Showcasing resources on campus
On April 17, the student Disabilities Resource Center (DRC) came together with Opportunity Now and held a Student Exposure Expo (SEE).
The event was held on the second floor of the Student Union Building at Texas A&M University Kingsville (TAMUK) where high school students showcased vision boards of their future career paths.
The DRC’s goal was to bring awareness to future college students to show that their disabilities do not define how much one can succeed and that TAMUK, and other universities, have resources to help them in their journey.
“Everyone has a gift, and everyone should have the opportunity to explore their gifts, use their gifts. We see students come in with struggles or obstacles and [we want them] to know we are there for them, and when we see them overcome those challenges… it is very rewarding and we know we had a part in impacting their lives,” Director, Disability Resource Center Barbara Collins said.
Opportunity Now is a program that works to help students with disabilities achieve their highest potential by offering resources that they might need to help them through college or university.
“We wanted to show them that college is for them and just because you have a learning disability doesn’t mean you can’t come. There are accommodations to help you in order to still attend a university or college if you choose to,” Community Resource Specialist Lance Valdez said.
Joe Lewis, the team leader for Opportunity Now, has expressed how hard his team works to help students achieve their goals and looks forward to finding the next window of opportunity to help more students.
“We want to encourage our students, we want to motivate our students, we want to expose our students. There’s a big world out there and you can get a world-class education right here in Kingsville,” Joe Lewis, Opportunity Now team leader, said.
Collins has expressed her excitement in hosting another event with Opportunity Now in 2025 with the idea of hosting a bigger event for all students to come and enjoy.
For more information on the DRC or future events go to the TAMUK website or email
drc.center@tamuk.edu.