My story about Aggies Elevated at Utah State University

Brenna Mantz

My story begins of how Aggies Elevated was a good program to help me get an education and a job at the Center for Persons with Disabilities. I have been in Aggies Elevated for two years. This program has helped me gain my independence by living on my own and to succeed. I was able to take awesome classes and make new friends. The classes I took was my first year in this program was Career Exploration, Strategies for Reading, University Connections, and Strategies for Academic Success for my first semester. My favorite class of that semester was the Strategies for Reading because I got taught how to have better writing skills and read good books. For the spring semester of 2016 the classes I took was Health and Wellness, Career Exploration Part 2, Country Swing Dance, Self Determination, and a Swimming class. For this semester my favorite class had to be Self Determination because it helped me to learn skills to help gain confidence to become independent on my own.

The second year I was in Aggies elevated was good and also a little rocky. There were some experiences I had to deal with in my personal life and school life at the same time. The classes were a little more challenging. The classes I took for my first semester of my second year was Introduction of Writing, Family Finance, Basketball, Career Related Social Skills, and Work Internship. My favorite class Career Related Social Skills because I learned how to be a good employee at any place I worked at in the future. The skills I learned from this class how to behave and act in a work place. Also, to know the policies that needs to be obeyed in a work place at all times. It was a good class to have in this program to help me have the skills I need for the future so I can continue being successful. My last semester the classes I took were Rape Aggression Defense, Navigating Adulthood, Work Internship, and Interpersonal Communication. My favorite class from my last semester was Work Internship because I enjoyed getting the job skills I need to have in any office job I wanted. I worked at an Assisted Living place for the elderly and it was called Terrace Grove. I enjoyed that because I got to do different office tasks and learn the basics and help the elderly if they needed anything. I really enjoyed doing that.

I had mentors I worked with who became my really good friends and let them know how I am doing. How I got along with my mentors is because they helped learned skills that can help me in my future career, social, and personal life. They taught me how to create boundaries and help me come up with goals that needed to be achieved. What I liked about Aggies Elevated I got to learn skills that can help me do well in a job that I wanted. Also, I loved how the program was created and how it’s helpful to help people with disabilities to get a job and also go back to college. I liked how I had help to find the skills that I needed to have to learn to become independent woman. The skills I learned was how to make boundaries, social skills, and job skills that are good in the working field. I also found out who I was and learned to become successful in life. I made good memories when I was in this program and kept doing the best I can. The memorable thing I had was that there was a time when a professor helped me with my assignment that was really hard to understand. I asked her if she can clarify of what I needed to know about the essay in order to get a good grade in her class. She gave me suggestions on what would be easy for me to understand the instructions of how she wanted this essay written. It was a good experience I learned from that it’s okay to ask for help when things are hard to understand.

I put a lot effort to become successful and not let the hard times get to me. I am grateful that I made friends in this program and they were for me in the hard times. I am still friends with these wonderful people and hangout with them occasionally. I am grateful that I learned boundaries and stand up for myself. The example I have is that there were fellow students who made feel uncomfortable on certain things. I had to create boundaries on them because there are somethings and situations don’t need to become a big deal about. I did not want people to know about personal things going on in my life. I enjoyed learning how to get the job skills that I needed so I can prepare for the career I wanted. I still have those skills I learned and use them in my daily life. The example I want to share is that the current job I am working at is at Utah State University. I am a receptionist in the Child Care Nutrition Program at the Center for Persons with Disabilities. I also help with different departments with their office work as well. I help with the Up To 3 Program, TEASE, and the business office in the CPD by helping different office tasks that needed to get completed. I enjoy working at Utah State University because I love doing office work and I work with wonderful people.

Aggies Elevated is a good program to help young adults who have disabilities and be treated like other people. Also, to get a chance to get an education and job training skills. I really am grateful for the people who were in charge of this program taught me how I can be independent and stay positive every day. I felt really excited that I am a successful adult and keep smiling. I am happy to remember the good things and beneficial this program was for me. I enjoyed learning how to get the job skills that I needed so I can prepare for the career I wanted. I still have those skills I learned and use them in my daily life. I am glad I have chosen this program to help me come so far and overcome so many obstacles I had. Aggies Elevated has been a great program to be in and achieve the dreams I was able to reach for.