I’m Ready to Go

MIHEC Student Profile: Alec Willard

I went to the MIHEC conference last fall and saw the presentation by North Dakota State’s Transition and Access Program . Then I went to their open house and told my family that I really wanted to do this. My brother went to NDSU, and my sister goes to college in Montana. I wanted to go, too. My interview was about an hour long, and then I got an acceptance letter. I start this fall.

I’m really looking forward to getting involved in sports there because I really love sports, and I especially love sports statistics. I play field hockey, softball, basketball, and bowling, and I keep notebooks of stats on professional football and other sports. My brother and I may do a fantasy football league together. For my career, I’d love to be involved in sports in some way, and I’ll be going for a certificate in athletics, arts, and entertainment at NDSU, taking classes with students with and without disabilities. I’ve completed several years of work experience at a hockey rink as a custodian and general assistant, and I also work at a grocery store as a bagger. The customers are friendly, and I get a lot of good feedback.

At college, getting involved in campus activities with other students and working on independent living skills will also help me in the future.

For the first year, I’m living alone in a single room, but I met a few other students through orientation and already know one of the peer mentors. At first, I was a little nervous about looking into college, but now I’m ready to go.