College Bound

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Texas A&M freshman Courtney Osburn meets fellow students who will help her with study and life skills.

College Bound Texas’ first inclusive university program for IDD

OURTNEY OSBURN COMES from a dyed-in-the-maroon-wool Aggie family. “Growing up, I had this gut feeling: You will be here someday,”she shares about the Texas A&M campus. Courtney, 27, has cerebral palsy, and sometimes it takes her awhile to push the right words out. But she remained confident in her destiny. As the years passed, her mom, Beca Osburn, was less sure. “I thought, Oh my god, honey, I don’t know if we can make this one happen.” Unbeknownst to them, A&M was preparing to launch Aggie ACHIEVE, a certificate program for young adults like Courtney. OSBURN: HEATHER MOSES/COLLEGE OF EDUCATION & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AT TEXAS A&M C WORDS CARRIE STEINGRUBER

Courtney says. “You just mature, and you get to find who you get to be in college.”

Aggie ACHIEVE is “as much as possible meant to mirror the college experience for a typical student,” explains Carly Gilson, the program’s faculty director. Each semester, Courtney and her peers enroll in selected inclusive courses on a pass/ fail basis. They’re surrounded by other Aggies, though the assignments might look different—like PowerPoints and podcasts instead of research papers. Student partners volunteer an hour or two each week to help Aggie ACHIEVE students study, cook and manage time, or just hang out and have dinner. The ultimate goal: equip students to thrive independently and contribute to the community through inclusive employment. Job coaches help first- and

second-years complete oncampus internships; thirdand fourth-years are connected with opportunities off campus. After college, Courtney wants to be a sports trainer for the A&M football team … and ride the planned bullet train back to North Texas to embolden kids with similar dreams. “Of course it’s going to be ups and downs, but it’s going to be the best time of your life,” A GOOD CHALLENGE Aggie ACHIEVE is the only four-year inclusive, residential program in Texas serving students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Gena Koster, executive director of special education for Keller Independent School District, says she has already had a family inquire about it for their daughter in elementary school. That’s not too early to be thinking about life after high school, according to Koster. By the time your child hits the teen years, make note of programs and eligibility requirements; for Aggie ACHIEVE, these include third grade reading comprehension, basic math skills and a reliable communication method (verbal or otherwise). To gauge whether a program is the right fit, Koster suggests “looking at the rate that your student grows each year and then project that out”—e.g., what will their reading level be in high school? While giving your child something to strive toward can be beneficial, “you don’t want to set unrealistic goals and cause more frustration,” she adds. Don’t forget about your child’s emotional state—even typical students combat anxiety and stress when leaving the nest. “An individual with an intellectual disability can have some of those feelings intensified if put into situations that are outside the scope of what they can handle,” Koster says. Then there’s the cost: Aggie ACHIEVE exceeds $10,000 per semester, plus $10,000 annually for room and board (numbers in line with similar programs). Gilson is applying for a federal designation that would allow students to access federal financial aid, and she’s working on scholarships.

Beca Osburn says the price tag is worth it; she’s already seeing the returns in Courtney. “Just her confidence, her advocating skills, her independence,” Beca notes.

Courtney confirms that she’s being stretched. “The program challenges you mentally,” she says. “But it’s a good challenge, like getting used to new courses and how to study, balancing your free time with your friends.” In other words, the same trouble spots every college freshman has to navigate. Get Schooled • Learn more about Aggie ACHIEVE and upcoming open houses at aggieachieve.tamu.edu. • The E4Texas program at the University of Texas at Austin prepares students to become personal care attendants; students also have the option to audit some regular UT courses. disabilitystudies.utexas.edu/e4texas • Tarrant County College has transitional skills programs to prep students for work or college. tccd.edu • To find other programs for students with disabilities, check out thinkcollege.net, a database with various search filters.