Making breakfast, getting coffee, attending class, working out at the gym, and then going to work. A day in the life of a college student? Sort of. That’s also the routine of students in Questar III’s Sarah’s Sisters program located at Russell Sage College in Troy.
The program started in September 2014 with six students, one teacher, and one teaching assistant. Beginning in September 2015, the program has the potential to grow to eight students, and will add a teaching assistant/nurse.
(L-R) Chris Miller, Conor, Chris Block, Melissa Wronoski
Chris Miller teaches the class which offers special education students ages 18-21 not only life skills like cooking, and job readiness, but also a college experience. Sarah’s Sisters isn’t just located on the Russell Sage campus, it’s a part of the Russell Sage campus.
20-year-old Conor from the Taconic Hills Central School District is in his first year at the program. He’ll be back in September for a second year. Miller says Conor has improved a lot since starting her class, and will continue to build on what he learned next year.
When the students arrive in the morning, their first task of the day is making their own breakfast. Bagels, eggs and coffee are frequent choices. Often the class will take breakfast out to the Buchman Pavilion, a common area on campus not far from the classroom with tables and chairs for eating or working as well as a small bistro market selling coffee, soft drinks and snacks.
Keeping with the idea of teaching students to be responsible for themselves, when they’ve
The 2014-2015 Sarah’s Sisters Class:
Back row: Masha, Chris Miller, Conor, Chris Block, Kelsey, Melissa Wronoski
Front row: Alex, Alyssa
finished eating, they wash, dry, and put their dishes away before tackling the rest of the day. Conor washes his plate and utensils more thoroughly than most five-star restaurants! He likes to make sure everything he does is done just right- and the seemingly menial task of washing a plate and fork is no exception.
One of the goals of Sarah’s Sisters is to get students in the program involved in the community. The class regularly participates in activities on campus and volunteers off campus as well. One location they often visit is the Roarke Center in Troy. The center, operated by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany, aims to improve the lives of their members by building self-esteem, providing social support, and helping them reach their full potential. The center provides emergency assistance, a food pantry, The Roarke Connection for women with legal issues or leaving incarceration, medical services for the uninsured, creative arts, creative writing, digital photography, sewing and weaving and adult literacy.
The tasks the students complete at the Roarke Center vary depending on the needs of the center. They could be helping to organize the food pantry, sorting donated clothes, or any number of other activities.
Getting involved in the community takes a little bit of extra work, since the students don’t drive. They’ve learned to read bus schedules and figure out which busses to take to get them where they need to be. Conor is often one of the first people to figure out the best route for the class to take.
Conor has two jobs through the class. He works in the college mailroom helping to sort mail, shred old documents, and make photocopies of various documents. He also works at the Troy Public Library. There, he fills the role of what’s called a page. He helps make sure books are in order on the shelves (shelf reading), replaces returned books to their place (shelving) and just general organization.
“Conor has this attention to detail that is really important for a page,” said Virginia Prew, Head of Circulation at the Troy Public Library. “A lot of what he does is alphabetizing, and organizing in order, and that happens to be one of the things that he really does well. If he’s getting all of the authors in order with all of their titles, that makes it easier to find the materials later when they’re needed.”
Conor takes pride in making sure all the shelves and areas he works in are just right – whether that means adjusting books that are out of place (even if only by one or two places), making sure all the books on a shelf are lined up, or just keeping an eye open to catch something that might be just the slightest bit off.
“Conor is very mathematical and meticulous. He’d do well in a job that demands accuracy,” Miller said.
Conor and his fellow students are responsible for keeping track of their hours on a timesheet, and if there’s a day when they can’t make it to their job site, they take the initiative to call their supervisor and let them know. Those supervisors have repeatedly commented on how responsible the students are at keeping them informed if their schedule needs to change. If they’re going to miss a whole day of school, they also call Miller and their transportation provider to let them know.
“When Conor first came to the program, when we asked him a question, he’d say, ‘hmm, let me think’ and wouldn’t be able to answer us. Now, when we ask him questions, he can answer us, he participates in discussions, and now he’s even volunteering information. Sometimes he’s the only one who volunteers,” Teaching Assistant Melissa Wronoski said.
Conor posing with a caricature of himself he had done at a recent college event.
Conor is known for having a lot of friends on campus. Miller says students at the college, professors, even Dean Lori Quigley tell her what a nice young man he is and that he is very polite. She says hearing “Hi Conor!” is a frequent occurrence as the class is out and about.
“What I love about Conor is that he’s very positive. Everything is positive. You ask him to do a task, even a small task and he does it,” Wronoski said.
“He has a natural instinct to do anything that’s asked of him to the highest potential that he’s able to do it. He’s someone who never does it halfway, it’s 100 percent,” Miller said.
Conor is also developing a resume and cover letter using the app Resume Star, and posting it online on a website designed specifically for people with disabilities. Our Ability Connect is a free service that lets individuals with disabilities post their resume, as well as lets businesses post job openings and search job-seekers by specific qualifications and abilities. The company is not only for people with disabilities, but it’s also owned and operated by people with disabilities. The company may be familiar to Questar III employees – CEO John Robinson was the guest speaker at the organization’s Orientation Day program in September 2014.
Connor enjoys being on the campus because he’s able to work out in the college weight room. He has a routine of using the treadmill twice a week, and looks forward to getting his exercise in. He works out at his local Planet Fitness every day after school.
Going hand in hand with getting exercise, Miller also ensures her students are well-versed in the value of good nutrition, and helps them learn strategies to make good and healthy food choices.
“I won’t lose weight if I don’t exercise. It’s important to be healthy. I drink orange juice every morning,” Conor said.
Conor’s attention to detail even includes his meals. Miller says he’s very measured and always makes sure he’s not eating too much, or that what he’s eating is healthy. He uses an app called SparkPeople to track his exercise and the food he eats to help him make smart food choices to stay healthy.
“Conor is a good role model,” Miller said. “He’s made an impact all over.”
Sarah’s Sisters is open to high school students that have completed a Career Development and Occupational Studies Credential (CDOS) or a Skills and Achievement Credential (SAC).
