Ernest enthusiastically joined the first cohort of STEM students at NAU to participate in TAPDINTO-STEM. Consistent with best-practice, TAPDINTO-STEM focuses on involving students with disabilities in all aspects of the project. As the project was in the developing stages, Ernest was instrumental as a student leader in shaping the mentoring model for the Mountain Hub.

The students have created a truly supportive sense of community within TAPDINTO-STEM. They wanted to make sure the meetings were a safe space for everyone involved. To that end, and for everyone’s comfort, the students in the initial cohort felt strongly about defining a code of ethics for appropriate behavior and created a Peer-Mentoring Handbook that clarified expectations for all involved.

Of their experience in TAPDINTO-STEM, Ernest notes the following:

I’m finishing my bachelor’s degree and headed into the workforce I would not be here if not for Jade’s email [inviting me to interview for participation in TAPDINTO-STEM], her unmatched ability to welcome and inspire others, and my subsequent involvement with TAPDINTO-STEM. It was through the connections I made there that I found strength to continue my education, confidence in my ability to succeed, and purpose to make it all worth it.

Jade Metzger, TAPDINTO-STEM Student and Faculty Activities Coordinator is happy to sing Ernest’s praises.

Ernest has been an enthusiastic member of TAPDINTO-STEM since the start of the program roughly 2.5 years ago. I think Ernest was the student from the first cohort who really saw the long-term potential in organizing neurodivergent and disabled university students for broader systemic change. They’ve been an outspoken supporter of centering the needs and privacy of disabled people during accommodation processes, finding ways to digitally connect students across the broader TAPDINTO-STEM Alliance, and challenging misconceptions about students with Autism inside and outside of the classroom. Within the Mountain Hub team, Ernest reaches out to encourage conversation and attendance at meetings with their peers, volunteers to lead the first meeting every semester, and regularly assembles and contributes resources that help students to navigate college life. Ernest’s kindness, enthusiasm, and integrity will serve them well as they navigate the next phase of their lives.

Even before graduation, Ernest found employment as an educational coach for NAU’s Supporting Inclusive Practices in Colleges (SIP-C) program, a program funded by the US Department of Education supporting students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to attend and succeed in postsecondary education. Victoria Tosca, SIP-C Zone 2 Campus Coordinator, notes the following:

Ernest joined the SIP-C team in August 2023 as a part-time Educational Coach for the Mohave County region. As a new coach, Ernest has been dedicated to building trust with their students and has already seen success by assisting students with goal setting, navigating campus advising, and identifying additional social activities in their community. Ernest has also taken initiative to recruit more students for SIP-C by developing a relationship with the Colorado River Union High School District, a new collaboration for SIP-C. Ernest’s commitment and enthusiasm is notable as they continue to work with students and community partners in their area.

Ernest shares some of the work and impact of this next step in their career.

As an Education Coach for the SIP-C program, I meet with students to see how they’re doing academically. My duties include helping students develop their goals, communicate with faculty and staff, locate useful resources, and much more!

I think that SIP-C has (and will continue to have) a profound impact on the lives of intellectually disabled students. By striving to make post-secondary education not only accessible, but inclusive, we pave the way for more acceptance and appreciation of neurodiversity in broader society.

Hope is an incredibly valuable and finite resource to an individual. Programs like SIP-C and TAPDINTO-STEM are crucial for keeping that hope alive for the people who need it most. I want to thank TAPDINTO-STEM for all the support and hope they have given me, and SIP-C for providing me with the opportunity to pay it forward. I would not be here without them.

Ernest’s story is one that DYNA-STEM is happy to celebrate!