Meet Bo
Meet Madison
Meet Peyton
Bo, Peyton and Madison have already learned that Texas is not No. 1 in Norman.
Bo has found the joy of a nearby Starbucks on campus. Peyton traveled to Dallas in October with classmates for his first OU-Texas game. Madison loves hanging out with friends at The Wesley.
This sounds like the typical life for freshmen getting their first taste of college. But for Bo, Peyton and Madison, experiencing life at OU would not have been possible without the creation of Sooner Works. (Get to know Bo, Madison and Peyton in the videos above).
Sooner Works is a comprehensive integrated program for students ages 18-26 with an intellectual or developmental disability who desire a postsecondary experience on a college campus. The program is under the direction of Associate Professor and Zarrow Center Director Kendra Williams Diehm, along with Program Director Mindy Lingo.
“Sooner Works is a unique program that allows students with an intellectual disability to access OU the exact same way their peers do - as a student,” Williams Diehm said. “The entire OU community has been so supportive of Sooner Works. We receive emails and phone calls from students who want to volunteer as academic tutors and social mentors and from faculty who wants these students in their courses. Sooner Works will greatly enhance the diversity of this campus.”
While the fall of 2019 marks the first year of the program at OU, the seeds for its creation were planted many years ago. About a decade ago began a huge push to create postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities at colleges. The passing of the Higher Education Opportunity Act in 2008 included an amendment that covered intellectual disabilities as a population attending college, creating funds for opportunities to attend. From that came the creation of Think College (www.thinkcollege.net), a national organization dedicated to developing, expanding and improving inclusive higher education options for people with intellectual disability.
Mindy Lingo (top) has played an integral role in the creation of Sooner Works.
Here at OU, it was six years ago that Zarrow Center members and doctoral students began looking into grants to start a program on campus. While they were unsuccessful in obtaining a grant, a plan was created and in stepped Mindy Lingo in 2016.
Lingo spent 15 years as a special education teacher before coming to OU in 2016 to begin work on her doctoral degree.
“I went to a conference and we were sitting there watching the people from Think College present on programs across the country,” Lingo said. “I fell in love and immediate went to the previous Zarrow Center director to find out what we needed to do to get a program at OU.”
At the time, Oklahoma was one of two states (the other being West Virginia) that did not have a postsecondary program for students with intellectual disabilities. As of today, there are three programs in the state. In addition to Sooner Works, Northeastern State University offers the RiverHawks Scholar Program, and the University of Science and Art in Oklahoma offers a program for students on the autism spectrum through the Neill-Wint Center for Neurodiversity.
What it would take to bring the program to OU was someone who was willing to put in the work to get the program started…without any funding. Lingo was that someone.
“Kendra had always been on board with the idea of bringing a program to OU, and once we realized it was possible she worked tirelessly trying to get it here,” Lingo said. “With the support of Dean Garn, we have found everyone was willing to work with us at every level in the university.”
The three-year project finally came to fruition in 2019. Final approval for the program was granted by OU in May as a pilot program, giving Williams Diehm and Lingo one year to prove the value of having this program on campus.
“I think it was the happiest I have ever been career-wise,” Lingo said. “This has taken a huge group effort, from people that were here before me to everyone across campus that we have reached out to for support.
“The university buy-in has been tremendous,” Lingo said. “It is great to see that everyone sees the value of having this program on campus.”
Once the joy of program approval passed, reality set in. They had two-and-a-half months to recruit and admit students for fall 2019. This led to the initial three-person cohort with Bo, Peyton and Madison.
The four-year program focuses on three main areas: independent living, academics and career. As a requirement of the program, all the students currently live in the dorms on campus in single rooms. Next year they will advance to having roommates, eventually moving into apartments on campus as seniors.
“They are all doing phenomenal,” Lingo said. “Their parents can’t even get them to come home. They are typical OU students in so many ways. They are learning how to balance their social time along with academic responsibilities.”
Chris Loerke with Bo, Peyton and Madison.
In the academic component, they are taking two to three traditional OU classes with their peers across the university. They also take one to two classes with Lingo each semester to work on the skills where they need a little bit more instruction.
As an example, they all took a gateway class where they went to the Goddard Health Center to learn the ins and outs of what is offered to students. In Lingo’s class, they then went over things such as how to make an appointment, what is an insurance card and how to use it. This semester they are all taking Sooner Works 101, where they are learning more about college writing as that is a big component of all their classes.
“I take what they are learning out there, and give it a little bit more attention,” Lingo said.
For the career part of the program, the students will have five-hour internships across campus next semester, with their internship hours increasing each year so that as seniors they will take part in 20 hours of internship with the goal of placing them in paid employment.
The Peer Partners Program is also a large component of the independent living piece. Organized by OU pre-med senior Chris Loerke, Bo, Peyton and Madison each have four to five partners that volunteer to spend time with them. The partners join them for lunch, help with homework and hang out with them at campus events.
“I have seen Bo, Peyton, and Madison gain confidence in their inclusion in the OU community,” Loerke said. “They each have made great friends, and I love walking down the South Oval with them and hearing multiple people greet them by name. They have also learned important social skills through this program, and it makes me so happy to hear them talk about the friends they have made on their own.”
Loerke started a similar program called Mesh while a student at Union (Tulsa) High School. Loerke was recognized as the 2016 Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy by the Association of Fundraising Professionals for his work and efforts advocating for students with disabilities.
“I first learned about transitional programs when a high school friend of mine with Down syndrome left the state to attend a similar program,” Loerke said. “At the time, Oklahoma did not have a transitional program, and I was so sad that she had to leave the state to experience this opportunity.
“I am not an expert in disabilities or special education, but I know how to make friends and I absolutely love leading the Peer Partners program. In my opinion the best student organization at OU. It’s all about making friends and having fun. What’s better than that?”
“It is incredible everything he does, and he just has a place in his heart for inclusion,” Lingo said.
Madison studying in her dorm room on the OU campus.
Not even fourth months into the program, it isn’t just Loerke and Lingo that have seen a difference in the students. Their parents also have noticed their increased independence. Madison faced a great challenge this semester when she learned she would have to move dorm rooms. A situation that would cause great stress to anyone, Madison took it in stride by using self-talking skills to realize she could handle this change.
“Her parents noted that before, she would not have been able to handle a situation like that,” Lingo said. “Another one of our parents noted that their son is just so happy, and one added their son had never felt so typical which is huge for him since he doesn’t like to stand out.”
Right now, one thing holding back the program is funding. The program is completely self-funded with the students paying a program fee, tuition and housing. The program directors are currently working on their Certified Transition Programming application, which will allow students to qualify for financial aid. In the meantime, fundraising and grant applications are the path to allow more students the opportunity to take part in the program.
“We have three students this year and will add five to six next year,” Lingo said. “The long-term goal in five to six years is to take 10 students in every cohort.”
Local media has picked up on the program and the response has been tremendous from those around the state who are interested in or know someone who might be interested in becoming part of Sooner Works.
“We have a listserv that is up to about 100 people,” Lingo said. “We have parents that are contacting us who still have children in elementary school but want to know what they can do to help prepare them.”
Interested parties can learn more about the program and how to apply through online question and answer sessions that will take place over the coming months. More information can be found at http://www.ou.edu/education/centers-and-partnerships/zarrow/sooner-works.
“You can’t be in a bad mood around these kids,” Lingo said. ‘They are always happy. Just being with students again and seeing their excitement about the program and how much they’ve grown is something that I enjoy every day.”