ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - There’s one group at Winthrop University where every student is employed.
That’s WinthropLIFE, a two-year and a four-year program for adults with intellectual disabilities that focuses on supporting students as they develop into independent and contributing members of their community. All 23 of its students are working this spring.
“We provide students the opportunity to live on their own in the residence halls, take classes and work in a field of their choice,” said Ryan Morrison, program director. “The campus and city have come together to welcome and support these students in their employment.”
Employment Coordinator Shay McPhail works to place students in the job, where they are accompanied by paid or volunteer job coaches. The LIFE students also have peer mentors who live and attend classes with them.
The impact on the community has been engaging. From the largest employers in Rock Hill to one-man shops, the community has rallied around this program and provided these students an opportunity that most have never had, Morrison said.
Students are working in flower shops, grocery stores, landscaping companies, offices, bookstores, hotels, and retirement homes. “It's hard to tell who blessed whom once the employer gets to know the LIFE student,” Morrison said of such employers as the Cambria Hotel and Earth Fare grocery store.
For more information, contact Morrison at morrisonr@winthrop.edu.
