BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"Garrett, in multiple ways, has been a trailblazer for M Power and for students with disabilities," M Power special education teacher Suzy Riedell said.
Midway ISD offers a program to help students with special needs transition after graduating high school.
It teaches life skills, like independence, working, socializing and maintaining a schedule.
"We've had 22 go through and complete the program so far, out of that, there's been about 16 that have gone straight into jobs," Midway ISD transitions specialist Kim Johnson said.
One of those graduates is Garrett Anz — a 2022 Midway High School graduate, but his education didn't stop there.
Now, he is attending Clemson University in South Carolina through the school's Life program… making him the first M Power graduate to go to a four-year college living program.
"I always felt like he was just going to be with us the whole time and never did we imagine this opportunity at a younger age," Garrett’s father Jeff Anz said.
Jeff tells me Midway's version helped Garrett develop the skills he needs at Clemson.
"He came to M Power every single day ready to learn, ready to try new things,” Riedell said.
“Garrett never met anything he wasn't willing to try,"
"He's more independent than we gave him credit for, first of all," Anz said.
The program teaches also day-to-day life skills, like grocery shopping, money management, doing laundry, following a schedule and keeping a job.
The length of the program varies depending on the student's needs.
"A lot of our students and their parents don't think they can attend college," Johnson said. “"We would love to see more of our students be able to go and independently attend college,"
At Clemson, Garrett works front desk at a hotel on campus, attends class, joined a fraternity and lives with three other roommates.
"One, two, three … go Tigers," M Power graduate Garrett Anz said.
