ALEXANDRIA - In its fourth year, the Spero program at LSU Alexandria is transforming students who had difficulty communicating and completing basic tasks into thriving campus community members and Central Louisiana employees.
One of those students, Morgan Villard, was diagnosed with high-functioning autism in 2017. She rarely engaged in conversations or activities with others when admitted to Spero in 2022. But now, Villard juggles three part-time jobs. She works as a kennel assistant at the Alexandria Animal Clinic, a veterinary hospital; as an assistant in the LSUA pottery studio; and as a pet sitter for 鈥渧ery good dogs鈥� when she鈥檚 not in class or caring for her own pets at home鈥攏ine birds, two fish, and one cat.
鈥淚鈥檓 learning so much at LSUA,鈥� Villard said. 鈥淪pero has taught me leadership, teamwork, interpersonal skills, adaptability to change鈥攚ell, that鈥檚 something I鈥檓 still getting used to. But I really like working in the pottery studio, where I get to create big sculptures and not just little things. Before, I was never taught how to do big things. No one expected that of me.鈥�
Spero, which means 鈥淚 hope鈥� in Latin, provides life skills, social skills, and employment skills classes and a mostly standard college experience for young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
鈥淣ow we know Morgan will be a valuable, contributing member of society and able to secure meaningful employment,鈥� said Melva Villard, her mom. 鈥淧erhaps those with neuro-typical children cannot appreciate this, but for us, this is huge.鈥�
Please read the rest of Morgan鈥檚 story on LSU's blog at .
Written by Elsa Hahn | Louisiana State University
Photo credit - LSU Office of Marketing and Communications