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Alumnus helps challenged teens follow his “go and do” philosophy
“Life is about getting out and doing things,” Devon Parson's life seems to say. And passing that philosophy on to others for whom getting out and doing things isn't so easy has become his life's mission.
Parson (Humanities, '07) helped start Pathways to Independence, a special education program in the Durango 9R School District for students with disabilities, for which he is the program coordinator. He is also a musician, river guide, and wilderness first aid instructor.
“And I have an art show coming up in Denver, my first one-person show,” he adds. “And I’m a volunteer firefighter. I don’t like to have too much idle time.”
Parson brings that attitude of “get out and do” to Pathways.
“This is a program to help students transition to high school,” explains Parson. “It’s for students with a full range of disabilities, from mild to moderate to severe. Depending on their needs, abilities, and interests, we try to find avenues for them to engage, through college courses, or working at restaurants, or trying recreational avenues, like taking the trolley to the rec center.”
Parson says Fort Lewis College fit his wide-ranging interests while also preparing him for the “get out and do things” work and lifestyle he now pursues.
“I was working as a handyman the whole time I was at Fort Lewis,” he laughs. “The perfect combination of philosophy classes and working with my hands.”
“I think Fort Lewis was really great,” he continues. “Not just the classes, but the experiential education, whether it was doing river trips on weekends with friends, or studying abroad in Ecuador not knowing a word of Spanish when I started.”
“FLC helped me look outside the box and not go down one particular path,” Parson concludes. “It also helped me learn how to network and find opportunities for my students.”