At College with Mitochondrial Disease

ENERGY IN ACTION - EPISODE 108

At College with Mitochondrial Disease

College can be a challenging and overwhelming experience for any student, but the complexities of mito disease makes college even more challenging. Natalie, Alex and Annie are all college students and they join me, along with the Mito Action CEO, Kira Mann, to talk about their experience and how Mito Action can be helpful to students who have college in their future. 

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

What do you wish you had known in your first year of college that can help students have a successful experience?

Plan, but also know that plans may change, and that's okay because it's part of the learning experience. Disability advocates are a great resource, but you can also advocate for yourself, if you need to attend classes virtually sometimes as an example. Create margin to balance the new responsibilities and life skills so you can manage your mito and energy. There are resources on college campuses, so get to know yours and continue to advocate for yourself while you adjust to your new routine and experience. Advocacy is the number one thing that will support you through college and beyond and it's an important skill to have and utilize. 

What is your advice for someone entering college?

Craft your college schedule in a way that works best for you, taking into account when your energy is typically highest, building in breaks and allowing for extra time to travel around campus. As classes become more specialized and more difficult to schedule around what's best for you, prepare yourself the best you can by getting enough sleep and taking care of yourself.

What scholarships, support and services can Mito Action provide to college students?

The Matthew Harty Camper scholarship program was established in 2015. The Matthew Harty Camper Fund was established in honor of Matther Harty who had mitochondrial disease and his biggest dream was to go to summer camp, which he had to be eigth years old to attend. Matthew passed away just a few days after his eighth birthday and was never able to go to camp so the program honors him and helps other mito kids fulfill their dreams. To date, we've granted over $200,000 in scholarships to kids looking to pursue higher education. Applications are open through May 2024. We have been building a list of resources, so we can support and guide students and parents through connecting you with other families, resource sharing and support calls. 

LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED

State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies

https://rsa.ed.gov/about/states

Matthew Harty Camper Fund Scholarship Application

https://www.mitoaction.org/programs-support/mitoaction-programs/mhcf/scholarship

CONNECT WITH MITOACTION

Website

https://www.mitoaction.org/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/mitoaction

Twitter

https://twitter.com/mitoaction

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/mitoaction/

LinkedIn

https://www.

linkedin.com/company/mitoaction