The Heartland Academy for Learning Opportunities [HALO] celebrated its 15th anniversary Wednesday evening at Heartland Community College.
HALO offers a higher education experience to students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, or other learning challenges. Students can follow a one-year transition year plan to help them figure out what to do after high school, and also can can choose a two-year non-degree to earn a certificate.
Josie Peck, a HALO student from Bloomington, said her current classes include topics to help with independence and everyday life tasks, such as budgeting and healthy food choices.
Peck also works at Cedar Ridge Elementary, a Unit 5 school, as a recess supervisor and hopes to work as a paraprofessional there in the fall.
“I'm very excited to celebrate with all my friends here, and being honored to be here as even a first-year student, not even completing the first year yet,” said Peck.
“They are a college student through and through. And so many of them see their peers or their siblings went to college, and that's the next step that they want to take in their life,” said Kori Folkerts, Heartland's director of student access and accommodation services and director of the HALO program.
HALO currently has 35 students, and next year’s class will grow enrollment to the largest in program history.
“That is simply [from] word of mouth of our students. We don't often do a ton of marketing because our students are our best advocates, and they're the best marketers to our program,” said Folkerts, who was among the speakers who recognized support staff, parents and students.
Other speakers included HCC president Keith Cornille, and Chris Downing, the college's associate vice president of development and community engagement.
“It’s gratifying to know that the people in my life got to share this whole experience with me,” said Brian McWhorter, an alum of HALO who moved from Crystal Lake to take part in the HALO program.
McWhorter graduated in December, earning certificates in accounting and in applied science and technology. He now works as a supervisor for students at Washington Elementary School.
Folkerts said there are not a lot of similar opportunities for people in Illinois for people with intellectual, cognitive or developmental delays.
“We have students as far north as Kankakee that come to our campus and as far south as Springfield,” she said.
