Working at LifePrep has been the highlight of my college career. As was the case with many of the students entering college during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I spent the majority of my freshman year in my dorm room. I enjoyed all of my classes and liked the campus, but I didn’t feel like part of a community. Towards the end of my second semester, my friends and I were discussing jobs on campus, and one of my friends pointed out that LifePrep was looking for mentors. I had volunteered at a few organizations for people with disabilities when I was in high school and planned to work with that demographic as an occupational therapist after graduating college, so I thought that it would be a great fit. I went in with the expectation that I would gain experience and knowledge, but I did not anticipate that it would be the life-changing experience that it ended up being.
The moment that I started working, I fell in love with the job and each of the students. I remember being blown away during my first shift by how friendly, thoughtful, and intelligent everyone was. Although none of the students had met me before, they were all so excited to see me and eager to learn more about my interests and what I wanted to do with my life. The genuine and kind nature with which they greeted me was so infectious, and I quickly realized that this was going to be more than just a job. I was supporting the students during their job placements and helping them out with classwork, but on top of that I had started to form genuine friendships with them. I learned that no matter what kind of day I was having, I could go to work and be cheered up instantly.
I think that often people will put individuals with disabilities into categories and assume that they know things about them just because of their diagnosis. If LifePrep has taught me anything, it is that everyone has their own set of strengths and that no two people with similar diagnoses are the same. Every student brings their own unique set of skills to the table, and it is so awesome to see how versatile and independent all of them are. The supportive and accepting environment allows all of the students to thrive, and this is in large part due to the incredible staff at LifePrep. The teachers have fostered a wonderful atmosphere that encourages the students to be brave and try things on their own before asking for help. The program prepares the students for their future by teaching them about money management, job skills and boundaries/relationships, and I feel that I have honestly learned a lot just from sitting in during some of the lectures.
If I had to choose one specific memory to demonstrate how important LifePrep is to me, it would be earlier this year when I had to take some time off of school because of things going on in my personal life. During that time many of the students checked in on me and sent me very kind messages, and upon returning to school, they all were very excited to see me and gave me the biggest welcome back hugs imaginable. It reminded me how much they all meant to me and that what I was doing was making a difference, and really allowed me to see that I had found that community I was looking for in my first year of school. I will forever cherish the memories I have made with these wonderful people I have had the privilege of working with, and am so thankful that I have them all in my life.