“Penny and Melva are first and foremost devoted mothers who want the best for their children. They are also tireless advocates for the needs of children with developmental and intellectual disabilities; each of them has a daughter with a disability that has made her ineligible for college admission.

Katelyn (Penny’s daughter) and Morgan (Melva’s daughter) are both bright, curious, and engaging young women who think about their futures and want to make independent lives for themselves. Penny learned that there were programs offered on college campuses in South Louisiana that helped students with disabilities achieve those goals. However, there were no programs north of Interstate 10.

Penny wrote to Gov. John Bel Edwards asking for his help in developing post-secondary educational options for young people in Central Louisiana. His response was to ask her to work with LSUA to develop a program. She did just that. Her intervention and her collaboration with LSUA led to the development and launch of SPERO (Special Program for the Enhancement of Resources and Opportunities for Students with Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities).

Melva has also played a vital role in the program’s development. She joined Penny in advocating with school administrators, community leaders, and funders to create and launch SPERO. Both women became members of an LSUA steering committee that met for over two years. They never missed a meeting and provided crucial help and guidance to the other committee members.

SPERO was launched in Fall 2022. Through the program, eligible students are integrated into the campus experience. They audit college-level classes and receive training designed to develop their daily living, interpersonal, and employment skills. They also spend time and make friends with degree-seeking students in their age cohort, bridging their connection to the campus community at large.

Melva and Penny have different approaches and personalities. Melva is more forward, Penny more reserved. But both speak from the heart about their children, have worked incredibly hard to provide opportunities for them, and are opening doors not only for their own daughters, but also for other young people in our region.”