Our capacity to help others improve inclusive postsecondary education is something we take a lot of pride in doing every day at Think College. Our help desk receives hundreds of emails each year from parents, students, program staff, faculty, and others asking questions and looking for resources. We handle each request with the same care and consideration: A staff person receives a request for assistance, they forward that email to our help desk, and our TA Coordinator either answers the request or assigns it to the most appropriate staff person or consultant on our Think College team. For the past two (plus!) years, Dr. Kathy Becht was the person responding to or coordinating requests for technical assistance. With her retirement, another one of our talented staff, Dr. Chelsea Stinnett, will step into that role and will be coordinating our Help Desk and other kinds of technical assistance provided by our two national centers.
Chelsea has a rich background in inclusive postsecondary education for students with intellectual disability, having served in a variety of roles -from mentor to executive director at the University of South Carolina. She also led the formation of the South Carolina Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Consortium (SCIPSEC), and has experience in alliance formation and implementation, a priority of our Think College Inclusion Higher Education Network. She is excited to help us continue to meet our strong commitment to quality technical assistance.
When asked what the most important information to share about her in announcing her new role, Chelsea said, “I’ve spent time in many different roles within IPSE and have experience in trying, initially failing at, and eventually finding solutions to many day-to-day program problems. From counseling prospective students through the college search process or implementing the person-centered planning process, my approach has always been to meet folks where they are. I’m confident my experience, our bevy of excellent Think College resources, and our stellar team will help so many others trying to increase and refine opportunities for college students with intellectual disability across the country.”
So, you can be confident our Think College Technical Assistance Team will continue to respond to your requests quickly with effective strategies, helpful resources, and a willingness to listen and understand your needs. If you have a question or need, send it our way! Helping you make IPSE better is our happy place.
Email us at ThinkCollegeTA@gmail.com