Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst University

05/28/2026

Our second recap features our time spent in Camden, ME, where we went on a lobster boat tour! Our guide Rich provided a Master's level course in lobstering, and we're happy to report we did catch one lovely lobster. It was highly informative, beautiful scenery, and plenty of bonus wildlife to include a huge bald eagle nest with an eagle keeping watch.

We capped the day by making our way up to Bar Harbor, but snuck in a quick stop at self-serve cheesecake stand called Momo's - it was a big hit.

More tomorrow with our final installment!

05/27/2026

Last week seven students and three staff took an adventure to Maine! We're going to share some highlights over the next three days to showcase some of the spots we visited, food we ate, and memories we made!

Our first recap highlights our time in Portland - the largest city in Maine, and as we learned, the city with second highest restaurants per-capita in the country! While in Portland we enjoyed a food tour including chowder, lobster roll, haddock tacos, and for those of age - a few of Portland's local brews! Special thanks to Ray, our excellent tour guide!

We also explored some of the lighthouses in neighboring towns - and as you will notice, we had perfect weather to bask in the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean. Our guides Kim and Rick did a wonderful job leading us to see the beauty and a great pizza lunch dinner as well.

More to come!

P.S. Any guesses what US city (according to our tour guide) has the highest number of restaurants per capita?

05/18/2026

Congratulations to all of our graduates! We celebrated with most of them on Thursday with our AIM Graduation Ceremony, and also gave our annual awards. Special congratulations and thank you to the Dianne Rogers Living Legacy Award winner Linda Graves from the Mercyhurst Counseling Center, and to the Dr. Ken Schiff Award winner Richard Sayer from the Art Department. Also special thanks to Soren Thomas who was presented with the AIM Exceptional Intern Award for all of her contributions this past year.

CONGRATULATIONS to our grads, thank you for all you've done for our program, and we simply cannot wait to see where life takes you in your next chapter! Carpe Diem!

05/08/2026

We were busy in April! A group of students and staff joined hundreds of fellow supporters for the annual Autism Society - Northwestern Pennsylvania Walk last month. We love partnering with the Autism Society and were proud to not only be a sponsor, but also led amongst all local colleges for most funds raised! Our group was called to the stage to accept the award - note the less than ideal conditions! Special shout out to Michele on our AIM team for being our lead for this event.

After lots of rain the last few years we know they're due for warm temps and sunshine next year!!

05/05/2026

We had a wonderful time with five students and three staff at the JP Morgan Chase Student Symposium last month. The JPMC team is incredibly welcoming, and we loved seeing their beautiful facility in Columbus, Ohio. Hearing from neurodivergent employees at JPMC is a very valuable experience for our students and staff! We hope to make additional visits to JPMC and other employers in the coming year - who wants to host us? Let us know at [email protected]!

04/30/2026

Good morning! By request we've added one final virtual information session for this school year -- May 6 at 7 p.m. our staff will cover all of our programming - summer programs (still limited space for 2026!), dual enrollment, and our signature AIM Program. Please share this presentation with anyone you think may be interested! Register: https://mhur.st/aim-info or email us at [email protected] with questions!

04/29/2026

With the end of April being near, we want to continue celebrating Autism Awareness Month! (Or Autism Acceptance Month...or Autism Appreciation Month...) We like to take this month to appreciate the differences people on the spectrum can have on society and how each person is unique.

Special thanks to Evan for his help on this post!

04/01/2026

We kicked off April's Autism Month a few days early when we partnered with to host a karaoke night last Thursday! We had a great time, met new friends, sang new songs, and enjoyed some fun during a busy time of the semester! Special thanks to our new friends at BTE and our AIM staff who helped pull this fun event together! We hope it is the first of many!

03/30/2026

We love our partnership with Autism Society - Northwestern Pennsylvania - they are an incredible resource for our community here in NWPA. We're proud to support this event and look forward to bringing a strong team of students and staff on April 25!

Higher education, higher impact. 🎓🌱

We are thrilled to recognize Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst University as a Planter Level Sponsor for our 25th Annual Walk for Autism!

For many years, they have been a vital partner in our community, providing the specialized support and resources students need to thrive in a college setting. Thank you for planting the seeds of academic success and working with us for many years!

Walk with us!
Register Here: https://bit.ly/AutismNWPAWalkReg2026

Can't walk with us? Consider donating here: https://bit.ly/AutismNWPAWalkDonation26

03/20/2026

We just hit SEND on our latest AIM Advance newsletter! We send this to current AIM students and families, as well as many campus constituents to keep everyone in the loop on the many happenings in our program. This issue features the first of our profiles on graduating students -- many more to come -- we love sharing all their accomplishments during their time with our program! If you'd like to receive the newsletter please contact us at [email protected]!

03/18/2026

We had a most wonderful time over spring break exploring Washington D.C. with seven dedicated students and three staff! We met prospective employers, took the DC Metro (subway), saw monuments and museums, connected with some AIM alumni, tried new foods, and so much more. Special thanks to the generous folks who took time to meet with our students and provide such a meaningful experience!

Where should we go next?