Get Ready: College is Possible!

MIHEC Student Profile: Jean Hauff

I'm excited to share that I'll be heading off to Augustana University this fall. I'll be studying mass media, and I can't wait to see what this new chapter holds. August is such a beautiful time to be starting school, and I'm looking forward to meeting new people and exploring all that the campus has to offer.

I went to Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for two years, but they stopped supporting students from out of state. Also, it wasn’t a good match for me because I didn’t get all the support I needed.

I did love being on my own and I was happy there. I wasn’t nervous to go, I was excited to go to college, live on campus, and have a roommate. I liked the idea of freedom and the responsibility of living on my own. I enjoyed going to my classes, meeting new people, and hanging out with friends. I went to a lot of campus activities and events. I joined the ballroom dance club and went to yoga classes.

I also did a lot of social media and graphics work at Duquesne, and that experience helped me get an internship at the University of Minnesota this past year. I worked in the communications department at the Institute on Community Integration. I wrote social media posts, created graphics, and did on-air interviews at events. I even co-emceed a four-hour, all-staff meeting that honored disability rights activists from Minnesota and around the country.

The college classes and work experiences will help me find my career. I want to explore more options before deciding on my career direction, but I know I enjoy social media, graphic design, and using technology.

After I graduate, I want to work with colleagues who are accepting, kind, and who work well together. I’m also interested in having a home of my own.

This fall at Augustana, I am excited to live in the dorm, go to classes, and meet new people. It’s a new chapter in my life and I will explore all the opportunities that Augustana has to offer. The campus is beautiful, and the faculty members seem knowledgeable and approachable. I believe that this university will provide me with the education and experiences that I need to achieve my goals and make a positive impact in the world. I am looking forward to the challenges and growth that lie ahead.

The name of the program at Augustana is the Augie Access Program. The program opens access to students with intellectual and other disabilities to go to college. It has the tools I need to be successful at college. You can find information about it at https://www.augie.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/augie-access-program For anyone interested in college, I would tell them to follow their interests and their strengths. College is possible, so get ready!