What is Carolina LifeTM ?
- a new, innovative post-secondary program for students with intellectual disabilities from South Carolina.
- offers a college experience to individuals with intellectual disabilities that might otherwise not experience a college life.
- Students enrolled will be working on social, community living, vocational, and academic goals
Please download and view our Powerpoint presentation for more information
Funded through a partnership of the University of South Carolina, College Transition Connections, inc., and the National Down Syndrome Society.
Welcome Laura Chezan as Program Coordinator
Laura Chezan is the first coordinator CarolinaLIFE™. Laura is from Cluj-Napoca, Romania, where she attended "Babes-Bolyai" University. Before becoming a teacher she was a registered nurse. She graduated with a B.S. degree in Psychology and Special Education from "Babes-Bolyai" University of Cluj-Napoca in 2002. She also graduated with a Master's Degree in Special Education from "Babes-Bolyai" University of Cluj-Napoca in 2003. Laura came to United States in 2003 and worked as a special education teacher in Florence District Three for three years. She graduated with a Master's Degree in Education from University of South Carolina in 2007 and has been admitted to the Ph.D. Program in Special Education at University of South Carolina in 2008 and will begin that program in spring 2009.
I am thrilled to invite you to our first semester together, which I know will be an incredible and fun experience. Personal interests and preferences is one of the main guidelines of our program, and I think there is something for everyone this semester. My goal is to maintain and generalize the skills you already have in new settings. I will also introduce you to new and exciting experiences and people who will facilitate your way toward personal independence.
My teaching philosophy is based on the principles of equality, normalization, inclusion, and quality of life. I believe in an educational program, integrating both a scientific perspective and a pragmatic view of its applicability to everyday situations. The scientific perspective incorporates research based strategies that facilitate the acquisition of new knowledge and skills, while the pragmatic view includes community based instruction which takes students to higher levels of learning, including fluency, maintenance and generalization. I believe that these two components are vital to the development of a full education, one that will serve students in achieving personal independence.
I am honored to guide students in a great endeavor, the achievement of personal independence. I believe that any student who works consistently can achieve this goal. I also believe that frequent and vigorous communication between instructors and parents is vital to the success of the students. In addition to being available to meet with parents and students on campus, I hope that you will feel free to email me at CHEZAN@mailbox.sc.edu any time with questions, comments and suggestions.
I am looking forward to working with students, parents, and staff at University of South Carolina