Carrie Park discovered Shepherds College while looking for a post-secondary school for her son, who has Down syndrome. When she found the Christian school, which offers career training, life skills and a full college experience for students with intellectual and development disabilities on its Union Grove campus, she knew it was the right fit.
Park, who has worked in leadership roles within the nonprofit industry for over a decade, was so impressed with the school that she offered her experience as a consultant to help it grow.
That effort quickly turned into a job. In January, she was named president of Shepherds Foundation Inc., the college’s fundraising and marketing arm.
“Shepherds College is a nation-leading educational service provider that offers non-degree granting accredited programs for young adults with IDD. Our placement rate post-graduation is four times the national average at over 80%,” Park says. “We’re giving them a true college experience where they discover their strengths, discover their spiritual gifts and relationship with Jesus, and learn to live a thriving, fulfilled, empowered life.”
Shepherds College offers occupational training programs in culinary art, horticulture and technology. Each offers extensive training in their respective fields, preparing students for employment after graduation.
Along with its life and social skills classes, the college helps prepare students to live on their own, offering several levels of dormitory and apartment-living options, catered to the level of independence that best suits each student’s needs.
On average, 65% of students benefit from a Shepherds College scholarship each year. As the new president of Shepherds Foundation, one of Park’s major goals is growing the endowment and increasing that scholarship fund so that no family will face a monetary obstacle if a loved one wants to attend the school.
“We would also love to see Shepherds College expand outside of Wisconsin,” Park says. “About 150,000 students with intellectual and developmental disabilities graduate high school every year and don’t fit the mold of larger universities’ programs. We want to serve as many of those students as we can.”
View this post on Instagram
What We Do
- Shepherds College offers a post-secondary education for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It trains students in occupational and life skills and offers a residential college experience.
Where Your Money Goes
- The school relies on donations to fund student scholarships. Shepherds College students do not qualify for financial aid, so scholarships are crucial in helping families afford the education
- Donations are also used for campus renovation and improvement, as well as efforts to expand Shepherds’ reach outside of Wisconsin.
Shepherds College
1805 15TH AVE., UNION GROVE | 262-878-5620
