MSU's Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities is celebrating 40 years of maximizing ability and opportunity throughout homecoming week by honoring successful alumni and partnering with Tower Guard for a homecoming float.
Senior Jared Talaga designed and built Accessible Garden Beds for his community garden. Jared's inspired vision has spread to neighboring MSU where is designs were used as inspiration for Accessible Garden Beds in the new \Hoophouse" at Bailey Hall."
Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities' esteem status as one of the few Universities in Michigan with a US Department of Education Trio Grant program gains new global perspectives with the addition of Duha Almass to team RCPD.
The MSU Gastrointestinal Student Initiative began in January 2010 as a support group, but has expanded over time to organizing educational activities and impacting public affairs. One in 200 people are affected by GI syndromes.
Kathryn Mahoney and Piotr Pasik were once perfect strangers. Despite not knowing one another, both are athletes and both face physical challenges. Mahoney is an All-Big Ten gymnast, Pasik a graduate student who plays on several intramural teams.
McKayla Hanson’s story is one of perseverance in the face of adversity, ingenuity to solve difficult problems, and an unbeatably positive attitude. “I proved the doctors wrong,†she said.
ParaTriathlete and MSU alumnus Aaron Scheidies broke his own world record at this year's Ironman 70.3 World Championship. His success is part of a larger story of dedication and perseverance- one that MSU RCPD patrons look to for inspiration.
Tony Rennpage an MSU senior in Recreation Management rode 72 miles from Gaylord, MI to Mackinac Island this summer by hand cycle, an apparatus that enables cycling using arm power instead of legs. It's an accomplishment he won't soon forget.
At the RCPD Awards Reception in April, four MSU students received recognition from the Athletes with Disabilities Network for their admirable accomplishments and activities.
For Matt Carbary, the seemingly simple commitment to providing others with the opportunities that made a difference in his life led him to become the State of Michigan Student Employee of the Year- an award he was given in April 2010.
Melissa Ghislain, the 2009-2010 Katrina Tagget Fellow shares lessons she has learned during her time as a student at Michigan State. She highlights her past internships and urges her fellow students to take advantage of their time in college.
Katrina Tagget was an accomplished student, achieving academic excellence while balancing her service to others. In her memory, Katrina's family and friends established a generous fellowship to allow students to continue her legacy of service.
“It is an invisible disability,†says RCPD's Virginia Rutan, describing Autism Spectrum Disorders. At MSU, students seeking resources for ASDs have increased from 3 to 26 in the last 5 years: a testament to increasing awareness for diagnosis.
Unlike many MSU students, those with print-related disabilities, including blindness, learning disabilities, and motoric challenges, begin the text book shopping process with a trip to the bookstore- but this is just the first step.
Five MSU students have received recognition from the Athletes with Disabilities Hall of Fame for their admirable accomplishments. Each student has removed the “dis-†from disability, and shown others that they will not be stopped by their challenges.
For many students, making a difference in their community is a cornerstone of the college experience. Elaine Brantley, has taken this idea to the next level, dedicating her time to a cause that helps hundreds of thousands of people around the world.
MSU is a home away from home to almost 4,000 international students, totaling to nearly 10% of the student population. From all corners of the globe, these students diversify the campus and add a special perspective on higher education. Sophomore Sharmaake Sabrie is a unique one of these extraordinary additions to MSU- his story is themed with ambition, eagerness to change the world, and commitment to education.