Spring Break
Groden Center to honor Dean Sue Alexander for two decades of work
Jonathan Wolinsky '10
Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: News
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The mission of The Groden Center's day program, as stated on its website, is to "enhance the lives of children and youth with autism, behavioral disorders, and developmental disabilities, and their families."
Professor of Psychology Grace Baron, who was the Groden Center's founding program director in 1976, said that Dean Alexander has mostly been involved in the center through her work with the Halcyon Human Rights Committee.
Baron called Alexander, who has worked on the committee for the past 15 years, "the informal guardian angle" of the committee. Baron cited Alexander's "authentic knowledge and experience with people with autism" and "her tangible contributions as well as her advocacy" as the primary reasons why the Groden Network has chosen to honor Alexander this year.
Having directed summer programs for children with Autism at Hampshire College, when she came to Wheaton Alexander continued her work with developmentally disabled persons through the Groden Center.
Alexander and other members of the Wheaton community such as Business Director John Sullivan and Building Services Manager Patti Tessitore have initiated programs such as the on campus-recycling program. Through this program, individuals from the Groden Center help to collect and remove the recycling from the residence halls and other campus locations.
Alexander said that it has been "a privilege to serve on the [Halcyon] committee" but emphasized that much of the work is completed by the staff of the center and the parents of the children with autism.
Her experience has shown her that when working with anyone with developmental difference, one has to "look past what we see as disabilities and see [the] strength they have to overcome great obstacles."
When she retires this spring, Alexander plans to scale back her direct involvement with the Groden Center but hopes to continue to offer support and to help the organization with which she has spent so many years working
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