LSUA Spero Program Gives Hope, Jobs to Students with Intellectual Disabilities
March 12, 2025
Now in its fourth year, the Spero program at LSU Alexandria is transforming students who had difficulty communicating and completing basic tasks into thriving campus community members and Central Louisiana employees.
Morgan Villard helps her colleague Courtney Baggett give the dog Bean a nail trim at Alexandria Animal Clinic.
One of those students, Morgan Villard, was diagnosed with high-functioning autism in 2017. She “rarely engaged in conversations or activities with others” when admitted to LSUA’s program in 2022, according to Spero Director Brittany Soden. But now, Villard juggles three part-time jobs. She works as a kennel assistant at the Alexandria Animal Clinic, a veterinary hospital; as an assistant in the LSUA pottery studio; and as a pet sitter for “very good dogs” when she’s not in class or caring for her own pets at home—nine birds, two fish, and one cat.
“Beginning of freshman year, I was nervous and didn’t really know how to talk to people, how to make friends, or how to regulate my emotions,” Villard said. “But I’m a junior now. I like having conversations with people and I’ve learned how to set boundaries. I don’t like to be hugged without being asked, and I can now communicate that using my words.”
Spero, which means “I hope” in Latin, provides life skills, social skills, and employment skills classes and a mostly standard college experience for young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, requiring an IQ under 70. All have completed high school or equivalent but are otherwise ineligible for regular college admission.
Villard’s mother, Melva Villard, helped start the Spero program at LSUA and was recognized for it by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation with an Angel Award in 2023.
“High school was excruciating for our family, and I had just about given up when I met Penny Smith, whom I worked with to encourage the development of a post-secondary inclusive education program at LSUA,” Melva Villard said. “My husband and I always believed in the power of education, and we see such a change in Morgan today thanks to the Spero program.”
“Now we know Morgan will be a valuable, contributing member of society and able to secure meaningful employment. Perhaps those with neuro-typical children cannot appreciate this, but for us, this is huge.”
Melva Villard, mother of Morgan Villard
Melva Villard said one of the most helpful things Morgan Villard has learned as part of Spero is how to appreciate differences in others. This has helped her at school, at work, and at home. Some of the skills she always used around animals—her favorite creatures—she is now applying in her relationships with people as well.
“Working with people is different than working with animals,” Morgan Villard explained. “I’ve learned how to talk to my parents and how to hang out with them and spend time with them. I’ve also learned how to do things without my parents being around to help me. Spero has taught me how to live.”
Morgan Villard’s supervisors and employers recognize the unique perspectives and skills she and other Spero students bring to the workplace.
Morgan Villard with WangLing Chou in the LSUA pottery studio.
“Morgan embodies the idea that everyone has unique talents and contributions,” said LSUA Associate Professor of Fine Arts WangLing Chou, who leads the university’s ceramics program and pottery studio, where Villard works twice a week. “Her presence reminds us of the value of inclusivity and the importance of appreciating everyone’s individuality. She’s also had a profound impact on me. Her openness and creative thinking are a constant source of inspiration, and I absolutely adore her unique, out-of-the-box style and the unconditional support and warmth she brings into my life. She always anticipates what I need, providing extra hands with ease. Her assistance is invaluable.”
In the studio, Villard helps organize materials and demonstrate pottery techniques.
“Morgan is always eager to help, never complains, and genuinely embraces each task, no matter how small,” Chou said. “She’s authentic, open, and unafraid to share her thoughts and feelings, which makes working with her very comfortable.”
Donna Hampton, manager of the Alexandria Animal Clinic, where Villard has been working for more than two years, agreed.
“In the time she’s been working here while a student in LSUA’s Spero program, Morgan has become an integrated part of our team,” Hampton said. “We started her off slow, but she’s very detail-oriented and is often the first to notice when pets aren’t doing well—she’s very sensitive to their needs and sudden changes in behavior.”
After Morgan Villard graduates from the LSUA Spero program next year, her plan is to keep working at the Alexandria Animal Clinic and move from her parents’ house into a place of her own.
“I’ve visualized myself living in a blue and white house with brown, wooden flooring and all of my pets,” Morgan Villard said. “I’m learning so much at LSUA. How to cook for myself and for family members and how to spend my money wisely. Spero has taught me leadership, teamwork, interpersonal skills, adaptability to change—well, that’s something I’m still getting used to. But I really like working in the pottery studio, where I get to create big sculptures and not just little things. Before, I was never taught how to do big things. No one expected that of me, but here I am.”
Morgan Villard with LSUA Spero Director Brittany Soden.
Another junior in the Spero program is Gloria Cady. She works part-time in the LSUA Library, helping other students check books in and out, and has dreams of one day becoming a dairy farmer. She recently set up her own savings account to buy her first cow. She’s also using Duolingo to learn multiple languages and regularly greets the LSUA international students in their native tongue.
“French is hard for most people, but not for me,” Cady said. “I want to speak other languages so people can understand what I’m saying, and I’m thinking of going to France someday. I like to meet new friends, and I can do that here at LSUA. Spero has made my life even better.”
Spero director Brittany Soden said Cady has come a long way since she started the program.
“Gloria rarely expressed her feelings but now has learned the social skills to help her in communicating them,” Soden said. “She’s also a great artist and draws stories about herself. I usually know when she’s started drawing because I hear her giggling to herself.”
“I recently spoke to Gloria’s mom, and she said Gloria making friends here at LSUA is a dream come true,” Soden continued. “For a lot of parents of students with developmental and intellectual disabilities, they worry. They worry, and they ask, ‘What’s going to happen to my child after I’m gone?’ Seeing their children become independent young adults with friends and jobs is a tremendous relief that brings tears of joy—to their eyes and mine.”
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