'Meaningful Impact'
Ohio Wesleyan Genetics Student Completes Internship Working with Clients with Developmental Disabilities
Name: Aiden Thom '27
Hometown: Lewis Center, Ohio
High school: Olentangy Orange High School
Major: Genetics
Minor: Psychology
OWU Connection Experience: Completing a three-month spring semester internship working as an in-person direct support professional (DSP) intern with The Alpha Group of Delaware. The nonprofit organization supports clients in Delaware and surrounding counties since 1970.
My Internship
"As a DSP Intern, I provided empathy-based support to adults with developmental disabilities, building trust, promoting open communication, and creating strong relationships that informed individualized support. I also advocated for individuals to make their own decisions and speak up for themselves by providing relevant information about choices and outcomes to promote independence and shape confidence. In addition, I worked with individuals in the day program, employment services, and supportive living to contribute to consistent daily support and community engagement in different environments."
This experience gave me direct exposure to the realities of living with developmental disabilities and challenged many of my preconceived assumptions.
Why This Opportunity?
"Working with adults with developmental disabilities has redefined what meaningful impact means to me. I plan to pursue a master's degree in genetic counseling after graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University. As a future genetic counselor, I will be guiding patients through complex genetic diagnoses using empathy-based, patient-centered care practices.
"I am especially interested in specializing in pediatric genetic counseling, which often involves providing support to families navigating the diagnosis of genetically inherited developmental disabilities. This experience gave me direct exposure to the realities of living with developmental disabilities and challenged many of my preconceived assumptions. I was able to see the vast network of support professionals and community members that care for these individuals, as well as the power of independent living and individualized support."
An Expanded Perspective
"This opportunity showed me that living with a developmental disability is not a tragedy, a perspective that will undoubtedly shift how I counsel families navigating a developmental disability diagnosis in the future, focusing on possibilities rather than limitations. This experience has only reinforced my mission to be a counselor who provides hope rather than one who compounds fear."
My Favorite Moment
"My favorite moment of my internship was getting to know each person that I supported. I never expected to form such strong relationships with every individual in the program. The moment that had the biggest impact on me came during a community outing. We had taken a group to Polaris Mall to shop around and get lunch on probably the windiest day of the year. With the wind gusts nearly sweeping some of the group off their feet as we walked back to the shuttle, I remember everybody huddling around me like penguins to make sure I did not 'fly away.'
"After reflecting on this very funny moment, I realized it carried a much deeper meaning than I originally recognized. One of the things you will quickly realize working in this field is that many of these adults with developmental disabilities will express their emotions and thoughts with remarkable honesty. In that moment, they had all come together to protect me, symbolizing just how much they cared about me. It is truly a moment that I will never forget and one that reflects the unity and love interwoven throughout this work."
Three Important Lessons
"There are three important misconceptions about developmental disabilities that I want to use this opportunity to address. Throughout my time at Alpha, I have worked with many individuals who do not communicate in the same way that I do. This includes individuals who only communicate nonverbally. Working with adults who have developmental disabilities requires fluency in body language, perhaps more than it does in any form of spoken language.
"Just because somebody does not communicate in the same way that we do, does not mean that they do not have anything meaningful to communicate at all. This requires you to shift not only how you communicate, but also how you seek to understand what is being said to you through nonverbal cues. You would be surprised with how strong of a connection you can form with someone who does not communicate through spoken language.
"Secondly, this field has come a long way over the past century. Many individuals attending the day program at Alpha or living in supportive living were institutionalized for parts of their life. Many of these individuals were never given the opportunity to demonstrate what they could truly achieve, as they were deemed incapable of functioning on their own or attaining meaningful employment. My experience at Alpha has shown me firsthand that the difference between ability and capability is often not rooted in the individual themselves, but in the opportunities that they are given. By focusing on what an individual can do, instead of what they cannot do, it opens up the possibility for these individuals to exceed expectations and live lives with value.
"Finally, I want to emphasize that not all developmental disabilities are diagnosed at birth, with many manifesting later in life due to traumatic brain injury or infections. With that being said, it only takes a second for a life to change forever, for somebody's entire world to become unrecognizable. That is why advocacy and support for adults and children with developmental disabilities should be at the forefront of our agendas—because it could be any one of us in need of care in the future. Disability does not discriminate; it is the one minority group that can be entered at any point in a lifetime. Disability also comes in many different forms, so it is crucial to have abundant resources and comprehensive training to support individuals during the transition from adolescence into adulthood or from able-bodied into disabled."
Upholding Others
"While this line of work is not for everybody, it is important that there are people who are willing and able to uphold these individuals as they attempt to navigate life with a disability that was dealt by fate. It is similarly important to recognize that it only takes a second to go out of your way to make somebody's day better. Even the smallest moments can have the biggest impacts in a field like this."
My OWU Mentor
"My faculty mentor was Dr. Clifford Hurst (an assistant professor in the Department of Economics and Business). Dr. Hurst was my mirror throughout this experience, encouraging me to reflect deeply on the impact of Alpha as a social enterprise and the different opportunities I was able to pursue as an intern in the organization. Dr. Hurst also worked diligently to ensure that the internship remained aligned with the goals I had created before the experience began.
"I was especially thrilled to present my internship experience to Dr. Hurst's social entrepreneurship class, where I used my platform to correct misconceptions regarding developmental disabilities and advocate for the individuals who I supported."
My Campus Involvement
"President of Genetics Club."
Why Ohio Wesleyan?
"I chose to attend Ohio Wesleyan because they offered an excellent program for transfer students from Columbus State Community College."
My Plans After Graduation
"After graduation, I plan to pursue a master's degree in genetic counseling and a meaningful career in genetic counseling.
"Faculty and professors at OWU have supported me tremendously as a transfer student, ensuring I graduate within two years and have the necessary prerequisites to apply to graduate school. Rigorous coursework has thoroughly prepared me for graduate-level study, and opportunities to tutor in genetics and become the teaching assistant for the genetics lab have also allowed me to immerse myself in my passions and improve fundamental skills applicable to a career in genetic counseling."