High School Transition

Student Success Stories

Photo of Holly Bartlett

Holly Bartlett

Holly Bartlett is a fourth year honours psychology student at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. For three years, Holly was in the business program, after which she changed to psychology. She is presently applying to grad school. She is visually impaired and has a guide dog named Willow, who helps her live independently. [Full Story]

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Danny Freeman

Danny Freeman is a fourth year electrical engineering student who attends Memorial University in Newfoundland. Although he’s faced challenges as a student with Muscular Dystrophy, he had an extremely successful transition from high school to post-secondary school. [Full Story]

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Shane Parker

Shane is a history major in his fourth year at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. As a student with a learning disability, Shane uses the services of the Meighen Centre for Learning Assistance and Research at Mount Allison. [Full Story]

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Shawn Smith

Shawn Smith is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Prince Edward Island, majoring in history with a minor in political science. He is interested in education and plans to work towards an education degree. Shawn is also a student with a learning disability. [Full Story]

Photo of Jennifer Eddy

Jennifer Eddy

Jennifer Eddy is about to complete her first year at Cambrian College in Ontario. She is a business administration student who says she is extremely happy with her program. Jennifer has a moderate visual impairment to the degree that people often cannot notice her disability. [Full Story]

Photo of Joëlle Arvisais

Joëlle Arvisais

Joëlle Arvisais admits to being one of the “lucky ones.” She says she sailed through the transition from high school to post-secondary education without encountering any problems related to being a student with a physical disability. She recently obtained her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from UQAM (Université du Québec à Montréal), and is currently enjoying a career in the field. [Full Story]

Photo of Lena Cook

Lena Cook

Lena Cook is a student with Cerebral Palsy, but she hasn’t let that stop her from reaching her academic goals. She is currently in her third year of a bachelor of sociology program at the University of Saskatchewan. Lena completed a one-year business program at a community college after high school, and chose to attend university after having trouble finding work out of college. [Full Story]

Photo of Catherine McGowan

Catherine McGowan

Catherine McGowan’s post-secondary career has presented her with a variety of challenges and forks in the road. But with each new path taken, she has learned something about herself and her abilities. [Full Story]

Photo of Jake Fehr

Jake Fehr

Jake Fehr graduated last fall with a bachelor of science degree from the University of Calgary. Despite the difficulties posed by being a postsecondary student with a disability, Jake looks back fondly on his time in university. [Full Story]

Photo of Corey Walker

Corey Walker

Corey Walker has big goals for himself, and he doesn’t intend to let his disabilities get in the way. Corey, who has a visual-perceptual disorder, Tourette’s Syndrome, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and ADHD, is hoping to graduate this year from the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) with a bachelor’s degree in English and history. [Full Story]

Photo of MaryAnne Duchesne

MaryAnne Duchesne

MaryAnne Duchesne is a visually impaired mature student in the Northwest Territories. She is also the Territories Representative on the NEADS Board of Directors and the Secretary/Treasurer of the Association. Being a student with disabilities in the Northwest Territories, where services the rest of the country can take advantage of often don’t reach until much later, has posed many problems. But she says her determination has allowed her to combat most of these challenges. [Full Story]




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