St. Thomas University Launches New Center for Learning Differences to Support Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities  

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Mar 24, 2025, 08:31 ET

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., March 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- St. Thomas University is proud to announce the fall 2025 launch of the Center for Learning Differences, a groundbreaking initiative designed to provide vital support and resources for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

The Center will provide individualized learning plans, career preparation, and life skills training in the hospitality and business sectors. Additionally, students will have access to job placement services and internships to help them transition successfully into the workforce.

Valerie Hall is the inaugural director of St. Thomas University's new Center for Learning Differences. The center will provide vital support and resources for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Students will receive individualized learning plans, career preparation, and life skills training in the hospitality and business sectors, plus job placement services and internships to help them transition successfully into the workforce. Courtesy of St. Thomas University.

The Center's staff also will build a network of faculty, staff, and community partners dedicated to ensuring that students with learning differences receive the attention and opportunities they need to succeed.

"In today's world, it is more important than ever to create inclusive environments where all students have access to quality education and the tools necessary for success," said St. Thomas University President David A. Armstrong, J.D. "A significant portion of the population is differently abled, so it is essential that we all prepare individuals to become self-sufficient, productive members of society."

"At St. Thomas University, we believe that every individual deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential," said Dr. Michelle Johnson-Garcia, STU's provost and chief academic officer. "Our Center for Learning Differences is more than just an academic resource – it will be a community where students can develop socially, emotionally, and professionally. By offering specialized programs tailored to their needs, we aim to break down barriers, foster independence, and empower students to succeed in all areas of life."

The Center's comprehensive range of academic, social, and professional development opportunities will equip students with intellectual disabilities with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to pursue their dreams, said Valarie Hall, the Center's inaugural director.

"Education is a fundamental human right, and it is our responsibility to ensure that no one is left behind," said Valarie Hall, the inaugural Director of the Center for Learning Differences. "This new Center is a beacon of hope and a testament to the power of inclusion. Our goal is to create a space where students with intellectual disabilities feel valued, supported, and ready to take on the world's challenges."

For more information or to schedule a tour, please contact Valerie Hall at [email protected] or visit our website at www.stu.edu.

About St. Thomas University
St. Thomas University (STU) is one of the South's premier Catholic universities. It is a private, nonprofit institution committed to fostering students' academic and professional success and helping them become ethical leaders in the global community. Rich with cultural and international diversity, STU is a Miami Archdiocesan university, the only archdiocesan university in Florida, and one of just 11 nationwide. STU offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degree programs online and on the university's beautiful Miami Gardens via its College of Nursing, College of Health Sciences & Technology, Benjamin L. Crump College of Law, Gus Machado College of Business, and Biscayne College for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. As of spring 2025, STU served 7,660 undergraduate, graduate, and dual enrollment students, a 78% increase since President David A. Armstrong, J.D., took office in the fall of 2018. STU is currently completing $123 million in improvements, its biggest expansion since its 1961 founding, including adding 400,000 square feet of new facilities. Among other objectives, President Armstrong's new "Pursue Excellence" strategic plan seeks to build a new 99,000-square-foot STEM and nursing building, expand the Benjamin L. Crump College of Law and construct new athletic facilities.