A special education to fulfill June’s long-held wish
June often talks about the past and how she wasn’t able to get an education. Her parents pulled her out of high school to put an end to her classmates’ teasing. The team at Hope Residence, where June lives, wanted to give her the experience she missed out on.
Becca Lambrecht, a Direct Support Professional (DSP) at Hope, offered to be June’s tutor. Becca is a student at St. Cloud State University, majoring in social studies education, and has been working at Hope part-time for nearly two years.
Hope provides an extensive array of services to support and enhance the lives of residents dealing with disabilities such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, ataxia and epilepsy.
Becca is extremely passionate about her job at Hope Residence.
“Our residents can contribute so much to this world, to us, and to each other. Many of them are great friends with one another; they help each other out with things. Our residents don’t see the evil in this world, and they simply wake up each and every day and set out to love life. That is what makes them so special to me because each day is a new adventure,” Becca said.
June and Becca began meeting this summer, and June’s knowledge has steadily improved from week to week.
“June wants to learn; she cares about what I am saying. She never gives up and is always smiling when she gets something right,” Becca said. “She already knew a lot; it is mainly brushing up on topics from her youth and trying to incorporate some new material.”
The pair studies reading, writing, math, social studies, science, a little bit of art and some phy ed. June typically retains the most from social studies lessons.
“One day we focused on Mount Rushmore, and she went back home that day and told the other DSPs that she learned about the mountain with the faces of Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Jefferson,” Becca said.
During the summer, June and Becca studied in a classroom at Belle Plaine High School to get the true school experience. Now they meet in a conference room at nearby Boessling Village Apartments, where residents have made June feel very welcome.
“We have had a few ‘guest students’ drop in from time to time because one thing June still wants is classmates,” Becca said. “She told me, ‘I never got the opportunity to learn with all the other kids. I missed that.’”
At Hope Residence, our person-centered care is tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual, focusing on their personal growth and enrichment. Join our family! Contact us for more information.