By Jennifer Kiilerich, Jenna Somers and Amy Wolf
The ageless and endless desire to learn new things, to dare to grow, thrives at Vanderbilt. For many, the spark that led to a passion for lifelong learning and discovery began with the thrill of a Vanderbilt acceptance letter.
Others started much earlier-as toddlers at Vanderbilt's Acorn School, where their curiosity was nurtured and encouraged, or as kids exploring the camps and classes from Programs for Talented Youth.
Some had their creativity ignited in the numerous Blair Academy at Vanderbilt music programs for students of all ages and abilities. And for learners older than 50, the quest for knowledge and community leads them to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt's educational and experiential reach extends far beyond the undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. Innovative programs are always emerging, working to cultivate a vibrant and robust community with opportunities for every person to dare to grow.
JEREMIAH WHITEHEAD REACHES GOALS SIDE BY SIDE
When Jeremiah Whitehead was born, his parents learned he had Down syndrome. As teachers, his parents, Lisa and Darren, understood the importance of early intervention services, and they knew the Susan Gray School's Community Early Intervention Program was top tier.
Jeremiah received home-based services from the program and then enrolled at the school when he turned 1.
The Susan Gray School, an initiative of Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development, is the first nationally recognized inclusive preschool where typically developing children learn alongside children with disabilities.
"I chose Susan Gray because it was well known for inclusion, and I knew that for his skill development that was going to be key," Lisa Whitehead says. "He and his peers engaged in a lot of side-by-side play. Whatever Jeremiah saw his peers doing, he wanted to do too. That was such a rich environment for his learning and overall development."
"Inclusion benefits typically developing children by teaching them empathy for differences," says Katherine Newman, PhD'19, director of the Susan Gray School. "And it benefits children with developmental delays and disabilities, who learn to communicate with peers, caregivers and teachers-which is important for their long-term social, emotional and academic success."
Whitehead's experience reflects the school's long-standing commitment to children's cognitive and social-emotional development. Today, the school's curriculum encourages young children to ask questions and drive their own learning through play and inquiry-based learning.
Whitehead returned to Vanderbilt as an adult and recently graduated from Next Steps at Vanderbilt University, a four-year certificate path for students with intellectual disabilities, also based out of Peabody College.
The program focuses on engaging coursework along with life skills and workforce preparation through exploration of careers, internships and apprenticeships. "Next Steps made sure that whatever his goals were, that his plan was tailor-made for him," Lisa Whitehead says. She believes Susan Gray School and Next Steps have been instrumental in her son's success.
"Next Steps encourages parents to let our kids have full immersion in this experience and to give them the dignity of the risk." -Chiquita Young
LYDIA YOUNG GROWS AS AN ENTREPRENEUR
Lydia Young arrives poised and prepared for a discussion about her four years with Next Steps, a non-degree program designed for neurodiverse students, where she built a robust community during her years at Vanderbilt.
"This is a priceless program," says her mom, Chiquita Young. "If you want your children to have a full college experience, this is the space to do that."
A hallmark of Next Steps is that learners are immersed in Vanderbilt's student culture while participating in courses, extracurricular activities and internships.
"Next Steps encourages parents to let our kids have full immersion in this experience and to give them the dignity of the risk," Chiquita Young says.
For the past year, Lydia Young, Next Steps Class of 2023, who was born with a rare genetic disorder, has been employed full time as an office support representative with Metro Parks and Recreation at the Centennial Sportsplex.
On top of her day job, she just purchased a vending machine for a business she is launching called Able Solutions. With the earnings, she hopes to establish a Next Steps scholarship fund.
She's also working on an adaptive clothing line started in one of her classes.
"I created a business plan in my class with Professor Sargent Capps-I mocked up an adaptive onesie," Young says. "I chose that because I was premature and was so tiny, and I needed specific clothing as a baby."
Alexandra Sargent Capps, who helped Young develop that business model, now leads Vanderbilt's Fiber Arts Build Lab. Next Steps students have participated in her classes since 2016, and she credits Young with helping her embed adaptive
fashion into her curriculum.
"So much of what we do now is a result of our Next Steps partnership," Capps says. "It's an amazing program. I love being able to view art and design concepts and practices from the perspective of neurodiverse learners. They make the classroom more dynamic and inspire creativity."
CHARLES FEDDEMAN STEPS TO THE FRONT OF THE CLASSROOM
Charles Feddeman, who graduated from Next Steps in 2020, is also making an impact on his community. During his Next Steps internship at Susan Gray School, he discovered a passion for working with kids and families. Now he's marking his fifth year as a teacher in Vanderbilt's Acorn School, which provides early childhood care and education to the children of Vanderbilt staff and faculty.
The skills he gained in Next Steps have guided his career success, says Jamie Broadwater, site director of the Acorn School. "Charles' ability to connect with young learners is an important competency for an early childhood educator," she says.
After high school, Feddeman, who is autistic, found that his options for continuing education were narrow, until his mom found Next Steps.
"Getting that acceptance letter was such a great moment," he says. "Next Steps taught me to love myself and enjoy being who I am."
"Next Steps taught me to love myself and enjoy being who I am." -Charles Feddeman
HUDSON MILLS SEES HIMSELF AS A SCIENTIST
Teenager Hudson Mills feels right at home in a Vanderbilt lab that's scattered with a skeleton and evidence of recent research projects. The quick-witted student from Nashville's Hillsboro High School is enjoying a summer session at the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt University.
Mills is in his fourth and final year in the program, which is a partnership between Peabody's Collaborative for STEM Education and Outreach and Metro Nashville Public Schools.
The SSMV engages local students in hands-on, research-centered, accelerated interdisciplinary learning one day a week throughout high school. It's free to admitted students and complemented by several summer courses. Scholars finish the program with seven advanced elective credits on their high school transcript.
Before joining the SSMV, Mills participated in its sister program for middle schoolers, Day of Discovery.
"For many families-ours included-enrichment opportunities of this caliber would simply be out of reach financially," says Mills' mom, Jennifer Hackett. "The exposure to both professors and labs at a world-class research institution, for any kid interested and able, is incredible."
Mills is now studying high-energy collisions with Rithya Kunnawalkam Elayavalli, assistant professor of physics and the Ruff Fant Dean's Faculty Fellow in Physics.
"I'm treated like a real scientist here," Mills says. "I'm working on simulations for a collider that doesn't exist yet; I get to participate in a project that scientists across the world are working on."
These immersive labs, paired with the instruction and mentorship of Ph.D.-level scientists, are cornerstones of the initiative. In this supportive environment, students like Mills learn skills important for being a scientist-documentation, collaboration and presenting your work. "Participating in research really opens up a student's mind to the possibility of seeing themselves as a scientist," Kunnawalkam Elayavalli says.
CALISTA POINTER UNLOCKS HER PASSION
Calista Pointer is a 2023 graduate of the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt and recipient of Vanderbilt's prestigious Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship. She says that in addition to academic rigor, "a big thing that's emphasized is that you're not just learning this stuff to learn it, but also to apply it and to better your community."
Pointer's class participated in the creation of a STEM lab for the Susan Gray School that enhances the way very young children can learn about science and math through play with cylinders, a wind tunnel, a ball ramp and a colorful orb that lights up when sounds are made among other things. As she enters her junior year at Vanderbilt with a major in elementary education and child development, she credits that community-engaged research project with helping her unlock a passion for working with children.
"Our goal is to show students the excitement of fundamental research," says Mills's lab instructor, Professor Rithya Kunnawalkam Elayavalli. "Once they cultivate an innate sense of curiosity about the subject at hand, they do a phenomenal job in actual research. We can see what this does to a student's confidence and approach toward other areas of study, and in becoming valuable members of our community."
Pointer visits SSMV classrooms weekly and worked as a summer counselor with a faculty-supported program for middle schoolers.
"The connections from SSMV are so important," she says. "The teachers and professors are genuinely excited to see where we go. Those relationships are lifelong."
"Once they cultivate an innate sense of curiosity about the subject at hand, they do a phenomenal job in actual research." -Rithya Kunnawalkam Elayavalli
JASON DAVIS HEALS THROUGH SONGWRITING
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Jason Davis spent more than two decades in overseas missions, mostly in the Middle East. He's proud of his service, but like so many veterans, he carries the memories and struggles of his time with him through daily life.
"I come from a long line of military service and always knew I'd enlist. After 9/11, I was part of the 'war on terror' and fought that for 20 years. By the end I was in a horrible place mentally, and I was just worn out, burnt out, exhausted. I had nothing left," the Alabama native said.
Thankfully he found solace through song.
"When you're active duty, you don't deal with a lot of things. You just kind of shove it down and move on," Davis says. "I had the opportunity to take this songwriting class that came just at the right time."
The free songwriting course exclusively for veterans is a partnership between the Blair School of Music's precollege and adult learning arm called Blair Academy and CreatiVets, a nonprofit that provides opportunities to help empower and heal wounded veterans through art and music.
"I believe wholeheartedly in the mission of CreatiVets because I've seen firsthand the power of using music, art and storytelling to bring healing to wounded veterans," says Deanna Walker, senior lecturer in songwriting. Walker co-teaches the class with her husband, Rick Beresford, a Navy veteran and hit songwriter who served in Vietnam.
"It's thrilling to be able to bring the Nashville music industry to veterans from across the country. Since the class meets on Zoom, we're able to reach people who would ordinarily never have the chance to interact with songwriters and other industry pros," Walker says.
"I had written songs before, but the class completely changed how I wrote," Davis says. "It taught me you can still write some powerful stuff and work your way through whatever you need to work through in a positive manner."
With guidance and feedback from the instructor and fellow veterans in the class, Davis started writing country songs. He is now signed to a record label with his group, The Jason Davis Band.
"I'm collaborating with three of the people from that class on a pretty much daily basis. One of my classmates is a rapper. He did a piece in one of my songs, and it was perfect," Davis says. "The class is just what I needed."
PERKIE AND JIM CANNON EMBRACE COMMUNITY
Vanderbilt alumna Perkie Cannon is revisiting a love she first discovered as a teenager taking voice lessons at Blair Academy-singing. She is now part of Blair Academy's Vanderbilt Community Chorus.
This year the Blair Academy is celebrating 60 years of facilitating high-caliber music education for children, teens and adults. It focuses on voice and instrumental lessons and ensembles that are taught by current Blair educators.
Along with extensive lessons for young people, including the renowned Suzuki violin program, the Vanderbilt Youth Orchestras and the Vanderbilt Youth Choirs, Blair Academy also is a home for adult musicians of all skill levels.
"The director's focus truly is community. There are people from within and outside of Vanderbilt of all different ages, and we really care for each other," says Cannon, BS'80, MEd'81, MS'82. "And we also sing great music!"
"Finding new people that have the same passions as you, especially through music and learning, is a bliss that we all need at some point in our life." -Mary Biddlecombe
"Finding new people that have the same passions as you, especially through music and learning," says Mary Biddlecombe, senior lecturer and director of Blair Academy, "is a bliss that we all need at some point in our life."
Speaking of shared passions, Perkie and husband Jim Cannon's love of learning-and each other-sparked when they met at Vanderbilt in the late 1970s. Four decades later, their love of learning has been reignited thanks to OLLI at Vanderbilt, one of more than 120 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes at universities across the country. Supported by a grant from the Bernard Osher Foundation, OLLI offers creative and inviting programs specifically designed for adults older than 50.
"I first got involved with OLLI on the Move, a hiking group, and then I jumped into the academic courses," Perkie Cannon says. "Jim saw me so engaged, so he jumped in after retiring."
OLLI's more than 1,200 members-Vanderbilt alumni and others-participate in in-person and online courses across a multitude of topics, which change each semester. Favorite topics include short story and autobiography writing, politics, science and health, steel drum band and more. There are no tests or required homework, and many of the instructors are current or retired Vanderbilt professors.
"OLLI is a place for lifelong curiosity and community," says Jim Cannon, BS'76, MS'82. "Subject after subject and event after event, I'm connecting with people and learning new things."
Russ Heldman, BA'79, JD'82, MAS'00, is a favorite instructor for his online OLLI classes on Shakespeare on film. Sometimes he brings actors straight from the London stage to be his guests.
"To quote The Winter's Tale," Heldman says, "'It is required you do awake your faith!' With OLLI, I have the immense opportunity to meld the action and the word of Shakespeare for people who may have missed that opportunity earlier in life and help them embrace in these plays what is common to our humanity."
