Our Crowdfunding Groups
Our project has ended. Thank you to all of our generous supporters. To learn more about Project Focus, visit https://projectfocus.coe.arizona.edu/.
Project FOCUS would not be possible without Peer Mentor support. Modeling study skills, age appropriate behaviors, and positive relationship building are just a few of the components that Peer Mentors support our students with. Project FOCUS is lucky to have such dedicated, passionate, and outstanding humans as our Peer Mentors!
Read the Q & A below to get to know a few of our mentors:
Ella shared, "I decided to apply to be a mentor because I saw women in my sorority who enjoyed being mentors themselves. I wanted to become more involved in the college of education and create meaningful relationships. The people have kept me here! The students, Peer Mentors, and Staff are so wonderful, and I cherish the time I have spent with them all."
When asked what her favorite area of the program to support is, Rebecca reflected, "The social aspect of the program is my favorite. I’ve seen so many of the students in the program completely flourish in the inclusive environment created at the University. I love being able to better understand each student and witness them become more comfortable with their social abilities"
Sandra added, "For me, it’s between social and class. I liked social interactions because I see the students as my friends and I like spending time with my friends. Class was my other favorite because it gave me the opportunity to practice my skills and one day become the best teacher I can be."
When asked what her favorite memory in Project FOCUS was so far, Lauren reminisced, "This semester my favorite memory was Mateen jamming out to Hells Bells by ACDC on a Thursday lunch social event! We had been playing “Heads-up: Karaoke version” and after some laughs of singing different lyrics to guess the songs, we turned to YouTube to create our own Karaoke game and everyone chose their favorite song to jam out to. Mateen’s dance moves and energy that day was amazing!"
A peer mentor and friend shared, “Getting to know Chelsea has been the highlight of my year. Her kindness and joy radiate from her smile and never fails to lift my spirits. Chelsea is always eager to dive into learning and experimenting with creative subjects like Photoshop, Adobe Spark, Photography, visual art, and so much more! In comparison to everyone else I’ve met during my time at U of A, I can confidently say Chelsea represents the true Wildcat spirit. “
1. What has been your favorite class you’ve taken? What did you
like about it?
Fashion Class was my favorite class because I learned
about the clothes.
2. What was your favorite thing to do on campus?
I liked going to the bookstore. I like going to the sporting events.
3. What is your favorite memory in Project FOCUS?
My favorite memory from Project Focus is going to the basketball games.
4. What are you looking forward to for next semester?
I am excited to meet new people.
5. What internship did you work at last year? What did you do there? What did you like about it?
I worked for the sand volleyball team. I kept the score of the games and collected the balls for them. I liked working with the team and they were very nice to me.
6. What is your dream job?
My dream job is to be a zookeeper.
A friend and peer mentor shared, “It has been a pleasure supporting Mateen this semester working on his employment blogs. Mateen is patient, kind and loves to laugh. Zooming with him has absolutely become something I look forward to doing every week! He is a hard worker who is always up for a challenge. We usually get through the blog post pretty quickly because of how well we have become working as a team and when we are done we usually hangout and talk about cars or fun things we both wish to do after we finish school!”
Another friend and mentor shared, “During my scheduling meetings with Mateen he is actively managing his time by keeping track of conflicting events, as well as adding personal appointments to his calendar. For social events that he has interest in, Mateen will coordinate with other peer mentors and students to see if they are going to the same events. It has been great working with him and I enjoy hearing about all the fun times he has at his social events.”
Q & A with Mateen:
1. What has been your favorite class you’ve taken? What did you like about it?
I have liked all the classes I have taken. My favorite of them all is Sport Leisure and Consumer Culture, TLS 150B.
2. What was your favorite thing to do on campus?
My favorite things to do on campus were going to the University
of Arizona Gymnastics meets and the bungee jump when it was at
the UA mall.
3. What is your favorite memory in Project FOCUS?
Completing the Spartan Challenge on the UA mall with a Project
FOCUS peer mentor.
4. What are you looking forward to for next semester?
Next semester, I look forward to continuing my job search and
portfolio.
5. What internship did you work at last year? What did you do there? What did you like
about it?
I worked at the A Store at the McKale Center. I hung up T-shirts and
counted inventory. I liked my co-workers and being near a lot of the
UA athletes.
6. What is your dream job?
My dream job is to work in finance at the Tucson Audi dealership.
A peer mentor and friend shared, “Jamelle is such a positive, understanding and open minded individual. I have had the opportunity to get to know Jamelle through working on his employment vocabulary this semester. From my first meeting with him it became immediately apparent how much of a light he is- and I mean this quite literally. He is always ready to work, and he is good at finding the positive aspects in negative situations. Him and I got along really well off the bat and became friends quickly because he is a talented artist and I have many tattoos. I began sharing my tattoos with him and he began showing me his new masterpieces he had created. An issue we experienced over the course of the semester was our internet connection. We almost always had issues to the point where neither of us could see or hear each other. At first, I think we both felt a little overwhelmed and frustrated but we quickly came to a resolution- when the internet connection was lagging, we called each other on speaker phone and worked together through the vocabulary. Jamelle had such a positive attitude even during these stressful moments. This is a prime example of how open minded and positive he is. Additionally, there was one occasion where I completely missed our zoom meeting because I got my days all mixed up. Jamelle had been waiting on the zoom for me and I never showed up. When I had realized what had happened, I texted Jamelle immediately to apologize. Instead of him expressing frustration or any negative feelings he simply reminded me that things like this happen all the time and not to worry. This situation really portrays Jamelle’s personality perfectly. He is so understanding and reassuring. I am so glad I got to meet him and become his friend!”
1. What has been your favorite social event or activity? What did you like about it?
My favorite social event in my opinion is the Art social because i have a strong talent for drawing pictures and sketching out characters made up or from a TV show, comic, or game.
2. What is your favorite memory in Project FOCUS?
My favorite memory in Project FOCUS was joining the program for the first time as I was excited to be a U of A wildcat.
3. What are you looking forward to for next semester?
I am looking forward to hopefully go on campus because I want to see and feel what it’s like to be a college student on campus.
4. What internship are you interested in once we are back on campus?
If they have an internship that allows me work with children or an internship that can work with my artistic abilities I would love to do work for.
5. What class did you like best this semester?
I love my Asian art and culture class because I have a strong interest in subjects in East Asia like its history, art and culture.
6. What is your dream job?
When I was young, I wanted to be a paleontologist because of my love for anything ancient and prehistoric like dinosaurs but after realizing I have the talent to draw characters and make them up in my head, I would love to be a comic book artist and one day own a comic book company I made making a universe and story for my own characters.
As a feel good send off to the weekend, please enjoy this video about Andrew one of our current students.
Happy Friday everyone!
Read the interview below to learn more about Andrew:
1. What has been your favorite class you’ve taken? What did you like about it?
The Money Class is my favorite class I’ve taken because I’ve learned how to budget my money.
2. What was your favorite thing to do on campus?
I enjoyed going to papa john’s on campus for olive pizza and watching movies at the Gallagher theatre. I also liked visiting N’Rich, U-Mart and the Starbucks at the bookstore.
3. What is your favorite memory in Project FOCUS?
My favorite memory is watching “into the woods” at Gallagher Theatre with Rebecca and Katie.
4. What are you looking forward to for next semester?
The spring semester of 2021 I'm looking forward to returning to campus for U-Mart and papa john’s, but I could also look forward to online class because I like it.
5. What internship did you work at last year? What did you do there? What did you like about it?
I worked at the steward observatory and typed on the computer for research and liked that it was at school.
6. What is your dream job?
My dream job is to work at N’Rich because I like preparing foods like pears
Katie is a second-year student with Project FOCUS and has enjoyed being a Wildcat at UArizona. Katie is a vibrant young woman who enjoys getting to know new people on campus and working hard – Katie was the first Project FOCUS student to work the cash register at her internship site!
A peer mentor and friend shared, “Katie is an incredibly kind and thoughtful person. She loves going to Illegal Pete’s on university with friends just as much as she loves answering questions in class. She is driven and passionate about the topics she’s learning, especially when it comes to her education class. She calls her friends a few times a week to “check in” because she knows that sometimes a friend needs encouragement. She is a light on our campus and to know her is to love her.”
Q & A with Katie
What has been your favorite class you’ve taken? What did you like about it?
- TLS150 class is my favorite. I like the assignments.
What was your favorite thing to do on campus?
- I like to go to Illegal Pete’s
What is your favorite memory in Project FOCUS?
- Meeting people on campus
What are you looking forward to for next semester?
- I am looking forward to talking to friends.
What internship did you work at last year? What did you do there? What did you like about it?
- I worked at AZ Market getting food for people, stocking and working the cash register.
What is your dream job?
- I want to be on the Starfleet. I would also like to be a babysitter.
We are so thankful for our amazing peer mentors!
The inclusion model for our program would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of these amazing undergraduate peer mentors.
Please enjoy this quick snapshot of some highlights of these supportive individuals.
A peer mentor and friend shared, “Griffin is super independent! When working with him, you can tell he takes his time to thoughtfully answer questions and complete assignments. Although he's more reserved, you can tell how smart he really is by the effort he puts into everything he does. I really respect him and can tell he'll have a bright future!!”
Another advocate and friend of Griffin stated, “Griffin is one of the most thorough, patient and articulate people I know! I began supporting Griffin with his student led IEP report this semester. During this time, I have had the opportunity to get to know him on a much more personal level. Griffin has made immense progress in his communication skills. It took him a minute to come out of his shell but once we warmed up to each other we were able to work really well together during our zoom meetings. Griffin is punctual, he is always on time for our meetings and immediately ready to work. Griffin is also very passionate about music and instruments. During one of our zoom meetings we talked about how he wants to work at the Chicago music store once he finishes school and his dream is to be in a rock band! On many occasions my internet connection wasn't the best and because of this, my video and audio would cut in and out which I am sure as you can imagine makes working together not the easiest task in the world. While I found myself growing frustrated Griffin simply continued working on the task that we had started that day and got it all done- this is a perfect example of how patient and thorough he is!”
1. What has been your favorite class you’ve taken? What did you like about it?
I only have one class which is Service Learning and I liked it because of the group assignments.
2. What was your favorite thing to do on campus?
Bear Down Friday
3. What is your favorite memory in Project FOCUS?
Going to Bear Down Friday and meeting the Pride of Arizona.
4. What are you looking forward to for next semester?
Starting my internship at a new place
5. What internship did you work at last year? What did you do there? What did you like about it?
The Production Kitchen Bakery and my work was between cornbread and refrigerated cookies
6. What is your dream job?
Working at the Chicago Music Store and doing my own music as a career.
1. What has been your favorite social event or activity? What did you like about it?
My favorite social event was cooking with Kylie where we made fried rice! I
liked it because I really like to cook, and I got to cook with my friends.
2. What is your favorite memory in Project FOCUS?
My favorite memory in Project FOCUS was being able to take a tour of the
campus, going to the student union and having lunch with friends.
3. What are you looking forward to for next semester?
I am looking forward to making new friends, meeting cute and handsome guys
to be friends with and have lunch with and getting closer to finishing college!
4. What internship are you interested in once we are back on campus?
The internship I am interested in once we are back on campus is working in the
student union bakery. I would like to have my internship there because I have
always liked cooking and baking and I am pretty good at it. The more practice
the better I get!
5. What class did you like best this semester?
I liked my music class the most because I made new friends like Jacob, he
helped me with music questions and I got to learn about how to teach music.
6. What is your dream job?
My dream job is working at a restaurant called BJ’s, in the kitchen, or In-N-Out
Burger in the kitchen and the drive-through.
We are grateful and proud of the students in Project FOCUS!
Each year, Project FOCUS staff, peer mentors, school district representatives, family and friends gather together to celebrate at the student-led IEP. This model is one of the many ways Project FOCUS supports students with independently presenting their progress on academics, employment readiness and social interactions. Students are responsible for the creation, edits, video music selection, and presentation of their progress, while developing self-advocacy and self-determination skills along the way.
We hope you enjoy this highlight video from an IEP showcasing student progress and peer mentor support!
Today's Project FOCUS Friday is all about Academics!
Students attend University of Arizona courses on campus with the support of a same aged peer mentor. Course selection is aligned with career goals and student interests. Students are provided instructional support and modifications by a certified teacher to individualize curriculum.
Please enjoy this short video showing just some of the amazing opportunities that our students are engaged in on a daily basis!
Jessica shared more about her journey in Project FOCUS and as a UArizona student:
What has been your favorite class you’ve taken? What did you like about it?
My favorite class is MUS 109. I liked learning about Elvis Presley.
What was your favorite thing to do on campus?
My favorite thing to do on campus was hang out with my peer mentors.
What is your favorite memory in Project FOCUS?
My favorite memory was working in the World of Words Library with Stefani.
What are you looking forward to for next semester?
I am looking forward to seeing my friends and to play music.
What internship did you work at last year? What did you do there?
My internship was at the World of Words library. I would greet people coming into the library and when they left. I reminded people to sign into the log.
What is your dream job?
My dream job is to work at Sonic.
My favorite social events are the lunch hours because I get to meet new people. I like how we get to hang out with each other and have fun at the same time.
My favorite memory was making new friends and getting to know new people.
I'm looking forward to learning more new things because it’s always good to try new things and get to have an experience.
I’m not sure yet on what internship I could be interested in, once we get back on campus.
I like preservice learning and art culture classes because they are interesting but fun at the same time.
