At College Living Experience (CLE), we know the anatomy of success has many chapters. We believe the team chapter is one of the most critical and must be filled with passionate top notch professionals dedicated to your mission. We recently asked our team to describe their passion and experiences that drew them to work within the disability community. Here are a few inspiring responses.

  • When working in the classroom, my “ah-ha” moment was every time a student understood a new concept for the first time. Seeing the light on someone’s face when they realize that they can do something that previously seemed impossible to them is the most moving experience. Getting to be a part of it makes it so much better!
  • Students with disabilities tend to be more appreciative of what they have rather than what they lack. I enjoy being around students who accept and seek assistance with gratitude and an open mind. Working in a disability community grounds and helps me maintain a “glass half full” mentality.
  • Being a witness and playing a part in the self-discovery of our students is an experience that drives me. This is a time when they begin to define themselves as an individual and set their future path. I also love all the unique interests and perspectives of our students and learn so much from them.
  • My career path began volunteering as an aide in my high school’s Autism classroom, supporting my peers who were on the Spectrum. At the age of 17, I realized that when working with this particular demographic of individuals it made me the happiest I had ever been. Since many of the students I worked with were nonverbal, it allowed me the honor of connecting with them at a heart and soul level. After witnessing the lack of inclusion and oneness in the Autism classrooms and the rest of the high school, I began to facilitate social interactions. These opportunities at lunch time, during basketball games, and activities outside of school, such as going to the movies made a big difference. Watching my Neurotypical friends embrace and learn from my friends on the Spectrum was my most positive memory from high school.
  • This is a community that can be tremendously and positively affected by truly caring and dedicated professionals. We have the opportunity to impact families, students, and everyone whom they come in contact with now and for the rest of their lives. I first discovered this at the start of my career working with low-income students and families with significant emotional and behavioral issues. Those experiences keep me going.
  • I am drawn in by the resiliency of our students. It’s inspiring to see them overcome the obstacles life has thrown their way. I have strong belief that each of our students has the ability to lead successful, meaningful lives and I want to be a part of that.
  • Working with people with special needs, began when I volunteered at a preschool/elementary school for a class in Europe. The opportunity to visit different academic, social, and work assistance programs was impactful. These programs were focused on people of a variety of ages, backgrounds, and abilities. The enlightening experience motivated me to continue to be involved in the field.
  • My passion for helping people in general and being at CLE has definitely sparked a new passion for this demographic in this field. Being able to make a difference in their lives and seeing their progress throughout the year definitely, makes it all worth while.
  • Growing up with the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD, I learned first hand what it felt like to be different from an early age. I learned so much about myself and more importantly, the disability community because I was lumped in with them. Many of my friends in elementary school I met while walking to the nurse’s office to take my medication twice a day at school. I noticed all of the shame and bullying being thrown our way but also experienced a beautiful sense of grace from some others. While admittedly I only experienced a minimal percentage of what our students have gone through, it sparked my passion that has continued throughout my career.


The anatomy of success starts with the passionate and experienced professionals that believe in the work they are doing. Here at CLE, we are honored to serve and love what we do. We might be biased, but our team’s answers reinforce our belief that we have an outstanding team beyond compare.

For more information, contact Tiffany Prior at [email protected].