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Goal setting, self-advocacy, designing your own future… these were all uncharted ideas floating in Chad’s mind when he began the FUTURE Program at the University of Tennessee. He knows what he likes and doesn’t, and chooses what he wants to do. Just ask him to give up a sport related class or activity for a non-sport option and it will be clear to you. Chad needed was some guidance to direct his interests into an independent future. With support of the FUTURE Program, he has discovered new strategies which have expanded his self-determination.
Chad has a clear understanding of what classes he wants to take. Chad is very interested in sports management and sports writing. He chooses classes that enhance his knowledge of subject material and related skills. This semester he chose an English course to develop his writing skills.
Chad knows that in order to establish the future you desire, it is very important to set goals. Chad counsels, “if you don’t set goals, you are happy to be in the same old place. If you don’t push yourself forward you won’t meet new goals. Having goals makes us be more relaxed and open to new things. It is important to have an open mind to setting these goals.”
Chad’s biggest goal this semester is to improve his health. He advocates, “it is important to take care of your body.” To attain his goal Chad focuses on eating fruit, vegetables, and lean proteins; drinking water; and working out regularly. Chad’s desire to lead a healthy lifestyle has helped him achieve a 15 pound weight loss in 6 months. Chad flexes his independence as he improves his health by making choices about where and what to eat. Chad is an inspiration to other students to make changes in their lifestyle.
Dustin is a big sports fan. He knew when he got to the University of Tennessee FUTURE Program he wanted to go to the football and basketball games. But he didn’t know how to plan the outing.
In the beginning he asked his dad to make arrangements for a meeting place. As the weeks passed, Dustin learned the process. Now when he wants to go to a game, he makes his own arrangements to meet his mentor and other friends.
From a friend:
Dustin has made enormous strides since we first met. He no longer puts decisions about his life in the hands of others, but makes these choices himself. Dustin is a joy to work with, and it has truly been an honor to help him get to where he is now.
My father gave me a Next Steps video. And I said, “Pick me! I want to go to Next Steps.” Now I’m making food and cooking. I’m walking around and I’m really busy. I have stuff to do, getting homework done, and finishing everything for the whole week. I have to get moving in the morning so I can get ready for breakfast and go to Commons for classes and Ambassadores. I’m living on my own, and it’s a little bit hard because sometimes I get stressed. But I have Josh and Justin to help me. We are a family together. We eat dinner together, go to pizza places, have fun, and go to Best Buddies events.
I go to bible club called RUF. I also go to Fellowship Church with my parents. We’re going to Peru this Christmas on a mission trip. I also do Food Forays with the whole Next Steps group at the apartments where I live. We play sports when we’re together like basketball, tennis, football, swimming, hockey, and Frisbee.
I’m glad I came to Next Steps because I’ve met a whole lot of people. It makes me happy that somebody is there for me.
I work in the Munchie Mart at Branscomb. I work in Branscomb on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It’s really good. They have the food items, school objects, and everything else. They have a freezer and kitchen.
The first day went really well. They taught me how everything goes. It was pretty easy. I’ve had other jobs in the past, so this wasn’t my first. I like it better than other jobs I’ve had. After work, they let me have free food and free drinks.
My main job is being a stocker. I stock all the items to the right shelf and the right spot. Not just that, but sometimes I take out the trash, we bring in different objects, and we even get objects in and out of the freezer. It was really cold in there! It felt like an ice cave. Working in the freezer is my favorite part of my job.
I got to meet the boss and the manager. I also meet new people, such as Norwood, Carla, Ashley, and others. Those guys from my internship, they may be my employees, but they are also my friends.
I’m taking a film class. In film class I watch a movie and then I look at sounds, camera position. Then I listen to the teacher and talk about what I learned from the movie. She answers questions about the movie. I like the teacher because she is so nice and friendly. I give my homework to her and she checks it for me. Later, she is happy when she gives it back.
I watch the movies and one of them is called Conversation. We’re learning about sounds, and how to pay attention to each of them: crashing, banging, music. I learn about the plot of the movie, what the character is doing, what’s in the background, what sounds are doing. It’s pretty fun to learn about it once you get the hang of it. After learning about film stuff, it’s easier to notice it later in other movies.
Sometimes it’s not easy. We have to figure out what to watch next. We have to read the film class book to know about what we’re supposed to remember. You have to do this to prepare for the next film. There’s a lot of responsibility. If you forget or miss a movie, then you have to pay attention to the teacher and listen.
My favorite thing about the class is watching movies because it’s very fun. It’s really exciting waiting to see what happens next.