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Disability Resource Center Connects 荣誉 Student to Success
“When I decided to come to NWACC, I had to decide whether I was going to tell anybody about my visual impairment or just try to rough through it. Once I got here, I found out that the Disability Resource Center was a blessing in disguise because the staff alone makes a difference in people's lives, not just the services that they offer,” said NWACC student Jerry McCoskey.
As a retired Air Force veteran and state park maintenance supervisor, Jerry recently decided to go back to school after 30 years. With his family’s support and a range of assistance offered through NWACC’s Disability Resource Center (DRC), his goal is to earn an associate of arts degree and transfer to a four-year 大学.
Jerry has diabetic retinopathy, a serious sight-threatening complication of diabetes. It causes progressive damage to the retina, the light-sensitive lining at the back 眼睛的.
“你 have blurriness with the vision, you have black spots, you lose color, you can't 识别人脸. Things that are at a distance don't even appear to be what they are. 你 have to ask somebody what is that, or you can't drive anymore,” Jerry explained.
The DRC offers eligible students a variety of academic accommodations such as special testing conditions, assistive technology, extended time for written assignments, acquisition of auxiliary aids, sign language interpreter services and more.
“The disability resource center has supplied me with software that I put on my computer that helps me with reading, helps me with seeing and blowing things up,” he said.
With the help of various academic accommodations, a visual disability hasn’t held Jerry back from excelling in his course work, joining the 荣誉项目 and taking honors courses. He’s taken honors English and American history, and currently taking honors theater.
“I was told that there was a grade point average that had to be maintained, and that you had to take four 荣誉类 while you're here in the program. 我喜欢 challenge of that,” Jerry said.
As an 荣誉项目 member, a student is required to take a number of 荣誉类 throughout his or her time at NWACC. But, the honors courses aren’t only for program 成员. They are open to all students with a 3.5 GPA or who are interested in excelling in a certain subject. Classes can range from astronomy, biology, chemistry and history to communications, English and music. Many classes also include service learning projects.
Jerry has also enjoyed a number of perks as a 荣誉项目 member such as priority class registration, access to the designated honors study area and will have his honors achievements shown on his transcripts.
“I see the 荣誉项目 as a close-knit community of people who have the same educational 进球，”他说. “The classes aren't any harder, they just expect more out of you and as an honors student, you should be willing to go the extra mile to obtain the knowledge that they're offering you. 你’re no longer just scratching the surface; you're now digging a little deeper.”
Jerry doesn’t hesitate when it comes to encouraging other students to join the honors program or take honors courses.
“Since I’ve come to NWACC and joined honors, my thinking has moved from more than what's going on in my individual life to a broader picture about what's going on in the world around me,” he said. “If you want to challenge yourself, take 荣誉类... 不 be scared of it because, number one, you can do this, and number two, the instructors are going to help you.”
There's a place for you here.
访问 inforays.net or call 479-986-4000 to learn more about choosing a higher education with NWACC.
同时访问 inforays.net/StudentSuccess to view the college's various resources that can help connect you to succeed in achieving your 学习目标.