Disabled reach college dreams

Grace Beahm // The Post and Courier

Sam Hazeltine learns about attending and living at the College of Charleston as he walks with sophomore Grace Keating during orientation.

When Sam Hazeltine was born, nobody thought a child with Down syndrome would ever be able to attend college.

But the 21-year-old sat in the kitchen of his family's home on James Island last week wearing a maroon College of Charleston T-shirt showing off the new laptop he would use for college work.

Hazeltine said without a program at the College of Charleston for students with "intellectual disabilities," such as Down syndrome, Asperger's syndrome and autism, he wouldn't be starting classes Tuesday with thousands of other students. He would try to find some kind of job.

His mother, Cate Cusick, got tears in her eyes when her son talked about the previously limited options for his life.

"This is a dream come true for us," she said of the program. "We never dreamed that big. Shame on us, but we never did."

Hazeltine is one of 12 students in the Realizing Educational and Career Hopes or REACH program this year. The college launched the program last year with only five students.

Students in the four-year program take some academic classes with traditional students, receive career counseling, have internships and get on-the-job training. They live in a small dorm where about half of the residents are traditional students. They learn independent living skills such as basic cooking and money management. And they learn how to better function socially among their peers.

Hazeltine said he was in the library at Bishop England High School, which he attended last year, when he got a phone call from REACH director Edie Cusack telling him he had been accepted in the program. He knew it was an opportunity that could change his life, he said. "I did a happy dance."

A meaningful job

Cusack taught special education classes in middle and high school for 18 years before taking on the director job.

Her former students were eligible for public education services only until they turned 21, after which "a lot them did nothing," she said. She found that heartbreaking.

She recalled one of her former students who got "a pity job" after he was too old to attend school. Someone who meant well created a job for him, but the work the student was doing wasn't necessary or useful. The student lost that job when the economy soured. "Then he sat on the couch for years and did nothing."

Her dozen REACH students have a shot at more, she said. They will develop the skills they need to get meaningful jobs after they complete the program.

They will have four years to improve academically, complete internships and learn useful skills through work-study jobs. They won't earn bachelor's degrees, but will receive certificates if they complete the program.

Hazeltine, who loves swimming, sailing and basketball, said he eventually wants to land a sports-related job.

His roommate, Rollins Burnam, 19, is another student in the REACH program.

Burnam, who is from Cincinnati, said he's not really worried about the academic parts of the program. He's ready to study.

He's not yet sure what type of job he eventually will pursue. "I haven't figured out what I want to do with my life," he said. "I want to find that in college."

"I'm excited about it," Burnam said of the college experience at an orientation session earlier this week, "and sometimes really nervous."

His fears are about fitting in socially. He worries sometimes that traditional students won't have respect for him or will make fun of him because he's in the REACH program.

Cusack said developing friendships is important for her students. She thinks young people with disabilities often make "high-five friends" with traditional students. That is, friends who might greet them enthusiastically in a hallway but not invite them to a movie on a Friday night.

But the REACH program aims to turn that around, she said. Traditional students will learn to better understand, accept and incorporate disabled students into their daily lives. And that will benefit everyone, she said.

The cost

The program, however, has a downside, said Cindy May, a psychology professor at the college who works closely with REACH.

It's expensive. Tuition is about $16,000 for South Carolina residents and $24,000 for out-of-state students, and room and board adds another $11,000 to the annual bill.

Students from lower-income families are eligible for PELL Grants, some money is available from the Vocational Rehabilitation Department and a few scholarships are available. But students aren't eligible for lottery scholarships or student loans. The cost largely falls on families and leaves out many who could benefit from the program. "That's a tragedy," she said.

Last year, five students began the program, but two had to leave before the end of the school year because of financial problems. A third student couldn't afford to return this year.

She hopes that programs such as REACH, which have become a trend on college campuses across the country, eventually will find some financial solutions for families.

Four other schools in South Carolina have similar programs: The University of South Carolina and Clemson, Winthrop and Coastal Carolina universities.

May is deeply committed to making the program work. She had a daughter named Grace who had Down syndrome. Grace, who was one child in a set of triplets, died five years ago when she was only 3.

May takes the experience she gained as a parent of a disabled child and uses it to push open doors for other children.

Some students from the REACH program, including Hazeltine, will take one of her psychology courses.

And she wrote an application for and helped land a $2 million federal grant to beef up the program on campus and expand it into the community. But the money can't be used for student tuition.

May said students with disabilities and traditional students attend college for the same reasons, including freedom, learning, late-night pizza, friends and increased earning potential.

And students with disabilities who receive even one year of post-secondary education are twice as likely to be employed and earn 75 percent more than those who do not. In REACH, "They take tests, write papers, do projects and get grades. And they even have the opportunity to fail," May said. "I see it a lot like the civil rights movement."

Reach Diane Knich at 937-5491.