MORRISTOWN, N.J., June 24, 2019 — Morristown native, Jenny Rose, recently graduated from the College of Saint Elizabeth (CSE) despite the challenges of autism spectrum disorder, a developmental disorder that affects social skills, behavior, and communication.   A Bachelor of Arts in English is just the beginning for the 22-year-old.

About 50,000 Americans with autism enter adulthood each year, yet only one-third of these young adults attend higher education, according to Autism Speaks. Rose’s own mother was apprehensive about her attending college.

“My mom worried that attending college would be too difficult for me,” says Rose.  “However, I knew that if I tried my best, I would reach my goal.  I’m thankful to the CSE community for supporting me throughout my journey.  The staff and other students were great with understanding my limitations and encouraging me to keep moving forward.  I’m now one step closer to my goals of writing professionally and working at a library.”

Rose credits CSE’s small class sizes, individual attention from professors and close-knit community that allowed her to safely live independently in the campus dorms for her success.  She quickly made friends and even held a workshop on campus so other students could understand autism.  Her story underscores CSE’s 120-year mission in promoting leadership in service to others, including underserved communities through a diverse student body and forward-looking initiatives.

Currently, Rose is developing a children’s film series and, earlier this year, she published her first book: It’s Not a Perfect World but I’ll Take It: 50 Life Lessons for Teens Like Me Who Are Kind of (You Know) Autistic. The book was well-received by critics as a “must-read for not only those teens struggling to find their way in the spectrum, but also their neurotypical counterparts” (Mary Coyle, The Real Child Center).  To learn more about her book, visit https://amzn.to/2Hbfek8

ABOUT COLLEGE OF SAINT ELIZABETH

The College of Saint Elizabeth, sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, is a community of learning in the Catholic liberal arts tradition for students of diverse ages, backgrounds and cultures. Located in Morristown, N.J., the College focuses on engaged learning for leadership in service to others. For more information, visit www.cse.edu.

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