NEW HAVEN – Family, friends, and faculty came to Engleman Hall on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University to celebrate the achievement of Charles Vaughan.
Vaughan, who is on the autism spectrum, has worked, grade by grade, class by class to earn his college degree.
Over a period fourteen years of studying, usually one or two classes a semester, Vaughan received his bachelor of arts in General Studies from SCSU.
“Well, I’m finally done,” Vaughan said as SCSU president Joe Bertolino was about to award him his diploma.
Laurajean Vaughan, Charles’s mother said of her oldest son, “he’s not as social as others but he likes to learn and we wanted to help him do that.”
Laurajean added, “it’s was a little more challenging for him (Charles) but he persevered and it’s just wonderful.”
Bertolino, who has been at his post for the past four years at SCSU said having an environment of inclusion supporting autistic students through the disability resource office is “a point of pride in the support we can provide these students.”
