On the evening of Friday, June 28, 2019 the Self-Advocacy Open House Party was so successful that we had to order a second pizza pie at the last minute to accommodate all of the individuals who showed up in the Cafetorium.
The purpose of the celebration was to revive group membership and collaborate on finding our voice. We went over some of the goals and ground rules of the group. The importance of “confidentiality” was emphasized in the sense that whatever is said at the monthly self-advocacy gatherings stays in the room unless the individual gives permission otherwise. The most powerful question is, “What is it that you want?”
The Self-Advocacy gatherings usually occur the fourth Friday of every month. They are facilitated by one of our interns, Sharon Tai and Jesse Saperstein who serves as the Media & Activities Liaison for the College Experience. David Lieberman (posing in the back with Jesse) made a special appearance and performed an excellent job helping to lead the group! David is our 20-year-old educational assistant at the College Experience as well as a former student from the Class of 2018!
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.