Looking up: EAGLES flying the nest

A cap and gown, too many photos to count and boundless hope for the future—these have been rites of passage for generations of Auburn University graduates. And now, they mark the same milestone for students with intellectual disabilities.

Auburn’s Education to Accomplish Growth in Life Experiences for Success, or EAGLES, is a non-degree program focusing on academic enrichment, the teaching of personal and social skills, independent living skills, health and wellness enhancement and integrated work experiences. It’s also the program making dreams come true for students and families who once thought the college experience was out of reach.

“Think about a time when you were in college. Do you remember seeing people who had intellectual disabilities in your classes? Did you ever think that would be a reality? At Auburn, it is,” said Betty Patten, EAGLES program director and assistant clinical professor in the College of Education. “Now, students with intellectual disabilities—a group of people who historically have been marginalized and excluded from college—can engage in a two- or four-year campus experience including many aspects of college life.”

This week, thousands of Auburn students will turn their tassels and add “graduated” to their lists of accomplishments, and nine EAGLES students will be among them.

“Graduation means that anyone who goes to college can graduate if they try and show up and do the work,” said Josh Greiner, one of the original EAGLES cohort who is graduating from the four-year program.

When Greiner walks across the stage in Jordan-Hare Stadium in a few days, his work also will take him into a new independent and meaningful life. Transportation can be one of the most difficult challenges to overcome, so after graduating, he will work to obtain a driver’s license and begin a new full-time position at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. Like his fellow Auburn graduates from across campus, Greiner’s adventure is just beginning.

None of this would be possible for Greiner and the other EAGLES students without strong partnerships and the generosity of the Auburn Family.

Created in 2018, the EAGLES program today has 19 students and 147 peer mentors, known as WINGS. Students are enrolled in 38 classes in 16 departments and six colleges.

Meaningful employment is one of the primary goals of the EAGLES program, and currently, there are 34 employment partners and 26 job sites. EAGLES students are part of 19 campus organizations, including Auburn Baseball’s Diamond Dolls, thanks to a strong partnership with head baseball coach Butch Thompson and his wife, Robin, who also serve on the EAGLES Engagement Council.

“When we first heard about EAGLES, it was only a two-year program,” Butch Thompson said. “The fact that the program continued to grow, expanding to three and then four years is so impressive. They weren’t simply checking things off the list, they pushed forward with the students and kept helping and walking beside them to grow to even greater heights.”

The Thompsons, who are donors to the program, also are committed to sharing the unique program with as many people as they can. EAGLES Night at Plainsman Park developed from this desire. During the Auburn vs. South Carolina game on April 22, EAGLES students threw out the first pitch, were recognized in the stands and shared information about the program as fans entered the stadium.

“Robin and Butch have been huge supporters of the EAGLES program from the very beginning,” Patten said. “This event was their idea, to increase awareness and support. Partners like the Thompsons are more than supporters, they are family, and we’re so grateful for them.”

Philanthropy and partnerships are the foundation of the EAGLES program. And according to Patten, graduations and other program milestones would be much more limited, or even impossible, without people who believe in the mission and purpose of EAGLES, who give generously, volunteer and share the EAGLES story.

“Disability touches all of us,” Patten said. “And understanding that reality, the issue becomes how we welcome unique differences in our lives and on our campus. The generosity of the Auburn Family toward our program and our students shows an understanding of the tremendous value our students add to the greater Auburn community.”

Patten’s goal is an ambitious one—a fully endowed program, covering all program costs for students. The program is expensive due to the extra support EAGLES students need and is cost prohibitive for many families of students with intellectual disabilities. Donor gifts and advocates like the Thompsons will make this goal a reality.

“The Auburn Family is just that—family,” Robin Thompson said. “We all pull forward together. No one is left behind. The EAGLES program works with students with intellectual difficulties, not intellectual impossibilities, and isn’t the purpose of higher education just that?”