WSU ROAR Tracks
A letter from our director
Dear WSU ROAR Community,
This season, I want to center gratitude.
WSU ROAR continues to grow and improve because of bold leadership, strong partnerships, and shared belief in our mission. I’m thankful for the people helping us break new ground in service to our participants.
Dean Karen Thomas-Brown has prioritized ROAR since day one. In her first week, she told me she’s never been afraid to get bad for a good cause. She meant it. Because of her leadership, ROAR students are registering for classes alongside their degree-seeking peers and receiving course materials before the semester begins. We can now finalize learning and work schedules before the first day of class. This is program-changing!
To our incredibly generous donors and advocates, thank you for steadfast commitment to WSU ROAR and inclusive higher education. You are helping create equitable opportunities that empower every student to thrive in college and beyond.
To our TPSID faculty, your early decision to pursue federal funding built the foundation we stand on. Your leadership continues to shape and sustain our work. We’re grateful.
To our staff, thank you for your creativity, care, and tenacity. You lead with heart and purpose, even when things are hard or uncertain. Because of you, our students thrive at WSU.
To our students and families, thank you for your belief in ROAR. This program has been built with your voices, your trust, and your commitment.
With gratitude,
Kristi Tippett
Director
ROARing Into the Workplace: A Semester of
Growth and Opportunity
As we wrap up another incredible semester, we are bursting with pride over the growth, dedication, and success of our ROAR students. This spring, every single student participated in meaningful work-based learning or paid employment.This achievement reflects their hard work and the power of inclusive opportunity.
First-year students took major steps toward independence, courageously pushing past comfort zones and rising to new workplace challenges. Behind the scenes, our Employment Services team has been expanding partnerships across the community to match the momentum of our growing program.
A standout moment this semester was our new collaboration with Rico’s Pub, one of Pullman’s most beloved establishments. Working closely with our team, Rico’s created a customized internship that gave one ROAR student hands-on experience across a variety of food service roles. These are skills that build both confidence and career readiness.
We also celebrated the continued support of our longstanding partners. Birch and Barley, a proud partner for the past two years, was honored with the Excellence in Employment Inclusion Award at our End of Year Showcase. Their commitment to inclusive, skill-building opportunities has been nothing short of extraordinary.
We closed out the semester with our Person-Centered Planning celebrations, where each student’s circle of support gathered virtually to reflect on their achievements and chart their next steps. We also had a bonus milestone to celebrate. Five ROAR students completed CPR and First Aid training, earning certifications that open doors to future roles in education, childcare, coaching, and more.
Looking ahead, our Employment Services team is keeping the momentum strong. This summer, they are developing a resource guide for employers and community partners interested in creating meaningful, inclusive internships and job experiences for ROAR students.
We are so proud of what our students, staff, and partners have accomplished this semester. The best is yet to come
Big Changes, Bigger Opportunities: A New Chapter for ROAR Academics
This year has brought exciting growth and transformational change to the academic experience for WSU ROAR students!
Starting Fall 2025, ROAR students will register for audit classes during WSU’s priority registration period, right alongside their degree-seeking peers. In the past, audit enrollments weren’t finalized until after the semester began. Now, our students will be officially enrolled before the term starts, giving them early access to Canvas course materials, more time to connect with instructors, and quicker access to important campus resources. It’s a major step forward.
There’s more good news: WSU’s audit policy has been updated to expand access even further. ROAR students are no longer limited to lecture-only courses. They can now register for labs, studios, and even courses typically reserved for degree-seeking students. This opens the door to incredible new areas of study like business, marketing, management, studio art, and music. Our students are exploring their interests in ways that were never possible before.
We’ve also launched a new academic practice this year: ROAR student biographies. Before the semester begins, each student now sends a short bio and photo to their instructors. These bios help students introduce themselves, share their goals, and communicate any accommodations they may need. It’s a powerful way to start building relationships and set the tone for a successful semester.
Academic access at ROAR is evolving—and we’re just getting started.
Children’s Book Author Shares His Story with the WSU ROAR Community
Children’s author and illustrator Arshan Ghassemi recently visited the ROAR program for a reading of his new book, Duck Duck. The warm connection between Arshan, who is autistic, and members of the ROAR community was immediate and notable. The WSU Foundation wrote a wonderful article recounting Arshan’s visit to campus, and you can read it at the link below.
Looking Ahead: Building a Sustainable Future for WSU ROAR
As we near the end of our federal grant, we are deeply grateful for the foresight of our co-founders and TPSID faculty, who prioritized sustainability from the start. Because of their vision, WSU ROAR is well positioned to continue serving students with intellectual and developmental disabilities for years to come.
Each year, we admit around 45 percent of our applicants, a clear indicator of the unmet need for inclusive higher education in our region. At WSU ROAR, we are committed to meeting this need. While our growth plan remains in the research phase, we are actively pursuing new funding and exploring partnerships with state programs, WSU branch campuses, and access centers across the system.
We are leaving no stone unturned. Any future expansion will be thoughtful and measured, guided by our commitment to high-quality services and individualized support. We are excited for what lies ahead and look forward to shaping a new chapter for WSU ROAR together.
For additional information on ways to support ROAR, please contact Jennifer Dean, Senior Director of Development for the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences at jenn.dean@wsu.edu.