On the date of Monday, March 4, 2019, Amy Maiorano was invited to Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY, where she had the chance to speak to the class of Professor Eileen Hoffman. We wish to highlight her public speaking talents, where she educated the class about Deletion 22q and was joined by her mother, Michelle; her father, Dean; and her Aunt Susan.
Amy has made a lion’s share of progress in nearly four years when she first came to the College Experience as a freshman student. Now Amy is working as a staff member at an after-school program run by the Guilderland YMCA, performed a TED Talk, and was interviewed by CNN and the Albany News. Her current ambition is trying to get on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Deletion 22q is the most common chromosomal disorder second to only Down Syndrome and is often misunderstood. Amy is a perfect example of how having a disability does not necessarily mean being disabled and one of the students even invited her to possibly speak in Washington D.C. We will see what happens because Amy has her whole life ahead of her to achieve these dreams! Be sure to check out her video, “22q” below that was screened for Professor Hoffman’s class!
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.