24-year-old Joshua Favela has a lot to celebrate this year. He just graduated with his degree from CSU in Los Angeles county and will be starting an internship with a local school district. He says the programs at Passport To Learning, Inc. have played a big role in his success.
“I believe everything I’ve done has helped me with becoming more confident and getting my independence.” Josh said.
Josh began receiving ILS and ALS services at PTL in high school. Josh’s biggest goal was taking steps toward independence. His instructors worked with him on navigating public transportation and preparing his own meals. Josh and his instructor would go on trips to the grocery store, library, museums, and more.
It’s a change that his mom has noticed, too.
“I see growth with every single [instructor] he’s worked with,” She said. “Everyone tries very hard and they give him the knowledge that they have. It’s definitely been very beneficial for Josh’s independence.”
Once Josh got to college, he worked with his instructors on scheduling his classes and managing his coursework. Josh studied communication disorders due to his interest and experience in speech therapy. Now that he’s graduated, Josh wants to become a speech language pathologist assistant and is working on completing the required 100 hours of clinical supervision. He is also currently awaiting placement for his internship program.
“I want to impact a lot of kids or teens with similar problems that I had,” Josh said. “I want to take that personal experience and help others.”