The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
College LIFE provides college experience
Three students recently graduated from College LIFE, a collaborative program of Upstate Cerebral Palsy and SUNY Polytechnic Institute.
Three students, Lauren Artessa, Matthew Brady and Casey Kornmeyer, recently graduated from College LIFE, a collaborative program of Upstate Cerebral Palsy and SUNY Polytechnic Institute, which provides people with developmental disabilities a learning experience on a college campus.
Families, Upstate Cerebral Palsy and SUNY Polytechnic Institute staff and supporters were in attendance to celebrate the students graduating fromthis unique program, designed to help develop life, work and self-advocacy skills to achieve the next level of independence and lead fully inclusive lives.
“We are extremely proud of our graduates who have each worked very hard to achieve the next level of independence in their lives,” said Dawn Gentile, director II of Community Services at Upstate Cerebral Palsy. “We thank the SUNY Polytechnic Institute community for embracing this program and for welcoming our students as they partake in all aspects of college life on the campus. We know that because of this experience, our students will feel confident to go on to accomplish their goals and live even more fulfilling lives.”
College Life is a unique program that allows students from Upstate Cerebral Palsy to learn skills at a four-year university, to bring them to the next level of independence based on their unique abilities and interests. This program empowers people to be a part of the SUNY Poly campus community and to experience life on a college campus while working on their goals set forth by the program and by the students themselves.
Formore information on the College Life Program, contact Dawn Gentile at 315-725-2181.