The Rochester Center for Community Leadership is spotlighting the Transition Opportunities at the University of Rochester (TOUR) program. TOUR is an inclusive college experience for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are age 18 to 21. TOUR students have the opportunity to participate in college courses, vocational training and internships, transition and independent living education, as well as social activities. For more information about TOUR, please visit the website.
Name: Sol Kim
Hometown: Corvallis, Oregon
Class year: 2018
Major: BCS
What is a typical day/week like as a tutor?: I attend class with my TOUR student(s) and meet with them outside of class for at least one hour for our weekly academic coaching sessions. In between classes and individual coaching sessions, tutors and mentees will text each other about homework and run into each other fairly often – most likely at Starbucks or Meliora! If I run into the TOUR students I’ve taken a Spanish language course with, we’ll strike up a conversation in Spanish 🙂
What do you love the most about LEAP/TOUR?: I love exploring a diverse selection of courses offered at UR that specifically fits the interests of another student! Thanks to the TOUR students I’ve worked with, I’ve had the opportunity to take courses I otherwise wouldn’t have explored, like philosophy and music history courses. While I personally have learned a lot by being in a teaching position and taking some interesting classes, it’s also really rewarding to be integrally involved in the life of another student, a peer, and a friend!
What would you say to anyone looking to apply?: Definitely, do! It’s a learning experience that will open and blow your mind! I feel very fortunate and am thankful to have been involved in this program as a TOUR academic coach. I’ve been blessed with fresh perspectives on the college experience and consider myself environed with a diversity of learning styles and opportunities. There’s so much to be gained through this program and it’s so worth all the time, energy, and effort.