Family Vacation First, Then Work

Brandon Dahle, 22, has just been grocery shopping with his friends. They had a list and he can recite it verbatim, but what he remembers with even more precision was the good time the group had while gathering all the makings for Quesadilla Friday. “It’s going to be fun,” he says. “But I just like the cheese quesadillas with sour cream, not the jalapeños.”
      The daily activities Brandon enjoys - his favorite is attending a class at the Logan LDS Institute - are planned and realized through PEER, a program operated by the Cache and Logan school districts and housed at USU’s Center for Persons with Disabilities. They are the types of activities that most of us take for granted, maybe even whine about. But for Brandon and his friends the chance to go through the motions represents nothing short of self-realization and freedom.
      “It gives them a chance to be with age peers,” says lead teacher Stephanie Wilkinson. “We work on budgeting skills, cooking skills … basically any skill that will allow them to live on their own one day. And we always have a good time.”
      In addition to expanding Brandon’s social and recreational opportunities, PEER also helped Brandon find a job in the community and will provide an aid to help him explore other jobs at additional sites. And while Brandon is excited to try them all, he’s not about to let work get in the way of his family’s annual summer trip to Alaska. “I caught a 150-pound halibut one year,” he says.
“I’m going to catch one even bigger.”
          See, Brandon’s already learning: work will have to wait.  —Jared Thayne ’99

Life with Rylie

Rylie Carpenter, 4, is a teacher. She’s also an athlete, an advocate, a student and, according to her mother, an angel.
      Since she and her brother Bryson, 8, who also uses a wheelchair - arrived on the scene, life for Rylie’s immediate and extended families has been a supersonic rollercoaster ride; more appointments than a handheld computer can book, more forms and statements than a mailbox can hold, more joy than most of us can fathom. And with it all come the lessons only Rylie can teach.
      Rylie and her brother are both graduates of the Center for Persons with Disabilities’ Up-To-3 program, which tracked their physical, emotional and social progress from birth. Through the CPD, Rylie is also the proud recipient of a customized chair that holds her arms up and allows her to play with her peers.
      “For us, the CPD is a very much appreciated resource,” says Jessica Carpenter, Rylie’s mother, herself an advocate for children with special health care needs. “They’ve directed us where to go for information and understanding. They’ve helped us actually meet other parents and they’ve been there to help us cope, providing support systems and other resources that we’ve come to rely on.”
      Through her participation in basketball, bowling, swimming and soccer, Rylie boasts trophies in Top Sports, a program that affords her “a chance to get out and interact with other kids,” says Jessica.
      But typical of her generous heart, Rylie isn’t the only one collecting rewards.
      “Having these special angels in our lives helps us grow,” says Jessica. “So often their smiles just brighten our day, wherever they go, they just brighten everyone’s existence. I think of the knowledge we’ve gained, things we wouldn’t have otherwise experienced. There’s no question it’s made me a better person and I just think it’s an honor being their mother.” —Jared Thayne ’99

Life Is Simply Bleu-ti-ful

Marla Peterson, 44, is working the crowd. There’s not a person in the room she hasn’t made smile yet and it’s not just because she’s insisting she’s only 37. In between flashing double thumbs-ups and shooting age-doubters with her mock index-finger revolver, she makes sure everyone takes time to notice the things that, in her estimation, are truly “bleu-ti-ful.”
      Here’s a picture she’s drawn of flowers, here’s another of caregivers, horses, sunshine, friends. When Marla’s in the house, it’s pretty much your best day. They need Marla at the UN.
           But Monday through Friday, Marla receives day services through the Bear River Activity and Skills Center (BRASC), a project operated through USU’s Center for Persons with Disabilities. She helps with dishes, cleaning, vacuuming; she does math and works on letters.
        Staff assistant Jann Pugmire says people sometimes call Marla “Moneybags” because of her affinity for, and loyal protection of, a hard-earned dollar. Still, Marla loves to have her nails done, and going bowling or shopping ranks right up there with country music. “Dance,” says Marla.
      Pugmire says Marla visits her elderly mother on weekends and lives with a host family during the week. As a training  and support center for adults and youth with relatively severe disabilities, BRASC offers Marla structure, teaching her functional academic, social and daily living skills and helping her with transportation and employment needs. In return, Marla serves as a smiling ambassador of hope, which is pretty impressive, really, especially at her young age. —Jared Thayne ’99