Everyone has a unique learning profile, says Richard Hayes, a learning strategist in Student Disability Services. His office is dedicated to making sure students with a learning disability get the support they deserve.

“Just because someone processes information differently doesn’t mean they are abnormal,” Hayes says. “Needing an Individual Education Plan is nothing to be ashamed of.”

The plans are tailored to the challenges facing each particular client.

“I give them a skill set to allow them to succeed, and I put accommodations in place to help them compete fairly,” says Hayes.

Fourth-year psychology major Nicholas Vincent, a running back on the Lancer football team, is one of those clients. He has gone through the process of accepting his challenge in life by working alongside Hayes to help him reach his full potential.

He calls Hayes a very approachable person who cares about the well-being of his students: “I have never had an issue with getting help from Richard or anyone else that works in the disabilities office.”

Learn more about Student Disability Services on its website.

—Braunte Petric