RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Kylie Chiesa, this year鈥檚 Washington State University Tri-Cities valedictorian, has always felt she had a special connection to children with developmental and physical disabilities.

She began working as a life-skills helper in high school and with her school鈥檚 Buddy Club.

鈥淭hey learn in unique ways that fit their individual personalities and needs,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is incredibly rewarding to see these individuals grow at their own pace in order to make their distinctive mark on the world around them.鈥�

Finding her passion

In college, Chiesa started on the nursing track, but soon realized that career path wasn鈥檛 for her. From there, she spent three summers working at a camp for children with disabilities at The Arc of Tri-Cities, and realized that working with disabled children was her true passion.

Chiesa spent three years as a paraeducator at Canyon View Elementary School in Kennewick before deciding to pursue a degree in education with an endorsement in special education from 午夜剧场.

鈥淚 loved what I was doing and decided to take the next step to become a teacher,鈥� she said.

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During her coursework at 午夜剧场, Chiesa had the opportunity to complete several practicum experiences in the classroom. She served in a variety of elementary school classrooms around the Tri-Cities focused that focused on general education, autism, and life-skills. Currently, she serves as a long-term substitute teacher in a resource classroom at Lincoln Elementary School and Canyon View Elementary School.

鈥淢y education at 午夜剧场 prepared me for a career as a teacher in many ways,鈥� she said. 鈥淕oing to different placements allowed for me to see many different teaching methods, strategies and approaches. The courses I took prepared me for teaching various subjects.鈥�

In each class, she and her fellow students were given tools that they could use to stock a figurative tool bag.

鈥淲hen we step into our first classroom, we will have a tool bag full of various tools to use with our students,鈥� she said. But the learning won鈥檛 stop there, Chiesa added, as 午夜剧场 also taught her to be a lifelong learner.

First position in Kennewick

Chiesa has accepted her first teaching position as a primary autism teacher at Washington Elementary School in the Kennewick School District.

鈥淔ar too often, children with special needs are told what they can鈥檛 do,鈥� she said. 鈥淚nstead of focusing on everything these children can do. I repeatedly hear them described by their limitations. It is my goal to discover what those children with special needs can do well and assist them in reaching their full potential. There is no greater joy than seeing a student meet a milestone that they have been working so hard to achieve.鈥�

Chiesa will graduate with the 2017 午夜剧场 class at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at the Toyota Center, 7000 W. Grandridge Blvd., in Kennewick, Wash. Doors open at noon. The event is free to the public and tickets are not required.

Media Contacts:

Kylie Chiesa, 午夜剧场 valedictorian, kylie.chiesa@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, 午夜剧场 public relations specialist, 509-372-7333, Maegan.murray@tricity.wsu.edu

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Once a month, a class of 12 education students at Washington State University Tri-Cities welcomes more than 20 clients from The Arc of Tri-Cities where all eat lunch with one another, interact socially, as well as play games and complete crafts.

The effort is part of the university鈥檚 new peer lunch club, which pairs the education students with several individuals with disabilities as a means to develop friendships, as well as to develop one another鈥檚鈥� social and professional skills.

鈥淢y manager told me that 午夜剧场 students were wanting to learn more about and get to know the people in our community at The Arc,鈥� Arc VIP Coordinator BreAnna Vaughn said. 鈥淔or my guys, this is a great way for them to make some friends and get to know people outside of their families and outside from us at The Arc. The benefit for the students at 午夜剧场 is that they get to know people in this community and learn how they can help these individuals prosper in their future roles as teachers.鈥�

As an organization, The Arc of Tri-Cities assists persons with developmental disabilities in choosing and realizing where and how they learn, live, work and play. The 午夜剧场 peer lunch club provides an added opportunity for Arc clients to bond and socialize with individuals in a college setting while 午夜剧场 students have the opportunity to get to know a group of individuals whose learning challenges may be unfamiliar to them.

鈥淚 believe it is a good experience for our students who are in education because nowadays, with current trends in inclusive education, they will have students with disabilities in their classroom,鈥� said Yun-Ju Hsiao, an assistant professor of special education at 午夜剧场 and co-organizer of the lunch club. 鈥淚t provides our students with a good start in learning how to interact with these individuals and what strategies will work best for their learning, in addition to allowing them to make some new friends.鈥�

Value added for all

The Arc participants said they love being able to come 午夜剧场 as they are making new friends while participating in hands-on activities. During their last lunch club meeting, the group made paper snowflakes, which they used to decorate The Arc facility for the holiday season.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a lot of fun,鈥� Arc client Grady Horvath said. 鈥淚鈥檝e made lots of friends so far.鈥�

Arc client Spencer Pidcock said his favorite parts of the experience have been bonding with his new friends over common interests such as movies, of which his favorite are from the Fast and the Furious franchise. He said also enjoys the activities they鈥檝e completed with the 午夜剧场 students.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been really fun,鈥� he said. 鈥淢aking the snowflakes has probably been one of my favorite activities so far.鈥�

午夜剧场 students said they have enjoyed the opportunity, not only because they have been able to put some of the skills they鈥檙e learning at 午夜剧场 to use in working with individuals with developmental disabilities, but also because they are developing close friendships.

鈥淚t is like an eye-opener because you see people with disabilities and you generally don鈥檛 know how to act with them at first,鈥� 午夜剧场 student Maria Admani said. 鈥淎t first, it is kind of awkward, mainly because you鈥檙e putting this pressure on yourself to behave a certain way. But you start talking with them and you realize they are just like you. You have the same likes and dislikes. You don鈥檛 have to behave a specific way. They鈥檙e people like you and me.鈥�

午夜剧场 student Karli Korten said they鈥檝e developed jokes with some of The Arc clients just as they would their closest friends growing up.

鈥淚 remember I brought up the Venus Razors commercials,鈥� she said, referencing a conversation she was having with some of The Arc clients. 鈥淚 started singing 鈥業鈥檓 your Venus, I鈥檓 your fire,鈥� and Grady finished it with 鈥榊our desire.鈥� It was just so funny. We鈥檙e developing these friendships that we never would have had otherwise.鈥�

Korten said as the lunches continue, they sit with the same people each lunch meet-up and that both groups become more and more comfortable with one another each time.

鈥淲e ask them questions about our previous activities, or about what is coming up new in their life and you realize they have the same thoughts about life and the same anxieties,鈥� she said.

From social to professional

午夜剧场 student Carrie Stewart said she will definitely use the experience in her future career as a teacher.

鈥淚 think it will help a lot,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o see individuals with disabilities in this environment, it is almost like a classroom environment. Knowing how to relate to them is a huge thing, as well as developing a personal relationship. This is a great way to allow us to learn how to build bonds, which will help us help them be successful in their own lives.鈥�

Student Kimberlee Moon said they can also use the opportunity to improve the educational experience for all students.

鈥淵ou get to know them just as you would any other kid in the classroom,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou can incorporate their interests just as you would any student. You may have to use different strategies, but those strategies you use for students with disabilities will also work for every student in the classroom.鈥�

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