Interview for Ryan Burke

 

Bridget’s blog for November 2022.

Interview for Ryan Burke

I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving celebration with family and friends.   Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of the year because it reminds all of us to be thankful for everything in our life.  I had a great time with my family making pasta. It is an odd way to celebrate Thanksgiving but everyone, even the little kids, can get involved in making the pasta together and making a huge mess.  It has become a family tradition. Maybe we will have turkey at Christmas time.

I am finishing up my fall classes at UIC. It has been challenging and lots of work but I learned a lot. I hope to get good grades. I will continue working at the Nursing School next semester and I will take a course on radical Inclusion and my internship. This time I will be in class on campus and so that should be very exciting. I think it will be better for me to take classes in person instead of online. I have some great support teachers who do everything they can to help me succeed and I am very grateful for them. I also have a study group and all the accommodations that they have available.  

This month I got the chance to interview my friend Ryan.  He has a smile that brightens up the room when he walks in. He is one of a kind! We were on the board together for the National Association for Down Syndrome (NADS is the oldest organization for people with Down Syndrome.) 

He is 28 years old and comes from a big family. He is a great man.  He lives a full and productive life. He has Down Syndrome, just like me, and we belong to the same special recreation association.

Ryan has an amazing life. He is super friendly and loves people. He inspires people especially his family. One of his sisters is a special education professor. Another sister is a Speech Therapist and he has a brother who is a child psychologist.  All of them were inspired by Ryan. He loves his family and is a proud Uncle to his sister Meagan’s kid.

I was so excited to learn that Ryan attended Notre Dame High School in Niles and was a Burke Scholar. This is amazing because it is an INCLUSIVE high school education program of faith, scholarship and service for students with special needs.

The Burke Scholars Program is the first of its kind in the Archdiocese of Chicago and one of a small selection of such programs in the United States. Notre Dame College Prep believes that all students should have the opportunity to participate in a Catholic high school experience regardless of ability or disability.

Now, Ryan works at Notre Dame High School. He loves it because he can see all his past teachers, he is very familiar with the school and has great memories. He also mentioned that they have really great food!

 Ryan also works at an elementary school called Gower. He loves working there and is very committed to his job. People love working with him because he is reliable and super friendly. He is a perfect employee! He is funny and it is fun to hang out with him. His work at Gower is great because he gets supports from The Working Together Group.

Ryan also has lots of fun in his social life. He loves going to movies with his brothers. He loves musicals and doing activities with Seaspar. He is a powerlifter with Special Olympics and often goes to the competition. He also likes going to dances with friends. He loves bowling and swimming.  

He was in a musical called Fiddler on the Roof. He loves musicals like, Into the Woods, Aladdin, Frozen, and Beauty and the Beast.

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Here are some of the things that help Ryan succeed:

.Ryan is successful because ~

·         he has lots of great skills and a good attitude

·         He knows how to take public transportation

·         He never gives up

·         He has a great job coach when needed

·         He likes to have a schedule

·         He works hard and has a strong work ethic

·         When things are new or difficult, he sticks with it and keeps trying

·         He is very dedicated and doesn’t like to take any days off

·         He listens when people give him directions

·         Likes seeing people everyday

·         He is very friendly

·         And he likes to try new things

·         He has lots of support in his life

The most important thing is that Ryan has lots of friends and family and enjoys every minute of his life.

It was so much fun to spend time with Ryan and learn more about his amazing life!  One more incredible self-advocate living his best life!