CUNY SPS Alum Discusses New Role in Disability Services

The CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS), as part of its commemoration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month this October, is highlighting the careers of several of its alumni from the School’s disability studies programs. Most recently, the School celebrated the news that Leonard Blades, who graduated last June from the MS in Disability Services in Higher Education program, has been hired as a CUNY LEADS Plus Advisor at Queensborough Community College. In this Q&A, Blades shares what he is doing now and describes how his studies and active student participation at CUNY SPS helped prepare him for his career in disability services.

Q: Please tell us a little about the work you’re doing as CUNY LEADS Plus Counselor.
The CUNY LEADS Plus Program is an essential partnership with the state agency ACCES-VR that improves the academic success and career readiness of neurodiverse students. As the LEADS Plus Counselor for Queensborough Community College, the services that I’m providing include but are not limited to: 

• Academic advisement
• Career counseling  
• Internship exploration
• Job search skills and assistance including: resume and cover letter review and editing, mock interviewing, interview follow up, and soft skills training

In collaboration with my fellow LEADS Plus Advisors, I will conduct workshops in areas that are critical to student success such as organizational skills, study skills, time management, self-advocacy, and self-efficacy. 

Q: What do you hope to achieve in this role?
Without any focused support, college students on the autism spectrum or with significant disabilities are at high risk of dropping out of college, or being unemployed after graduation. The services that this program provides have the ability to make a difference in the lives for these students. My hope is that my contributions in this role will have a positive impact on our students both within and beyond the classroom.

Q: Are there any specific skills or experiences that you’ve learned at CUNY SPS that you hope to apply to your new job?
At CUNY SPS, being a student, serving on the Student Association, and being a co-chair for the Abilities and Resources Committee strengthened my skills in reading, writing, being a part of a team, and my ability to communicate with my peers and the staff/faculty. During my time within the University Student Senate (USS), the representative organization that represents the more than 500,000 students in CUNY, I learned about the importance of being able to adapt and the importance of collaboration. 

Last, but by no means least, over the years I was both a member of and part of the leadership team of the CUNY Coalition for Students with Disabilities (CCSD), which represents more than 11,000 students with disabilities at CUNY. CCSD truly opened up a world of opportunity for me and those I had the honor of representing. I worked closely in partnership with my colleagues and fellow advocates (both in and outside of the University), participated and led legislative initiatives, actively sustained our New York State-wide network of students with disabilities, served on committees to represent issues that affect students with disabilities in public transportation, traveled overseas with my colleagues from CCSD on a Study Abroad opportunity, and more. 

Yet with all this, I would say my greatest accomplishment was the ability to contribute to empowering both myself and my peers to embrace their cultural identity as a student with a disability with a sense of pride and compassion. We are PROUD and know we have so much to contribute to making positive change here at CUNY and beyond.  

Collectively my experiences, along with my relationships with people like Vice Chancellor Brian Cohen, Assistant Vice Chancellor Chris Rosa, my advisor and mentor Charmaine Townsell (who my Mom, like me, has grown to love), the members of COSDI (CUNY Council on Student Disability Issues), and so many others have all helped prepare me to serve in the role of LEADS Plus Counselor. In addition, the entire Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office at QCC have been so welcoming and helpful since I joined, and for that I am very much grateful.  

About Disability Studies at the CUNY School of Professional Studies

Disability Studies is an emerging academic field that explores disability from multiple perspectives, including the social sciences, humanities, science, and the law. CUNY SPS offers groundbreaking, fully accredited online degree and certificate programs within Disability Studies including the BA in Disability Studies, MA in Disability Studies, MS in Disability Services in Higher Education, and Advanced Certificate in Disability Studies.

About the CUNY School of Professional Studies

For over 15 years, the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) has been leading online education in New York. Offering the most online Bachelor’s and Master’s degree options at the City University of New York, CUNY SPS meets the needs of adults who are looking to finish a bachelor’s degree, progress from an associate’s degree, earn a master’s degree or certificate in a specialized field, and advance in the workplace or change careers.

The School’s growth has been remarkable, with twenty-four degrees launched since 2006. Enrollment has risen by more than 30% in the last four years to over 4,000 students in the credit-bearing programs and thousands more who are enrolled in non-degree and grant-funded workplace learning programs. In addition, the School has an active Alumni network and has established the CUNY SPS Foundation, which offers multiple scholarship opportunities to current students.

CUNY SPS has been ranked in the nation’s top 5% by U.S. News & World Report for the past six years, most recently in its list of the 2020 Best Online Bachelor’s Degree Programs, making CUNY SPS the highest nationally listed program in New York State and New York City.

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