Orange City student takes 'NEXT' step at NWC

However, Trey didn't have a school during the 2015-16 academic year, a time in which Trey, who was born with Down Syndrome, was hospitalized twice.

His mother, Lauri Poppema, connects those dots.

"We'd always had Trey in an inclusive academic setting and we've seen the benefits for him, both socially and academically," Lauri Poppema says. "Then he graduated from Unity and had that year off last year. It was hard as we waited. We know he needs to be around other kids."

His mother read studies revealing that when children with intellectual disabilities aren't around their peers and friends for a prolonged period of time, it can adversely affect their health.

That changes this fall for the son of Jim and Lauri Poppema, as Trey becomes the first student enrolled in NEXT, a two-year certificate of completion program at Northwestern College in Orange City, where the Poppemas and their four children reside. Trey is the oldest of four boys, as brothers Charlie and Jared are students at Unity Christian. Youngest brother Jaxson is a fifth-grader at Orange City Christian School.

"I had been kicking around this idea (of a NEXT program) at Northwestern and then Lauri came by and I met Trey," says John Menning, NEXT program director and learning disability service provider at NWC. "I said right away that Northwestern will love Trey!"

The NEXT program offers young adults with intellectual disabilities an integrated college experience. The program, according to Menning's outline, centers on a curriculum emphasizing life and social skills, functional academics, independent living, academic enrichment, self-determination and career development.

There are similar programs, such as Year 13, a collaboration between the Sioux City Community School District and Western Iowa Tech Community College, the Build program at Bethel University in the Twin Cities, and Augie Access at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, to name a few.

The Poppemas will pay tuition and room-and-board. Trey will reside in the dorms with roommate Ben Grev, a sophomore from Odin, Minnesota, who has a heart for those with Down Syndrome. Grev, a music education major, will receive a roommate stipend for his work with Trey.

Trey, for his part, will attend the Freshman Seminar Class with other freshmen. He'll also attend math, reading and life skills classes taught by Tonya Moore-Huss. Additionally, Trey will work at a job on campus, maintain his part-time employment at Pizza Ranch in Orange City, and will do everything else on-campus with his peers, such as attending "RUSH" and cheering on the Red Raiders in football, basketball, volleyball and more.

"Everywhere we go, he already knows someone," says Moore-Huss. "He might even be our Red Raider mascot at some point. He's very pumped."

"He's not prejudiced about anything," Lauri Poppema says. "He's lovable and happy. He teaches us each day about the value of Christian acceptance. God created him for a purpose, as He's created all of us."

Menning notes that all students at NWC completed a program that focused on diversity last year. Trey represents another piece to that diversity. His presence on campus will serve as a teaching tool for students, faculty and staff members.

"I want to make friends," Trey says, smiling at the prospect of starting his life at NWC. "Go Raiders!"

Lauri and Jim Poppema are excited about their son's upcoming opportunity, one that might one day lead to additional employment opportunities and added independence for their son. That said, they realize they're also "letting go" of their child, watching him blossom as he heads out the door.

"Trey has been a huge blessing in our life," Lauri says. "Like all parents, it is hard to let your child go."

Menning is confident the act will be repeated, a letting go of the best kind. Trey Poppema and his family, he says, will help blaze that trail, taking the first steps for NEXT this year. Big steps for Trey, and maybe even bigger steps for Northwestern College.