Kelly Osowski will spearhead the new program, a unique, post-secondary certificate program that allows people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to realize their dream of receiving a college experience.
Concordia University Wisconsin has long had a heart for helping young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In recent years, the AbleLight College program filled this important role. Before that, Bethesda College program served those needs. Now, this type of program will be more fully integrated into Concordia University Wisconsin with the new Hesed Transition Program.
Earlier this month, Kelly Osowski, assistant clinical professor of occupational therapy at CUW, was named to be the program’s director.
In a letter sent recently to parents, Osowski explained, “I am thrilled to join this community and continue the outstanding work that has been established. My background in occupational therapy, coupled with years of experience in healthcare and academia, positions me well to guide our students towards achieving their goals of independence and vocational success.”
We are committed to our mission to uplift and empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities as they navigate the challenges of transitioning into adulthood.
Kelly Osowski
Osowski brings a unique background to the role. She has been an assistant clinical professor of occupational therapy at CUW since 2022, playing an integral role in developing, staffing, and managing CUW’s Interprofessional Clinic, which opened last year. She has also worked as an occupational therapist for the Aurora Grafton Medical Center since 2012. In these roles, she has extensive experience developing care and advocacy plans for her patients.
Care and compassion
Her passion for serving those with intellectual and developmental disabilities has grown from her work with such patients as an occupational therapist. In particular, one special patient at the Interprofessional Clinic at CUW has helped her sense this calling.
“There’s a client in the Community Clinic, who’s been coming for a while, and has developmental disabilities, who really helped me change up how I saw my practice as a therapist,” Osowski explained. “It’s not just about working with the physical side of things, but also the mental and emotional. I was able to help him advocate for himself in his group home, and he really appreciated it. He helped me use my skills as a therapist in a different way.”
That type of approach is a perfect fit for Concordia’s mission, to help students “develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world.” Though the new initiative will follow in the tradition of the AbleLIght College program, which previously served the needs of students facing special challenges at Concordia, the Hesed Transition Program will be more fully integrated into the Concordia way of life.
“Now that we’re officially part of Concordia, the faith-based part of things will be emphasized more than ever,” she explained. “Jesus loves everybody, and we want to make sure all students know and experience that.”
It also means looking for more opportunities for other CUW students to interact and build relationships with Hesed students. Learning to transition into the world beyond college, after all, is a challenge every student faces—and it includes getting comfortable with people who face different types of challenges than they do.
Living and learning
From an academic standpoint, the new program will also include a bit more structure than previous iterations.
“We’ll be incorporating badge assignments into the curriculum,” Osowski said, “which simply means that in addition to graduating from the program with their certificate, students will be able to point to specific classes they’ve taken and skills they’ve developed, to help them get into a particular field they may be interested in.”
The top priority, as always, is to make sure these students are well cared for, Osowski added—and to make sure parents share that confidence. As she assured parents in her letter, “We are committed to our mission to uplift and empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities as they navigate the challenges of transitioning into adulthood.”
Want in?
Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world. To apply for or learn more about the Hesed Transition Program, click the link below.