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There is something magical about hearing your child’s name and watching them cross a stage in a cap and gown. And it is something I never thought I would experience.
“Hi, my name is Jacob. I have a cluster of letters after my name —ADHD, severe OCD, autism, epilepsy and other intellectual disabilities—and I have holes in my brain from a stroke. But neurodivergence can be cool, even if it has a bunch of challenges. I think my story is the story of a lot of neurodivergent people but we don’t really get a chance to tell it, so I am. Optimism can happen in many ways and my education story is just one of them.”
Indeed. Jacob is brilliant. (I know, every mother says that…) An auto-didactic learner, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of eclectic topics, but none of it has come from books because he can’t focus on words. “I don’t have the patience to read for longer than five seconds—unless it is a recipe.” He has learned from watching YouTube videos over and over again. “I know a lot about crocs, alligators, caimans and any crocodilian; world geography; world history; cooking. Go ahead and ask me.”
Jacob is the guy you want on your team on trivia night at the pub and thanks to his cooking obsession, our home is often filled with delicious aromas.
When Jacob graduated from high school in 2022, I worried about what was next. Traditional post-secondary education was not possible but I’d noticed Camosun College in Victoria, British Columbia, where we live, has a School of Access with programming specific to students with unique educational challenges such as Jacob’s. Bingo. He applied to the Employment Training and Preparation program (ETP), designed for adults who experience barriers to education and/or employment.
There are programs for customer service, Farm to Table and EARTH Gardening and all three have classroom time, and depending on the program, have garden time and hands-on experience. Students also have the opportunity to earn certifications such as First Aid, WorldHost and FoodSafe.
Jacob was accepted and I am proud to say has studied in all three streams. He began in January 2023 and hasn’t looked back.
Laura Friesen, Chair of ETP: “We meet our students where they are on their life journey and work with them, supporting and encouraging them. We focus on the individual; we believe every person has the potential to succeed and we want to provide that opportunity.”
Jacob agrees. “Each person learns at their own speed and they respect that. Laura has taught us that everyone is different and has a story to tell that makes this world a richer place. Thanks to her, I love growing plants and working with them. She has reinforced life skills too. I know I tend to speak too much and she has taught me how to let other people talk. I know it is a very important skill to learn, and even though I was terrible at it for a long time I’m working on it.”
ETP is like family as it cares for the individual’s psychological and behavioural learning needs. When Jacob has a bad day, becomes overwhelmed, is exhausted or can’t cope, everyone is supportive and understanding. “Laura and the team work with me to provide what I call a toolbox to identify what I need when stuff gets tough.”
One of the goals of ETP, and inclusive education generally, is to make the participation of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in post-secondary education and society the norm.
Laura: “Our students are active and valuable campus members, participating in all aspects of student life.”
Jacob agrees. “I have made friends at the College and that was a culture shock in a good way as socially, high school wasn’t a good experience for me.”
ETP works with local businesses and organizations to promote inclusivity and show the enormous contribution their students can make in society and workplace. Jacob has had work terms in a café, a seniors’ residence and a museum. The first two were experimental, but with his love of history, he found his home in the museum community and now volunteers part time at the Ashton Armoury and the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea. Jacob has also begun the intake process to volunteer at the Royal B.C. Museum.
Camosun, a local Indigenous (Lekwungen) word meaning “where two waters meet and are transformed,” is so appropriate. Jacob, without exaggeration, has been transformed and I like to think he has had an impact there as well. Jacob has crossed the stage twice and this June, he will again do so to receive his last ETP diploma. It will be bittersweet because Laura and the ETP team have become family. What comes next? Stay tuned.