Clearing the
way for disabled
students

Steven Gold, MC/CC ’04, has a passion for making education accessible for everyone, regardless of their circumstances. At Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado, he is changing lives of disabled students for the better.

Steven Gold’s childhood dream of working in federal law enforcement was thwarted by his adult understanding of the sobering realities of the job. Not one to be deterred, he decided to do his part for society in a different way. Today, his passion is making education accessible for everyone at Pikes Peak Community College (PPCC) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, regardless of disabilities they may face. He’s also using his expertise to educate the next generation of counseling professionals so they can enrich the lives of others in their own ways.

Steven Gold, MC/CC ’04
Assistant coordinator for student disability services,
Pikes Peak Community College
Colorado Springs, Colorado

The Happiness Issue

ALUMNI PROFILES | Steven Gold

“Once you get into the disability field in higher education, it sucks you in—in a good way. You are part counselor, part advisor, part teacher. There’s so much that [your work] impacts.”

Steven Gold, MC/CC ’04

Opportunity knocks

In 2007, Gold saw a job posting at PPCC that would change his life. An assistant coordinator for student disability services position opened at the college, a job that would perfectly correspond with his education, experience and desire to do more. He was hired for the position, which began as part time and allowed him to continue teaching. “Within a year, it went from half time to three-quarter time, then quickly to full time after that,” he says. The best part? “I was getting to help a population of students I hadn’t worked with before,” Gold adds.

In this new role, he helps provide academic accommodations to the disabled. This broad category includes students with psychological and psychiatric conditions, physical and systemic illnesses, and cognitive and learning disabilities. Gold reviews their requests and verifies that they qualify for assistance under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Then he gets to work filling their requirements, which range from technology-based (computers and software) to low-tech assistance, such as readers, scribes and special classroom seating.

Gold knows that making education accessible to these students is only one part of the battle. “We are leveling the playing field by providing accommodations to meet their challenges,” he explains, “but we don’t modify their curriculum at all. They are still responsible for doing what everyone else has to do.”

An unexpected joy

Although Gold happened upon his career by chance, he has found great satisfaction in his work at PPCC. “Once you get into the disability field in higher education, it sucks you in—in a good way,” he asserts. “You are part counselor, part advisor, part teacher. There’s so much that [your work] impacts.”

He finds fulfillment in ensuring access for disabled students to give them a fair shot at success. “The best part is when a student comes to me and says, ‘I just got elected to student government,’ or ‘I am graduating,’ or ‘I am going to Harvard,’” he says. For some students with severe disabilities, though, the accomplishment might be picking up a skill, such as typing, that will enable them to have a job of their own—and a better life. “Their idea of success is different,” he explains. “There is a whole spectrum, and whatever success feels like to a student, that makes me feel really good.”

A work in progress

Gold’s career wasn’t always so fulfilling. After he earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology, he found himself working in hotel security, frustrated that he wasn’t using the skills he worked so hard to hone. “I was underemployed,” he says, simply, “but I wasn’t going to sit around and stagnate.”

One month later, he decided to pursue his Master of Counseling in Community Counseling from University of Phoenix. “Everyone who is a counselor says they are good with people,” he laughs. “I was always good with people, and I’m inquisitive. It was a natural fit for me to pursue a behavioral health degree.”

In 2005, Gold began teaching psychology classes part time at PPCC. He found that he loved working in higher education with its nontraditional pupils, who ranged from high school students earning credit to people returning for their degrees in their 30s and 40s and retired men and women learning just for the love of it.

The Happiness Issue

ALUMNI PROFILES | Steven Gold

Creating his future

Beyond his dedication to counseling and teaching, Gold maintains a passion for learning, something that is played out in his own life. He recently became board certified in human services and jumps at the chance for additional training. “It’s lifelong learning. You don’t just get the degree and stop,” he says. “This opens more doors.”

Gold finds happiness getting involved in his local community, too, and he serves on panels and councils, working to better the area where he lives. He’s also a member of several professional associations and is working hard to stay at the forefront of his profession.

Today, at the age of 33, Gold already has taught 25 college courses, an accomplishment that sets him apart from other teachers his age. This experience has him poised for graduate teaching opportunities, which he plans to begin in the coming months. He’s aiming even higher, though. “Down the road, I would love to be a dean of students,” he admits. “That would allow me to make positive changes, both systematically and individually.”

For now, though, he is happy right where he is in higher education. “Even on your worst day, you are helping people with a life-changing, positive experience that will enable them to get an education to take them to the next level.”