Rebecca Besser - Have Dreams Parent and Supporter

Connection to Have Dreams My daughter Jacqueline has been coming to Have Dreams since she was 13. She’s now 25. 

How has Have Dreams made an impact on your life? When Jacqueline turned twenty two, like all kids with special needs in Illinois, she could not continue going to school, and there were no other resources. It was just so wonderful that she was able to come to Have Dreams and have this program. Jacqueline absolutely loves Have Dreams. She looks forward to it every morning. 

When Jacqueline walks in, she is greeted by the staff and everybody's excited and they'll say, "Jacqueline, hi, good morning. Oh, look at your outfit. You know what? We're going to have a great day today." And she loves it. She smiles, and she's happy. It's just very, very cheerful.

It's been amazing for her. It's been amazing for the family. She has a sense of community. She's made friends. It has enriched her life in so many ways. I don't know what we would have done without Have Dreams for Jacqueline.

Geneva Danko - Partner, Have Dreams Academy at Northwestern

Connection to Have Dreams I work for Northwestern University’s Global Marketing Communications Office. We partner with Have Dreams to hire interns from the Have Dreams Academy program.

How has Have Dreams made an impact on your life? I was familiar with Have Dreams, having worked in the President's office, because we helped connect our administrators, and specifically President Schapiro, to the organization. It became something that President Schapiro himself was very supportive of because he knew the impact that Have Dreams achieves. And so, as soon as our new vice president started here in Global Marketing Communications, she said, “Are there any organizations that we might be able to work with to help the greater community?” And I said, “I know just the one!”

Have Dreams has a very specific ability to contribute to us as a university. At the university, we have a very core mission, and that is academic excellence, and improving the world around us for the social good. The task before us in everything we do is to tap everyone's potential in furthering that mission, because we all bring our own backgrounds and our own perspectives. It would be a tragedy if there was someone whose own perspective could lend a solution to the problems that we've identified as a university, and we haven't pulled them into the picture.

It's been a big help to have a Have Dreams intern. I think that it's very much an opportunity for all people involved. It's been very rewarding for all the Northwestern Departments that have taken part, but also very valuable to our own mission everyday. So, if we're doing something valuable in those interns' lives too, it just means it’s mutual.

One of our hopes is to break down any stereotypes other employers might have about bringing on an intern who's on the spectrum. The training that Have Dreams did with our intern Jennifer was really apparent in everything from office place etiquette and attire to workplace formalities such as articulating goals. I thought to myself, if this can be the case for any staff that I ever manage, I'll be lucky. So, my hope is that the opportunities for placement only become more numerous and more diverse to suit all future Have Dreams interns.

Reed Beidler - Building Manager, Have Dreams Evanston Site

What is your connection to Have Dreams: I’m the building manager for Have Dreams in Evanston.

How has Have Dreams impacted you? I've been involved with the building where Have Dreams has their Evanston Headquarters for 30 years. There are no two businesses here that are alike, and they tend to be unique and special businesses. About 10 years ago, Have Dreams came in looking for space in Evanston. I looked at a drawing of the space and said, well, this is the way it is now, but if we do some work, this can be the kind of space we think you need. I’ve enjoyed watching their work evolve and grow over the past decade.

Here within the building, it’s a community. The most special benefit is one of our tenants here is a commercial bakery. The owner became interested, and made a commitment, to really see if there was a way to integrate with what Have Dreams does, as far as their training and mainstreaming of adolescents with autism into her business. It's fun to see, and it works for both of them. I’m proud to be a part of a community that helps each other like this.

In the 10 years that I've been involved, I've never not known the need of Have Dreams to be greater than what was available. So, if I could do something to help and move the ball forward, even a little bit, I get gratification from it, I think anyone else would, too. I would encourage anyone who thinks a little creatively about what they can do to help Have Dreams to get involved and help them.