Centenary’s Project Able and Disability Service Office (DSO) helped me gain a support system to get through the struggles of college life. In Project Able, I was able to overcome the challenges I have in school with my weekly meetings with my learning consultant. The group who runs the Disability Service Office was always willing to listen to me when I was struggling with any situation. The lessons and laughs shared among this group of people and me are ones that I will hold with me for the rest of my life.
Angela Schooner ’18
Working with Project Able had helped me to develop my confidence to help me achieve not only my academic needs but also helping me to build a better rapport with my professors. I am glad to have participated in Project Able during my tenure at Centenary University.
Sam Chack
Project Able was there for me when I thought I wouldn’t be able to graduate on time, making sure that I would be at graduation with my friends. I worked really hard, did the best I could in my classes, and achieved what I thought was impossible. The Learning Support Specialist was extremely helpful. She was there for me when I changed my major 4 times while at Centenary. She is the reason why I succeeded, never giving up on me. In the end, with her help I was able to find what I am passionate about; as well as being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, walking on graduation day to pomp and circumstance. Through all the ups and downs in those incredible 4 years at Centenary, I came out on the other side much more confident than I was, when I entered Centenary freshman year thanks to Project Able. I will be forever grateful for everything Project Able has helped me with academically, but more importantly, a very valuable lesson I learned from Project Able is: I have the power to define who I am and what I want to do with my life, my disability is only a part of what makes me, me. I would not have graduated on time without her help. Thank you everyone who helped me succeed.
Tina Grubelic ’17
Project Able has helped me become a better student. The staff at Project Able gave me tips on time management and basic life skills. All of the Learning Support Specialists at Project Able are friendly and willing to work with you so you can become the best student/person you can possibly be. The Learning Support Specialists gives tips and advice on a number of topics, which include social skills, health, time management, planning, and many others. Project Able is a great program filled with wonderful people who want to see you succeed in college and after college. This program fully offers a complete education for students in Project Able.
Kenny Saint Preux
Project Able and Disability Services were the programs that saved my life! The only person that could truly understand that statement is my mother because before that program I was lost. The way the program is structured is amazing but what’s more remarkable are the wonderful people who work with the students throughout the program. They are the heartbeat of the program and I am forever grateful for the teachers and learning specialists who always believed in me. This program built my foundation of confidence that I never knew I had and it shaped the outlook of my life. I was a high school student with a 1.7 GPA full of fear and anxiety. I never knew what I could achieve until I utilized all the program had to offer. I can truly say this program not only saved my life but paved my future for success.
Jordan Toma ’12
“Project Able helped to lessen my anxiousness transitioning from a commuter at a community college to dorm living at a university. The Learning Support Specialist was a professional who I knew I could go to with questions or concerns. She helped me understand academic accommodations and assistive technology available. She also helped me make good academic choices and develop self-confidence. I was truly helped with the Project Able weekly support meetings and the tutoring support services especially for writing.”
Rita Margiasso ’18
When I was a student in Centenary University, I was a student with autism majoring in Communication studying Radio & Television. While I was a student at Centenary, I’ve had the most amazing and wonderful assistance from the Disability Service Office. I came from high school with a lot of confidence and ready to succeed in college thanks to them. Before I started my freshman year I was enrolled in the STEP-AHEAD program and it gave me the opportunity to meet my professors and it also helped me learn about how to write awesome essays. The Disability Service Office provided me with splendid service in their programs. For instance, in the PROJECT ABLE program, the disability specialist who represented me during my years at Centenary gave outstanding accommodations to help me succeed in my classes such as extended time on tests/quizzes, books on CD/audio, as well as note taking services. The learning support specialist did such an outstanding job helping me and giving me great advice when I was in college. Also, every once a week I always met with my specialist every time to talk about my progress in my classes and my successes in each class.
Dan The Man Compton ’16
Project Able was extremely helpful in assisting me with strategies in order to be successful as I struggled with time management when I first arrived at Centenary. My learning specialist was extremely helpful as she would always remain positive whenever I felt stressed about the workload I had ahead of me. She really cared and wanted to check on how things were going outside of my academics. As each year wrapped up, I felt more confident in my ability to reach new heights in my academics and the plethora of assignments were much easier to handle as time management went from a weakness and had turned into a strength. I’m very thankful and will never forget the support I received from not just my learning specialist but the entire office as they played a key part with much of my success at the university.
Anonymous ’17
Project ABLE played a very important role in my college journey. Meeting with someone in this department once a week to talk about how my week was and how my classes were going was an excellent way for me to let out my stress and feelings about my academics. After a meeting with a specialist, I always walked out feeling better than how I felt before I stepped into her office. The staff really cares about what you have to say and is willing to give you the best advice they can give to any challenge that you come across in college. Because of that, I was comfortable sharing anything with my learning specialist, whether I wanted her to look at my papers before I would hand them to my teachers, was unsure of which classes to register for incoming semesters, or wanted to share with her a bad experience I had with something on campus. My learning specialist and I worked very well together in keeping me on track and figuring out what decisions were best for me to make. I will always be grateful for Project ABLE and everything it did to help me get through college.