Press release
BATAVIA — For graduating seniors, Thursday, May 14 marked the end of one chapter of their lives and the start of another. For Arc GLOW, the commencement ceremony held at Genesee Community College (GCC) marked the first graduation for the Genesee IGNITE program.
“Did you know that over 30 percent of students choose to leave college before graduating? Most students drop out because of a series of different reasons,” said Katrina Pragle, one of the four graduating seniors in the inaugural class. “Talking from experience, the roughest time was my first semester in college. … My mom helped me find the IGNITE program, so I wanted to thank her for all she did to get me into the program. I also wanted to thank all the staff members who helped me reach my goals.”
Standing for “Inspiring Growth & Nurturing Independence Through Education,” the Genesee IGNITE program, in partnership with GCC, is the second college experience program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) run by Arc GLOW, following in the footsteps of the LIVES program (Learning, Independence, Vocational and Educational Skills) which has partnered with SUNY Geneseo. LIVES, now in its 16th year, also held its graduation ceremony for its four graduating seniors Thursday.
The idea of the program dates back to Feb. 23, 2024 in an e-mail between Timothy Tomczak, dean of liberal arts and sciences at GCC, and the late Dawn Scott, who ran the LIVES program for Arc GLOW. Tomczak said GCC was very excited about the proposed partnership because it aligned closely with the college’s mission, vision, values and strategic priorities.
Then in the first year the inaugural class consisting of Larry Anderson, Dan Barcomb, Katrina Pragle and Jackson Tuohey joined the GCC campus, taking classes taught by the Arc GLOW staff, auditing GCC courses and engaging with the campus community.
“It’s very fitting we’ve gathered here in the Stuart Steiner Theatre, the heart of our campus where so many ceremonies, awards presentations and special events have taken place,” said Tomczak.
“Each graduate began this journey with unique hopes, goals and dreams for the future,” said Kelly Anstey, Arc GLOW senior director of day and employment services. “For some, those dreams were clear from the beginning. For others, they developed along the way. What matters most is that every student arrived with courage, determination, and a willingness to try, and that is where every meaningful journey begins.”
Students interested in joining a college experience through Arc GLOW should visit ArcGLOW.org.
Arc GLOW is a public non-profit supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties.