By Lisa Reicosky
NORTH CANTON —
Whenever Patti Thoman tells a story about one of her seven students, it usually ends with the words, “Oh, I just cried.”
Like when she describes the moment Timmy Tedrow got his Walsh University ID.
“It was one of those moments when the tears were flowing,” she said. “We go over to get our pictures taken. Timmy is the only boy, so he says, ‘Ladies first.’ When it was his turn, he takes his ID, looks at it, kisses it and says, ‘I’m a college man now.’ ”
Tedrow, who has Down syndrome, and his six classmates, Chelsea Jacobucci, Kelly Stevenson, Alyssa Sutter, Billie Stevenson, Hannah Roberts, and Kristen Hall, are students of Transition U, a program specifically designed for cognitive/multiple disabled students, ages 18-22, who have completed social graduation with North Canton City Schools.
Social graduation means that students who have been on individual education plans throughout their school career and are exempt from testing, have earned enough credits to move on.
The unique collaboration between North Canton City Schools and Walsh University allows them to have a real college experience with their same-age peers — something neither the students nor their parents ever thought possible.
The students learn social skills through such activities as eating in the cafeteria, attending sporting events and hanging out with friends between classes.
Thoman, the program coordinator, along with assistants Pat Adams and Colleen Prentice, teach life lessons to their students in the Hannon Center at Walsh each morning. They learn personal care, pack their lunches, check emails and learn skills that will make them employable later.
In the afternoon, some go off to jobs, while others stay on campus to do life-skills transition exercises.
They have learned to follow a recipe, ride public transportation, use cellphones, order in a restaurant and figure out the tip, and shop for clothes and groceries.
While technically, the program is an extension of Hoover High School, said Thoman, “If you ask any one of these students, they will say they are Walsh University students. They wear the garb. They sit in the cafeteria.”
Thoman still gets overcome with emotion when she talks about what she had hoped to do for her students and what actually has played out.
It all began when she heard one of her students talk about her dream to go to college.
“So I came to see my good friend Dr. (Jean) DeFazio, and asked what are the chances?” said Thoman. “All I wanted was a room. This is never what I’d dreamt,” she said.
DeFazio, chairperson of the education department, said “Everyone just said this is the right thing to do. No one talked about funds.”
The next thing they knew, they were in the office of Amy Malaska, the dean of students, again, asking for that room.
“I could see from their passion and commitment that they should have much more than a room,” remembers Malaska, who said, “Oh, we can do so much better than that.”
So, Malaska got Walsh T-shirts and student ID’s ready to go and they were invited to formal matriculation with Walsh’s 515 freshmen. They watched the processional of faculty and staff in full regalia, and then, much to their surprise, were introduced to their new classmates as, again, Thoman cried.
Their parents were invited to Parents’ Night and received “Walsh Mom” and “Walsh Dad” coffee mugs.
The relationship is not one-sided. Lauren Birtcher, a Walsh junior from Dover, says she has learned much more from the Transition U students than they have learned from her.
Birtcher is majoring in education with the goal of becoming an intervention specialist. She and her classmates get real-life experience working with the students and earn class credit at the same time.
Birtcher’s 10-hour requirement ended quite a while ago, but she still can be found at Transition U daily.
“I walk on air when I leave here. They make me appreciate the simple things in life, the things I take for granted,” said Birtcher. “I don’t know how else to say it. This is what I’m supposed to do. It makes me happy.”
DeFazio said that her students learn how special-needs students have a range of abilities and need individualized strategies for learning.
“We talk about education methods and statistics, but there’s more. We’re sharing lives with each other,” said DeFazio.
Birtcher once played basketball in the gym with Transition U student Kristen Hall. Kristen not only won, but she caught the attention of the Walsh girls basketball team, who asked Kristen to help out with the team.
Hannah Roberts, another Transition student, put together a slide show of pictures of her college experience so far, played to the tune of “A Whole New World.”
“That was another time I cried,” said Thoman.
Roberts said she is grateful to Thoman for the program.
“There’s nothing I don’t like about Walsh. I love being able to come here,” she said. “I never thought I’d get to go to college.”
More Hoover students will be eligible to join the program next year. They remain eligible until they turn 22.
“What’s neat is that Walsh University opened their arms to this idea,” said North Canton Schools Superintendent Mike Gallina. “Patti (Thoman) is the ultimate educator with regard to heart and passion for her students. She is always looking for a way to accomplish it, rather than hearing that we can’t.”
Malaska is already planning for the day their Transition U students move on and will plan a formal ceremony.
“We truly want a true college experience for these kids,” she said.
Just make sure there’s plenty of Kleenex for Thoman.
Like when she describes the moment Timmy Tedrow got his Walsh University ID.
“It was one of those moments when the tears were flowing,” she said. “We go over to get our pictures taken. Timmy is the only boy, so he says, ‘Ladies first.’ When it was his turn, he takes his ID, looks at it, kisses it and says, ‘I’m a college man now.’ ”
Tedrow, who has Down syndrome, and his six classmates, Chelsea Jacobucci, Kelly Stevenson, Alyssa Sutter, Billie Stevenson, Hannah Roberts, and Kristen Hall, are students of Transition U, a program specifically designed for cognitive/multiple disabled students, ages 18-22, who have completed social graduation with North Canton City Schools.
Social graduation means that students who have been on individual education plans throughout their school career and are exempt from testing, have earned enough credits to move on.
The unique collaboration between North Canton City Schools and Walsh University allows them to have a real college experience with their same-age peers — something neither the students nor their parents ever thought possible.
The students learn social skills through such activities as eating in the cafeteria, attending sporting events and hanging out with friends between classes.
Thoman, the program coordinator, along with assistants Pat Adams and Colleen Prentice, teach life lessons to their students in the Hannon Center at Walsh each morning. They learn personal care, pack their lunches, check emails and learn skills that will make them employable later.
In the afternoon, some go off to jobs, while others stay on campus to do life-skills transition exercises.
They have learned to follow a recipe, ride public transportation, use cellphones, order in a restaurant and figure out the tip, and shop for clothes and groceries.
While technically, the program is an extension of Hoover High School, said Thoman, “If you ask any one of these students, they will say they are Walsh University students. They wear the garb. They sit in the cafeteria.”
Thoman still gets overcome with emotion when she talks about what she had hoped to do for her students and what actually has played out.
It all began when she heard one of her students talk about her dream to go to college.
“So I came to see my good friend Dr. (Jean) DeFazio, and asked what are the chances?” said Thoman. “All I wanted was a room. This is never what I’d dreamt,” she said.
DeFazio, chairperson of the education department, said “Everyone just said this is the right thing to do. No one talked about funds.”
The next thing they knew, they were in the office of Amy Malaska, the dean of students, again, asking for that room.
“I could see from their passion and commitment that they should have much more than a room,” remembers Malaska, who said, “Oh, we can do so much better than that.”
So, Malaska got Walsh T-shirts and student ID’s ready to go and they were invited to formal matriculation with Walsh’s 515 freshmen. They watched the processional of faculty and staff in full regalia, and then, much to their surprise, were introduced to their new classmates as, again, Thoman cried.
Their parents were invited to Parents’ Night and received “Walsh Mom” and “Walsh Dad” coffee mugs.
The relationship is not one-sided. Lauren Birtcher, a Walsh junior from Dover, says she has learned much more from the Transition U students than they have learned from her.
Birtcher is majoring in education with the goal of becoming an intervention specialist. She and her classmates get real-life experience working with the students and earn class credit at the same time.
Birtcher’s 10-hour requirement ended quite a while ago, but she still can be found at Transition U daily.
“I walk on air when I leave here. They make me appreciate the simple things in life, the things I take for granted,” said Birtcher. “I don’t know how else to say it. This is what I’m supposed to do. It makes me happy.”
DeFazio said that her students learn how special-needs students have a range of abilities and need individualized strategies for learning.
“We talk about education methods and statistics, but there’s more. We’re sharing lives with each other,” said DeFazio.
Birtcher once played basketball in the gym with Transition U student Kristen Hall. Kristen not only won, but she caught the attention of the Walsh girls basketball team, who asked Kristen to help out with the team.
Hannah Roberts, another Transition student, put together a slide show of pictures of her college experience so far, played to the tune of “A Whole New World.”
“That was another time I cried,” said Thoman.
Roberts said she is grateful to Thoman for the program.
“There’s nothing I don’t like about Walsh. I love being able to come here,” she said. “I never thought I’d get to go to college.”
More Hoover students will be eligible to join the program next year. They remain eligible until they turn 22.
“What’s neat is that Walsh University opened their arms to this idea,” said North Canton Schools Superintendent Mike Gallina. “Patti (Thoman) is the ultimate educator with regard to heart and passion for her students. She is always looking for a way to accomplish it, rather than hearing that we can’t.”
Malaska is already planning for the day their Transition U students move on and will plan a formal ceremony.
“We truly want a true college experience for these kids,” she said.
Just make sure there’s plenty of Kleenex for Thoman.
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