What You’ll Learn

Get practical insights and real-life guidance to help students with physical disabilities successfully manage personal care attendants during the transition to college.

  • How students funded, hired, and managed personal care attendants

  • Tips for navigating college housing and campus logistics

  • The role (and limits) of college disability services

  • Insights from both the student and parent perspectives

  • Advice for preparing before move-in day

Course curriculum

    1. Ben Nelson and Angie Nelson- July 16th, 7pmET-PART 1

    1. Leah Vogedes and Kate LaChapelle , July 23rd, 12pmET -PART 2

    1. Gabe Schmick and Jean Schmick-Hopkins- August 6th, 12pmET- PART 3

    1. Survey

About this course

  • Free
  • 4 lessons
  • 0 hours of video content

Session Schedule & Guest Speakers

Each webinar is live via Zoom and includes Q&A with the speakers.

  • July 16, 7:00 PM ET

    "Bringing a PCA to College" Speakers: Ben Nelson (University of Notre Dame) & Angie Nelson

  • July 23, 12:00 PM ET

    "Bringing a PCA to College" Speakers: Leah Vogedes (University of Wisconsin-Madison) & Kate LaChapelle

  • August 6, 12:00 PM ET

    "Bringing a PCA to College" Speakers: Gabe Schmick (Clark University) & Jean Schmick-Hopkins

Meet Your Speakers.

Angie Nelson

Hi!! My name is Angie Nelson. I am Ben’s Mom and my husband’s name is Eric. Eric and I are high school sweethearts and have been married for 25 years this year. We have a lovely 4 year old Golden Retriever named Belle. I love to hang out with family and friends, walk with Belle, run, workout and read.

Ben Nelson

Ben Nelson is a rising sophomore at the University of Notre Dame majoring in computer engineering. He is interested in cybersecurity and will be interning at a firm in this line of work this summer. In the future, Ben would like to work for the Department of Defense. Ben is an Eagle Scout. He loves to spend time outdoors when he is not cheering on the Bucks, Brewers, Packers, and Irish!

Leah Vogedes

Hi! My name is Leah Vogedes and I’m a rising sophomore at University of Wisconsin-Madison. I have Type 2 Spinal Muscular Atrophy and am in a wheelchair, so I need quite a bit of help throughout my day. Until starting college, my mom was my primary caregiver. Throughout my transition to college, I learned a lot about hiring and managing my own caregivers, and I’m looking forward to sharing what I’ve learned with you!

Kate LaChapelle

Hi-I’m Kate LaChapelle. My daughter, Leah, is going to be a Sophomore at UW-Madison. I am a stay-at-home mom, to Leah, our cat, Hunter, and our Cavapoo puppy, Walter. I cannot go a day without reading and read several books a week. I practice self-care by working out and spending time with friends. I am definitely not a helicopter mom lol. I have tried to raise Leah to be independent and self-sufficient knowing that she wanted to work, go to college, and be able to manage her own needs.

Gabe Schmick

Hi, my name is Gabe Schmick, and I’m a rising senior at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, studying political science and minoring in geography. I have limb girdle muscular dystrophy and am a full-time wheelchair user. Before college, my mother was my primary caregiver, and managing caretakers was a new experience for me. Since then, I have been able to go to college on my own in a different state and learned how to live independently.

Jean Schmick -Hopkins

Hi, I'm Jean Schmick -Hopkins. I am a mom of two. Gabe is my oldest and I also have a daughter. I am a fourth grade teacher and have worked in education for more than 30 years. In my "free time" I take care of Gabe's retired service dog Fenwick and our other dog, Hanji.

Meet The Host.

CEO, Accessible College, LLC Annie Tulkin

Annie Tulkin is the CEO/Founder of Accessible College, as well as an educator, author, and public speaker. She is an expert in the area of college preparation and transition for students with physical disabilities and health conditions. She supports students and families across the country. Annie was the Associate Director of the Academic Resource Center at Georgetown University for nearly 6 years. In that position she supported undergraduate, graduate, and medical students with physical disabilities and health conditions and oversaw academic support services for the entire student body. Annie has worked in the disability field for her entire professional career including positions as a Regional Disability Coordinator for Humanitas, Inc. working on the Job Corps disability support contract for The Department of Labor, and as a Project Specialist with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) where she worked with both the National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP) and University Centers of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) Technical Assistance projects. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education from DePaul University, a Masters in Special Education from The University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Certificate in Health Coaching from Georgetown University. Annie was a Peace Corps Volunteer (Mongolia, ‘03-’05) and a Fulbright Fellow (Mongolia, ‘07-’08). She resides in Silver Spring, MD with her husband and daughter.

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