very, very interesting!!

All the best,

Tina