Dessaline DouglasDessaline Douglas is the DRC Student Ambassador. Born in San Francisco and raised in East Palo Alto, Dessaline was a student athlete at Missouri Western State College. However, he left school early to enter the work force. After some time away, he has returned to college with the goal of receiving a bachelor’s degree in Administration of Justice. Ultimately, he hopes to work with youth. Dessaline will be graduating from Skyline College this semester.

Dessaline has a learning disability that has impacted his ability to succeed academically in the past. After enrolling at Skyline College, he began to utilize the services available at the DRC. He received an assessment for a learning disability by Carol Newkirk, DRC’s LD Specialist. Using his accommodations and the resources available at the college, Dessaline has seen academic success at Skyline.

Dessaline is currently serving as DRC’s Student Ambassador. He will be holding a weekly student group for DRC students to help them share tips for success and advocacy. Dessaline is available to make a short 3-5 minute presentation about DRC services in your classes. He’s also available for longer presentations sharing his experiences as a student with a learning disability.

If you would like to set up a classroom presentation, please email Melissa Matthews, DRC Coordinator/Counselor at matthewsm@smccd.edu.

If you would like to hear more about Dessaline’s experiences, he will be presenting “DRC 15/15: Learning Disabilities, A Student’s Perspective” at the CTTL on Tuesday, Feburary 9 from 1:00-1:30pm.

Article by Melissa Matthews