#ShareYourCAAStory: Beautiful Testimony from a CAA Student & her Mom

March 15, 2021

 

“By Paige Delaney Kowalski, with help from Mom:


I am Paige and I am 22-years old.  I live with my sister and my mom and my cat. I already graduated from Post Secondary.  I go to a Day Program at Mission College and I take music, dance, and cooking classes at College of the Adaptive Arts.  Before COVID-19, I worked at the Holiday Inn doing laundry and helping in the Breakfast Room.  I like to dance and sing and hike with my mom and help my mom with cooking and cleaning. I like to talk about movies and actors and singers.  I Google my favorite stars so I can learn more about them.   I love being a part of Young Life Capernaum and I want to be a leader so I can help the younger kids.   I love being a greeter at church and helping the little kids in the Sunday School.  I play Little League Baseball and I am a big hitter. When I grow up, I want to be on American Idol and Dancing With The Stars.   I love my life and I am happy I have Special Needs because I have a special love.”

 

“When Paige was born, the doctors and the books and the experts gave me lists of things Paige would never learn to do.  It felt like I had been kicked in the gut.  I felt nothing by dread for her future.  Thankfully that feeling of dread got kicked to the curb when I started meeting with teachers and therapists and I realized  I was the expert  in my own daughter’s capabilities.


Paige has an amazing life. She is compassionate and caring. She loves helping others.  She is resourceful and smart.  When she was little, she brilliantly used her toys as tools to open locks and latches and escape the house.  She is creative.  She choreographs dances to her favorite songs. She is kind and loving. She encourages her friends and always has something uplifting to say about them or to them. She has strong opinions and is not afraid to say how she feels.  She experiences a full range of emotions and expresses them all.  She is constantly learning new things. She is a sponge for information and new skills.  COVID-19 opened up a new discipline of remote learning.  While she prefers to meet in person, she has learned new skills in her classes and has mastered using email!


 

Last Summer, Paige enrolled in College of the Adaptive Arts. She is taking some amazing courses! When she’s not baking up a storm in her Joy of Baking class, she is learning about the importance of warming up and breath control and posture in Concert Choir. She is learning so much about musical theater and watching classic musicals in her Musical Theater Appreciation Class. She is brand new to cheerleading and she is already choreographing her own routines in Cheer Squad.  She is learning about history and culture while perfecting dance moves in Contemporary and Cultural Dance.  And she is expressing her joy and love of musical theater in Joy of Broadway Dance.


Just like Paige, I LOVE her life.  And I am happy she has special needs and I want to soak up every bit of her special love.”

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Where the System Ends, CAA Begins. We Built the College We Couldn't Find. CAA Story #25: Professor Eliza :)

By DeAnna Pursai • August 10, 2026
When Professor Eliza Riley first got involved at CAA, it was very different from what it is today. In fact, she has been part of the community ever since the founding in 2009. Over the years, she has watched the CAA community grow, evolve, and continue creating a place where people can express themselves freely and confidently. Long before she began teaching, Professor Eliza served on CAA’s board, helping with fundraising efforts and supporting the community however she could. At the time, she never imagined that one day she would sign up to be a teacher. But with encouragement from her fellow board members, she eventually found her place as a professor. Today, she helps teach two acting classes, and loves sharing the uniqueness of theater with students each week. Professor Eliza fell in love with the performing arts because it gives the performer the freedom to become anyone that they want on stage. For Professor Eliza, theater is a place where she feels like her labels and limitations disappear. She says that when she is performing, her rare disease and the wheelchair no longer defines who she is. Outside the classroom, Professor Eliza is known for bringing warmth and a calming energy to those around her. She often used to bring her dog to classes because his presence helped her stay relaxed and grounded. Although her dog is getting older now and she does not bring him in as often, everyone still asks how he is and why he isn’t in class.  After so many years with CAA, Professor Eliza continues to be an important part of its story. From board member to teacher, mentor, and longtime community member, her journey reflects what CAA is all about: finding belonging, confidence, and joy through the arts. — Written by Nina Pal Volunteer

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