Photo courtesy of Down Syndrome Alabama.
Down Syndrome Alabama last week awarded $11,000 in scholarships to five students headed to college, including one from Hoover.
The Jake Pratt Scholarships, made possible by a grant from the UPS Foundation, are awarded exclusively to students with Down syndrome who are seeking a collegiate experience at accredited programs for students with intellectual disabilities, who desire to enhance their life through employment, independent living and life skills.
The recipients this year include: Allie Simmons of Hoover, who is enrolled in the Access program at Mississippi State University; Jackson Ray of Vinemont and Lindsay Davis of Mountain Brook, who are enrolled in the Eagles program at Auburn University; Serah Jeppsen of Dauphin Island, who is enrolled in the Passages program at the University of South Alabama; and Cooper Long of Fairhope, who is enrolled in the Crossing Points program at the University of Alabama.
Each of the candidates submitted applications, letters of recommendation, personal essays and extra personal documents to show interests, talents and expressive abilities. They also interviewed with a four-member scholarship committee.
The scholarships are given in honor of Pratt, a young man with Down syndrome from Vestavia Hills who completed a post-secondary education program at Clemson University and is employed by UPS.
The UPS Foundation gave Down Sydrome Alabama a $50,000 grant to use for scholarships over several years. Last year, the grant provided scholarships totaling $13,000.
“This is a great day in our state,” said Missy Haughery, Down Syndrome Alabama’s executive director, in a press release. “The Jake Pratt Scholarship is one of a kind that will enable these students to pursue their goals and dreams of furthering their education in order to live independently and become employed, productive members of society. The opportunity to attend a junior college or university is still a new concept for this community, and I am soproud of these trail-blazing students’ work ethic. On behalf of Down Syndrome
Alabama, I want to thank the UPS Foundation for understanding the importance of inclusion, diversity, and equity in education and helping make this opportunity possible.”
One in every 700 babies are born with Down syndrome, representing approximately 6,000 births per year in the United States,” according to Down Sydrome Alabama.
Recent advancements in Down syndrome research have shown that early intervention, education, social support, therapeutic care and positive public attitudes improve each individual’s chances of living an independent, productive and satisfying life, the organization said.
For more information, go to downsyndromealabama.org.
