Born prematurely with the odds stacked against her, this 22-year-old woman has since defied her diagnoses of Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and autism.
While doctors had said she may never walk, talk, read, or write, over the years, she braved through to graduate high school, complete community college, and even win a coveted award.
Jessica Faith Lonergan, of Mount Vernon, Washington, now teaches workshops to encourage other students with developmental delays to pursue their college dreams.
“Karen’s story helped my mom to expect more and not limit my future,” she wrote.
Yet she persevered through the pain, learning to walk at the age of 6, and enduring a back brace that limited her movement.
Two years later, she earned a place at Skagit Valley College as part of their INVEST (Individualized, Next Step, Vocational Education, and Social Skills Training) program—a specially devised independent-living curriculum, currently adopted by only three U.S. schools, for students with developmental delays.
Lonergan blossomed at college, joining the Campus Christian Fellowship and making many friends.
The proud mom Caldwell, who is also completing a nursing certificate at Skagit Valley, said attending and graduating college was her daughter’s “dream come true,” reported Skagit Valley Herald.
Owing to her success, Lonergan was nominated by the college’s board of trustees for a 2021 Transforming Lives Award in February, placing her among just 34 students representing the 34 community and technical colleges across Washington state, reported Skagit Valley Herald.
“We nominated her because she’s a walking, talking miracle,” Flora Perez-Lucatero, vice-chair of the Skagit Valley College Board of Trustees, told the outlet.
“We feel she truly is an inspiration and a light of hope for so many other students out there who want to attend college, but may feel it may not be for them.”
Since graduation, Lonergan has used the life skills gleaned from the INVEST program to demonstrate how college has enriched her life.
Through workshops, Lonergan helps students with developmental disabilities learn about the incredible support and numerous technologies that could help make a college career possible.
Caldwell claims her daughter may not quite appreciate the gravity of her achievements, but Lonergan’s power to inspire is tangible. So is her power to make her mother proud.
