Ready for Launch helps students take off

By Carson Lemon
Staff Reporter

Leaving high school and heading to college can leave students with hundreds of questions and no clear path forward about where to get answers. Generally, most students are well versed in navigating the internet, making calls and emailing questions to find the resources they need. However, neurodivergent students and students with disabilities often find themselves with questions that are not easily answered through a website’s Frequently Asked Questions page.

Ready for Launch, an LCC program that runs in conjunction with transition coordinators from local high schools, is a program that aims to answer questions and connect underserved students with resources that can help them succeed on their academic journey. The event takes place once a year, originating in 2021 when it was first founded under through the Coalition for College and Career Readiness (C3R) at LCC.

C3R, under the direction of Dr. Toni Glasscoe, identified through various focus groups that there was a demographic of high school seniors graduating that were not being reached by LCC—neurodivergent students. Ready for Launch began with the goal of simply informing neurodivergent students and their families about what being an LCC student looks like and what resources the college offers to support students. Students can also connect with LCC’s Center for Student Access and meet with the accessibility consultants to learn what the accommodations process looks like and the technology and services available to them.

This year, Ready for Launch took place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 6 in the Gannon Building on LCC’s Downtown Campus. The event features presentations from LCC staff so that students, parents and transition coordinators alike learn more about the admissions process, financial aid, registration, accessibility services and more.

According to Frank Taylor, care services manager for the Center for Student Access, the ethos of everything they do at the center is “nothing about us without us.” When they make plans and tweak events, they are constantly seeking input from parents and students alike. “We're not doing things to people. We're not doing things for people. We're doing things with people,” Taylor said.