How the Pathways program helped Ainsley Martin ’26 discover confidence, community, and success

When Ainsley Martin '26 began exploring colleges, she was looking for a place where she could pursue her academic interests while receiving the support she needed to succeed. Through Aurora University's academic offerings and the Pathways Collegiate Program, she found opportunity and support - becoming its first four-year participant to earn an undergraduate degree - and is now preparing to begin graduate school. Launched in 2021, the Pathways program empowers neurodiverse students to reach their potential in their studies and beyond.

In fall 2022, Martin began her freshman year at AU as a History major with a Museum Studies minor. For Martin and her family, AU's academic offerings - along with the Pathways program - made it stand out among the colleges she considered. Given her desired coursework and hope for disability support, "I did not have to give up on either factor to receive a post-secondary education," Martin said.

Before her senior year of high school, Martin participated in AU's inaugural Pathways Summer Camp, now known as Camp Spartan. At camp, she enjoyed taking classes to prepare for college and participating in social activities like karaoke, kayaking, yoga, and field trips. Martin especially appreciated how the camp staff were receptive of students' individual interests, fondly recalling her birthday celebration that week when the group ordered pizza and watched her favorite TV show. "I have too many good memories to count," Martin shared when asked about her experience that summer.

As a Pathways student, Martin thrived academically, earning high honors every semester. She learned to plan her coursework, prepare for examinations, advocate for accommodations, and seek help from on-campus resources. Throughout her undergraduate program, Martin completed a credit-bearing internship at the Vintage Purse Museum in Manteno, Illinois, where she researched exhibitions, wrote labels for handbags and purses from 1920s Egypt and World War II, and examined other work like comic books and murals. Martin is grateful to faculty and staff for helping provide these opportunities, highlighting that the experiences validated her work ethic and skills and provided opportunity to express herself artistically.

For Martin, one of the larger outcomes of her participation in the Pathways program is that she's "become proud of [her] special abilities" and is "not afraid to discuss [her] experiences with others." This confidence led her to seek out and value the social opportunities that AU and the Pathways program offer, crediting the support and campus community with helping her find friends when she was a student. She became a member of the AU Band, History Club, and Museum Studies Club, and participated in art activities, on-campus events, and off-campus outings.

At AU, Martin found comfort, independence, and validation. She appreciated the small elements, such as single rooms and short walks to class from Don and Betty Tucker Hall, acknowledging that her initial perceptions of college from movies and television were much more intimidating. She also found that staff cared deeply about her well-being, values, and goals.

As a high-performing student who often feels overwhelmed by academics, Martin learned from Pathways staff to remember her many accomplishments. She learned to trust herself and use the strategies that helped her reach college in the first place. When asked why she recommends Pathways, Martin shared, "It is very supportive of people with disabilities. It helps them adjust to the adult world and it gives them outlets if they need help with classes or social aspects of life."

Martin is the first Aurora University graduate to have spent all four years in the Pathways program. With support from the AU community, she has applied for post-graduate jobs and starts graduate school at Dominican University this summer to study library science. Looking back at her undergraduate years, Martin noted, "AU was worth it."