By Mike Cook
One of Doña Ana Community College’s newest programs, the Career and Life Skills Academy (CLSA), is helping neurodiverse (developmentally disabled) students discover their life goals and how to achieve them.
The year-long program for young adults who are high school graduates or the equivalent, began as a pilot last year at the DACC Workforce Center in Las Cruces, with six students enrolled. This year’s program, which continues with internships this summer, has nine students enrolled, said DACC program specialist Kay Lilley, who teaches the course.
CLSA got its start in 2022 when Michelle Roybal, a young woman with Down Syndrome, wanted a college experience after graduating from high school but was unable to find a program to meet her needs.
Michelle and her mother, Sharon Roybal, met with Susan Wood, a member of DACC…
