SCC celebrates uniquely-abled machinists

Aug. 26—South Central College's Uniquely Abled Academy — distinctive in the students it serves, specially designed by a father of two autistic children, one-of-a-kind in all of Minnesota — graduated its first class Thursday afternoon.

The 11 students with autism had been studying intensely five days a week since June, learning specialized machining skills that are in high demand in the manufacturing industry. And evidence of their new talents was on display.

"You guys have exceeded everybody's expectations tenfold. You set a high bar ...," said Courtney Jones, the student success coach who guided the students in the non-technical aspects of excelling in a technical college course.

Jon Morgan and Bill Block, the machine tool technology faculty who led the learning, were equally impressed.

"There were struggles. There were triumphs. But we did it together," Morgan said.

What the students have learned already is enough to land them good-paying jobs. For some, the basic computer numerical controlled machining skills will be the first step to other more-advanced manufacturing challenges they will tackle.

"The sky's the limit," Morgan said, predicting students will continue expanding their career ambitions "and build the things they've dreamed about since they were little kids."

Gus Lennartson of Mankato fits that category. A 2021 graduate of the Minnesota New Country School, Lennartson will forgo a nice-paying manufacturing job as he continues studying physics and astronomy at Minnesota State University.

His ideal job would be helping to build the machines that explore the universe, the ones created at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. So he was thrilled to get into the summer program at SCC because it provided some technical groundwork in precision manufacturing.

"From the first I heard it, I knew I wanted to do it," Lennartson said of the Uniquely Abled Academy. "I'm just really happy I got in."

The program in North Mankato remains uncommon enough that Ivan Rosenberg was one of the speakers at the graduation ceremony, attending via Zoom.

A management consultant for the aerospace and defense industries in California, Rosenberg was the man with the vision behind Uniquely Abled Academies. They are already established in a handful of Golden State colleges, with two more in Ohio and one apiece in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and — now — Minnesota.

With autistic children of his own, Rosenberg contemplated the possibility of educational programs that took advantage of the characteristics of some on the autism spectrum — such as an intense interest in a certain topic, an ability to focus keenly on precise details and an ability to perform mathematical calculations. The idea was to focus on those strengths rather than how their condition can sometimes lead to social awkwardness, related struggles with interpersonal relationships and perseveration.

"To shift perspectives from 'disabled' — what someone can't do — to 'uniquely abled' — something that people are particularly able to do," Rosenberg told the graduates and their families, saying he discovered that CNC machining was an ideal example. "It's an almost perfect match between your unique abilities and the needs of this high-demand job."

The results from the initial academies have been encouraging — high employment rates for graduates and rave reviews from employers, according to Rosenberg.

That means, he told the graduates in North Mankato, a chance to earn a starting wage of as much as $19 an hour, finance their own apartment, save up for a car and consider the next step in their quest for education or job-skills training.

"We supported you, but you did the work," he said, talking about the students persevering through all-day classes, five days a week for 12 weeks. "Your hard work has paid off. A great future awaits. Congratulations."

SCC President Annette Parker heard Rosenberg give a presentation during a 2020 conference in Bloomington. It struck a chord for the leader of a college that has a mandate to "serve all of our community."

"I knew it was the right thing to do for SCC," Parker said, thanking her staff for pulling it off.

Jim Hanson, the dean of business and industry, was tasked with making a cold call to Rosenberg and getting the academy rolling. Kristin Underwood, SCC's coordinator of customized workforce education, was left to work out the details. Morgan and Block had to figure out teaching strategies for a unique student body. Jones was hired to coach the young adults to a successful result.

"It's just been one huge adventure," Underwood said.

Like most graduating classes, the group was made up of students with varying skills, traits and personalities. Kyle Crnkovic was the graduate with the public-speaking confidence to deliver a few remarks at the conclusion of the ceremony.

"I learned a lot about CNC operation in this class. My favorite project was the air motor," Crnkovic said, describing some of the tribulations in creating the intricate contraption, along with the coding and blueprint-reading skills he picked up. "I stuck with it and now I have my air motor to show my work."

If he shows it to potential employers, it could lead to some solid paychecks. The median annual earnings for computer-controlled machine tool operators was just over $41,000 in 2019, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Whether Minnesota's Uniquely Abled Academy will be a singular experience for Crnkovic and the others in the graduating class of 2022 is unknown. Underwood sees plenty of demand for the program, but this summer's class was funded by a one-time innovation grant from the Department of Human Services.

"We're hoping," she said. "We need funding."

An application for a different grant has been submitted to continue the program, but its prospects are uncertain.