PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Alyssa Ryan is a lifelong Philadelphia resident who’s been at the Mastery Charter Lenfest School for 14 years as a special ed teacher and case manager. She felt her students with intellectual disabilities and autism needed help transitioning to what comes next after school, so she developed a transition program.
“Really focusing on developing vocational and independent living skills to prepare them for that next step and that transition, if you will, into adulthood or independence, and whatever that looks like for them,” she explained.
Ryan said the biggest misconception about people who are differently abled is that they can't do things independently.
“We often, as a society, really over-help and over-accommodate when it’s not always necessarily needed, and then we do those individuals a disservice because they’re not able to really come into themselves and show what they really can do,” she said.
Ryan helps lead the student coffee shop, called Brew Crew, where they focus on workplace skills. She has a sense of pride when she sees their progression.
“I think like them, feeling confident makes me feel good, and knowing that they can be successful just makes me feel like I am doing my job, because that is my job,” she said. “I want all students, but especially these students, to be able to have a fulfilling life.”
Ryan noted that individuals with disabilities, especially those of color, are among the highest percentage of unemployed adults. She hopes through this program she can do her part in making a positive change so her students have the best outcomes.
“I love them,” she added. “They’re so great. They are like a part of my family. I see them more than I see my family on a day-to-day basis — like, we’re spending the bulk of the day together. So they truly do become like my kids in a way.”
During Black History Month, KYW Newsradio’s GameChangers honors individuals or organizations that have made a significant, positive impact in communities of color in the greater Philadelphia region. View the 2025 honorees here.