The College Experience is overjoyed to highlight yet another recent accomplishment of David Lieberman who is also the first former student to become a staff member. David’s contributions extend far beyond the auspices of our program. David is also a diligent member on the Board of Directors for Adaptive Sports at Mount Snow, located in West Dover, Vermont.
David traveled all the way to Vermont to participate in the “Kids of Courage” event that took place on Sunday, February 10, 2019. The mission of Adaptive Sports and the Kids of Courage event is to provide opportunities for young people with chronic illnesses to enjoy the thrill of skiing using adaptive equipment as well as the support from staff members like David. (Even though he is unrecognizable buried under his ski garments, David is featured in the outdoor photo standing behind the individual he is helping power through the slopes!)
The majority of the participants in the Kids of Courage event have life threatening illnesses that typically shorten their life spans, and over 500 families and their children are served. Some of the conditions the campers contend with are Muscular Dystrophy, Seizure Disorders, Spina Bifida, Cystic Fibrosis, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and others.
The greatest disablers are when we fail or do not bother to find some way for individuals with disabilities or chronic conditions to experience some of the same thrills that the able-bodied population is able to enjoy at their leisure. Each participant passed through the doorway greeted by a throng of applauding volunteers giving them a celebrity’s welcome!
David’s case of autism has not held him back from surpassing expectations and giving back to the Disability Community. David is also an accomplished public speaker who has lectured at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY as well as Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY. On Tuesday, February 26, 2019 he has been invited back to speak at Hobart and William Smith Colleges for the second time in less than a year!
Aside from his own tenacity and the teachers at the College Experience, David has also tremendously benefited from the support of his entire family such as his father, Aaron; his mother, Jackie; and his younger sister, Dalia in addition to his Grandmother Susan and numerous relatives. We always remember that no matter how much individual tenacity is responsible for the accomplishments of our students, nothing is truly possible without a powerful family behind them!
What comes after graduation? Many College Experience students, in fact most, choose to remain in Albany. They maintain friendships with their fellow and former graduates, form romantic partnerships, and some get married.