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TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Maggie Aroz has been challenging herself to make friends at the University of Arizona.
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“I’ve been challenging myself where I speak to imaginary friends, and I want to get that captured into real friends,” Aroz said.
Aroz is graduating from Project FOCUS, a two-year transition program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
According to the Special Olympics, adults with disabilities face an unemployment rate more than twice as high as adults without disabilities.
Through Project FOCUS, Aroz has earned a workforce readiness certificate and gained social skills.
“Appropriate social behavior – with peers, with people you don’t know – sort of that distinction – Project FOCUS has really helped with that,” said Emily and Ruben Aroz, Maggie’s parents.
Aroz has Down syndrome and is working at the Children’s Museum of Tucson. Aroz and 10 other students are graduating this year with certificates from the University of Arizona’s College of Education. Over the last two years, they were supported by about 58 undergraduate peer mentors.
“We have representatives of 13 different majors, so everywhere from biology to nutrition,” said Sylvi Gonzalez, Project FOCUS instructional specialist.
These peer mentors help Project FOCUS students navigate campus.
Since 2010, more than 100 students have earned certificates, supported by more than 500 peer mentors. Gonzalez said the benefits go both ways.
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“Everybody that encounters any of our students takes away something because I do think that it’s a reciprocal relationship between our peer mentor and our student,” Gonzalez said.
The Aroz family said the program has set Maggie up to succeed.
“I got some new friends in classes that I’ve been in and friends that have been my peer mentors, and students that are my friends,” Maggie Aroz said.
“It builds on the perspective for her that she can do hard things and succeed, and that’s been a great blessing for us,” Ruben Aroz said.
Project FOCUS is funded by donations, so follow the link if you’d like to support.
Isabela Lisco is a Report for America corpsmember covering education solutions for 13 News. Her position is made possible through funding from Report for America and the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund.
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