Video Transcript
[Wade Westrick, PEERS student]: My name is Wade Westrick, and this is my life at Boise State University. The PEERS Program really helps students with intellectual disabilities, really help them out with their classes. For example my professors have really helped me out a lot. I get a lot of support from the professors, from our peers, other mentors.
[James Kimberling, professor of Film 190]: I think of every student individually really. I think having a PEERS Program student in my class has opened my mind just to the kind of energy that that can create. It impacted my class in a positive way.
[Dr. Jeremy Ford, PEERS Program Director]: My name is Dr. Jeremy Ford, I’m a faculty member in the Department of Early and Special Education here at Boise State. My main role is making sure that students in the program are making progress towards their goals. That means needing to work with other people at the university so that students can enroll in classes and find places for job sites.
[Wade Westrick]: As part of the PEERS program, I also volunteer at the Dollar Tree Center. I really like that, being around a bunch of dogs all day. I really like meeting new people on campus, exploring campus, knowing everything that there is to know. I’ve met a lot of new friends, all the other members of the PEERS program, all those guys are really nice.
[Elyssa Gonzalez, PEERS Program Mentor]: Hi, my name is Elyssa Gonzalez, and I’m part of the PEERS Program. I provide support both academically and just as a social aspect for the student. We all come together, both the mentors and the mentees, and they’ll be doing their homework but we’re just there if they have any questions.
[Michael Crawford, PEERS Program graduate assistant]: Just really helping students communicate with their professor, make sure their needs are met in the classes that they’re taking in terms of social support. I remember one time with the PEERS program we went to a park and we had an awesome time playing some bocce ball, we had a little picnic, and it was just a great way to get everybody involved and everybody out in the community and making some really great social connections.
[Dr. Jeremy Ford ]: The greatest strengths of the PEERS Program are the students. Whether it is you, Wade, and your fellow cohort members, our next cohort, our grad assistants, or our allies that support what we’re doing while they’re learning and obtaining experience to meet their own goals for after Boise State. You all are the best thing about the PEERS program.