& BeATING THE ODDS

Muskingum University junior Jack Watts has always wanted to help people. With majors in Criminology and Political Science and a minor in Sociology, he has aspirations of becoming a federal officer.

He is starting that journey with a summer internship at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Louisville, KY, his hometown. He will be a part of crime scene clean up, briefings, and all aspects of investigations.

This drive to help others came from Jack’s grandfather, David Ward, who was a firefighter for more than 25 years. Jack has had the opportunity to give back during his time at Muskingum as part of Kappa Sigma fraternity and the lacrosse team. Both organizations have done numerous community service and fundraising activities, allowing Jack to serve others. He also mentors younger fraternity brothers and teammates.

His grandfather, nicknamed Dewberry, also has shared Dewberry’s life rules with Jack. “My grandpa has like 14 life rules,” said Jack. “They include get a job, then get another job, don’t ride motorcycles, be safe, treat your mom and dad with respect, work hard, and things like that…steps to having a good life. His fire department has them hanging on the wall to commemorate all the work he has done in the community.

“My grandfather came to campus for the first time this semester to see me play lacrosse,” said Jack. “He wore his Muskingum cap, Muskingum grandpa shirt, and his Muskingum socks. He loved it here.”

In preparing for a career, his grandfather conveyed to Jack how he will hate some of the things he will see, and how he will love some of the things he sees. He will see really happy people, as well as people who are struggling.

While Jack’s grandfather was his inspiration for wanting to help others, Jack’s advisors helped him figure out how to approach that goal and the steps to take. Jack also credits his success at Muskingum to the PLUS Program for helping with his learning differences.

When Jack was diagnosed with dyslexia, his mom changed her career to become a dyslexia tutor to support Jack and his younger brother. Having that knowledge at home, they knew what to look for when Jack had an interest in going to college. When researching colleges, Traci Watts commented that “Jack wanted to go to college, and I was not going to set him up for failure.

“Sending your child off to college is already scary. If we didn’t send him to the right place, we feared he would not make it past his first year,” said Traci.

“When I found Muskingum, the name of the PLUS Program stuck out to me because it was positive. Then, the school was the first one to respond, follow up with information, and schedule an interview.”

When they arrived on campus, it felt like home. They also were impressed when meeting with the PLUS Program team and a current PLUS Program student. The lacrosse coach also was familiar with the PLUS Program and let them know he has other athletes that use the program. There was no shame in seeking additional help.

“We walked out of that visit and were like, ‘wow’,” Traci said. “We did further research and talked it over, and then came back for his interview. We never turned back.”

The PLUS Program assists Jack with writing, work management, reading, studying, and note taking. Having extra test time has also helped Jack. He connects with the PLUS team and can reach out to them at any time.

He works primarily with Katrina Buchanan. “She’s my number one,” said Jack. “I have had her since my first day, and she is my primary tutor. I know I can come to her with anything. She also helps me with scheduling my classes, especially with managing the workload.”

Katrina is a Learning Consultant Coordinator who ensures all the consultants have the tools and resources they need to provide services to the students. She has been with the PLUS Program for 34 years and works with students who have ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, high-functioning autism, and other learning differences.

According to Katrina, the most rewarding thing about what she does is “seeing the lightbulb come on. You can see it on their face when they finally get it. We help the students by building the toolkit they need to be successful.”

In talking about how the PLUS Program has helped him, Jack said, his “GPA would be nowhere close to where it is now. I would be struggling and stressed out and may not even be here.

“The Program has prepared me for life,” said Jack. “My mom is four hours away, but Katrina is here, and I can text her with any question. She always responds and is always there for me. I call her mom 2.0.”

Katrina does view herself like a mom. “I think because I have my own kids, I build that relationship with them. I don’t mother them, but I do listen to them. I respect what they have to say. We brainstorm ideas.

“Every day, I get to get up and make a difference in somebody’s life. I have the opportunity to make sure they know they can be successful.” The PLUS Program helped Jack learn the lay of the land and how to best navigate classes and campus. His coaches and advisors, who also are part of the team, have supported him during his journey. Everyone works together to ensure his success. As he has progressed, Jack has utilized the program as it is designed. There are four tiers of support based on need, and Jack has moved down the tiers as he has strengthened his skills.

“One thing I will never forget is at the end of his sophomore year, Jack and his advisor, Professor Bennett, were meeting and going over his schedule. She informed Jack that if he took a few extra classes, he could double major adding political science to his degree,” said Traci. “He called me so excited that he could double major and what that would look like on his resume.

“That moment was one of his most excited because he felt like he was truly accomplishing something that might have been out of his reach. How grateful we are that she noticed that and presented that opportunity to Jack.”

Traci commented that she does not worry about Jack at Muskingum. His advisors, coaches, professors, and counselors take care of him. And now, Jack is confident. He tells her, “Mom, I got this.”

“This program gives you the peace of mind that your kid is going to be successful,” said Traci. “They will make sure of it. They tailor the program to each student and continue to make adjustments to ensure their success.” said.

“My dad always preached balance, so that helped,” said Jack. “Muskingum has taught me how to balance everything, especially with studying and note taking.” These lessons have helped him balance academics, sports, and social activities.

“They have prepared me well,” said Jack. “Thanks to Muskingum and the PLUS Program, I am ready to step out into the real world and move forward with my life.”