On Nov. 25, the Saint Anselm community and The Moore Center staff gathered to honor the 16 inaugural MooreTOGETHER Fellows in a celebration in the College Coffee Shop. During the course of the semester, these fellows joined the Anselmian community through social and academic activities.
“The fellowship at Saint Anselm College has been truly transformative for our fellows,” said Kayla Gunnery, director of community-based services at The Moore Center. “Learning side by side with Saint Anselm students allowed them to build new skills, form genuine friendships, and feel fully included in campus life. The college community embraced our students in a way that fostered a real sense of belonging and showed them they are an important part of something bigger.”
At Coffee Talk, nine Saint Anselm students met with the fellows to build relationships, practice social skills, and connect with one another. It also offered another opportunity for the students and fellows to get to know one another through the variety of fun activities.
On Fridays, fellows attended student taught classes, including Adolescent Psychology and Public Health classes. The students worked diligently to plan and teach each lesson, and the fellows said they enjoyed the courses thoroughly. Students in the Community Nursing Class with Professors Pamela Preston and Melissa Brodeur also taught classes in small rotating groups, giving each cohort the opportunity to teach one lesson throughout the semester.
Twenty-three students participated in the Lunch Buddies Program during which, students met and walked with the fellows to Davison Dining Hall to purchase lunch and share a meal together, fostering meaningful connections.
This semester’s fellows were delighted to receive their completion certificates during the final celebration.
MooreTOGETHER seeks to eliminate the stigma and biases experienced by individuals with disabilities by encouraging collaboration, social activities, and friendships with other members of the surrounding community. Saint Anselm is proud to provide a kind and supportive environment for the Moore Fellows, and is excited to see how the program grows in future semesters.
