Andrea Johnson/MDN Mary Ellingson has received a Master of Science in speech-language pathology from Minot State University and her son, Angus Ellingson, has completed the Advancing Students Toward Education and Employment (ASTEP) program. Both are graduating at MSU.

A mother and son are marking an exciting milestone today at Minot State University’s graduation ceremony.

Mary Ellingson will receive a Master of Science in speech-language pathology and her son, Angus Ellingson, has completed the Advancing Students Toward Education and Employment (ASTEP) program.

ASTEP is a program that enables students who have intellectual and developmental disabilities to attend college courses with students who do not have disabilities and to gain skills that will help them live independently, work and socialize.

Angus Ellingson, who is interested in working with computers, has taken classes related to that field, lived in a dorm room on campus and has held work-study jobs that are related to his employment goal. He currently works at JC Penney at the mall.

“When he first started out, we would study together and would check on him,” said Mary Ellingson, but she was quickly able to “fade out” because the ASTEP program provided peer mentoring and tutoring help when Angus Ellingson needed it.

Some of the student mentors were in her own cohort in speech-language pathology.

“The support has been phenomenal,” said Mary Ellingson.

The Ellingsons were determined that Angus Ellingson would attend college regardless, even if they had to pay for it themselves and Mary Ellingson had to audit courses with her son, but Angus Ellingson was able to pay for his education with the money he had saved by working when he was in high school and through other available programs and grants. He completes his classes with honors.

The Ellingsons, an Air Force family, moved to Minot in 2016 and Angus Ellingson and his sister both attended Minot High School-Magic City Campus. His father, Erik Ellingson, is now retired after 22 years in the Air Force and will be attending classes at MSU just as his wife and son have completed their educational journeys.

The Ellingsons only live a few minutes from campus but they agreed that it was important for Angus Ellingson to live on campus. He was hesitant at first to participate in activities on campus but always willing to try new things, said Luke Charley, the academic coordinator for the program. Angus Ellingson now socializes with other students. He has helped out with the volleyball team and had plans to celebrate with team members at a local restaurant on Thursday.

For now Angus Ellingson plans to move back to his parents’ home but will be working to find a full-time job and his own apartment, with the help of the North Dakota Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. He said he would like to stay in Minot but he would also someday like to travel as the family did when they were stationed overseas.

He said the best thing about the ASTEP program was all the help he has received along the way in becoming independent and working toward his goals.

Mary Ellingson, who will be working at Red Door Pediatric.Therapy in Minot now that she has completed her master’s degee, said they are all grateful for the ASTEP program.

The number of students currently in the ASTEP program are done due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic but the program has the capacity for up to 20 students.

Students in the program, which has been offered for about 10 years at MSU, are between the ages of 18 and 26 and attend MSU for two to three years. Students who are auditing courses can either earn a College to Career certificate or other career-focused certificates in their area of interest. Those who take courses for credit earn an associate’s degree or certificate through Dakota College at Bottineau.

Students like Angus have the opportunity to take “inclusive college classes,” do internships in the community, and participate in activities on campus and in the community. Peer mentors help them along the way.

More information about the program can be found online at https://www.minotstateu.edu/astep.shtml

–

MSU graduation

Minot State University awarded 656 degrees — including 576 undergraduate and 80 graduate — to 648 students as its Class of 2021.

Minot State’s 106th Commencement Exercise will be live at the MSU Dome with limited capacity starting at 10 a.m. today. MSU will honor its 2021 and 2020 graduating classes at the ceremony as the 2020 live event was canceled due to COVID-19.