the Cypress Lake Wire

By Connor Bergeron

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette LIFE (Learning Is For Everyone) Program helps students with intellectual or developmental disabilities achieve the full college experience, from morning classes and walks across campus to student organizations and internships.

“Our students very much seek, and get, very close to the same experience other degree-seeking college students do,” said Claire Hebert, academic program coordinator for LIFE. “They are determined and have unique interests they want to study. They want to be involved and feel a part of student events and organizations they are passionate about.”

The LIFE Program, which operates under the university’s College of Education and Human Development, aims to provide a holistic college experience for its students by focusing on its four pillars: academics, employment, independent living, and community involvement.

“Academics,” Hebert explains, “are the classes they take—audited university courses in the area they are focused on getting a job in.” Additionally, students also take classes that build functional skills such as financial literacy and professional writing. They can also choose to enroll in creative electives like dance, music, or theatre to explore personal interests.

To prepare for employment, students participate in volunteer and internship experiences both on and off campus that allow them to apply what they’ve learned and develop confidence in workplace settings. They are also given lessons in time management, cooking, cleaning, and budgeting to strengthen independent living skills, especially for those living on campus.

Community involvement is the fourth and final cornerstone of the program. LIFE students are encouraged to attend at least one event each week. This could range from university events, such as meetings for clubs or organizations, to gatherings put on within the local community.

Hebert emphasized the importance of recognizing that LIFE students are just like any other student at the university.

“They have big accomplishments they are proud of, and at the same time have things to work on, like all college students do,” she said. “They dread 8 a.m. classes, the walk to Griffin [Hall], and want to make jokes to their neighbors in classes about something funny the instructor said.”

The program serves students with a wide range of intellectual and developmental disabilities. For first-year LIFE students like Emma Barry, the hope is for classmates to recognize the uniqueness and individuality of each member.

“I would like degree-seeking students to know that LIFE students [are] not all one and the same,” she said. “We all have different levels of knowledge and abilities that need to be addressed with care, understanding, and respect.”

For fellow first-year LIFE student, Alex Smith, being part of LIFE has meant embracing the joy and confidence that come with being a member.

“It is a very important thing to know that the UL LIFE is a beautiful thing in life because it is so much fun to be doing something like fun things in life,” Smith said.

No matter where these students stand, LIFE encourages them to define success for themselves. Hebert credits the program’s success to the hard work and persistence of its students and to the support from university faculty, administrators, and mentors.

“We don’t dictate what the students should value,” Hebert said. “We try to encourage them to discover and/or deepen the values they already hold so they can advocate for themselves on what they want their life to look like.”