{"667311":{"#nid":"667311","#data":{"type":"news","title":"An EXCEL Program Love Story","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAlex Goodman and Elliott Smith, two graduates of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/excel.gatech.edu\/home\u0022\u003EEXCEL Program\u003C\/a\u003E, found more than academic success while completing their education. The two also found love. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe Expanding Career, Education, and Leadership Opportunities (EXCEL) Program is a four-year college certificate program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Founded in 2014, EXCEL \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Eexpands opportunities for its graduates, awarding \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Etwo separate certificates, one in \u2018Academic Enrichment\u2019 and the other in \u2018Social Growth.\u2019\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGoodman enrolled in EXCEL two years before Smith, but once the two met, they became inseparable. Smith fondly remembers their first date in 2019 at Moe\u2019s in Tech Square. \u201cI just loved how we seemed to never run out of things to talk about and how much we had in common,\u201d Smith explained.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThey currently work as teacher\u2019s assistants \u2014 yet another area the two have in common. Smith works at the Phase Family Learning Center, while Goodman, a member of EXCEL\u2019s first graduating class in 2020, works with \u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EJoseph Sams School.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGoodman and Smith both grew up just outside of metro Atlanta, in Fayetteville and Alpharetta, respectively. The proximity to home, combined with the obvious benefits of the EXCEL Program, \u003Cspan\u003Eled their parents to recommend EXCEL to them. \u003C\/span\u003ENow, years later, both families are all happy with that decision.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOf course, the Covid pandemic and accompanying lockdown presented certain challenges to the students\u2019 academic and personal lives. But with the help of EXCEL, the couple was able to successfully navigate life \u2014 and their romantic relationship. The two credit EXCEL for not only helping them acquire new job skills but also for helping them become more independent.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cI loved all of the teachers. They were all really great the way they taught me something new every semester and always presented new opportunities. I mean, there\u0027s really nothing not to love. \u201d Goodman said.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn November 2022, they got engaged when Smith proposed under the holiday lights at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe couple plans to marry in 2024 at The Biltmore Hotel,\u003Cem\u003E \u003C\/em\u003Enear Georgia Tech\u2019s campus.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EElliott and Alex\u0026nbsp;met through the Georgia Tech EXCEL program, a four-year college certificate program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Elliott enrolled in EXCEL two years after Alex, a member of EXCEL\u2019s first graduating\u0026nbsp;class. But\u0026nbsp;once the two met, they became inseparable.\u0026nbsp;In November 2022,\u0026nbsp;Elliott proposed under the holiday lights at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.\u0026nbsp;The couple plans to marry in 2024 at The Biltmore Hotel, near Georgia Tech\u2019s campus.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Elliott and Alex\u00a0met through the Georgia Tech EXCEL program, a four-year college certificate program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities but now are set to marry in 2024."}],"uid":"34973","created_gmt":"2023-04-13 12:45:47","changed_gmt":"2023-04-13 14:16:36","author":"Evan Atkinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670518":{"id":"670518","type":"image","title":"Elliott and Alex 01","body":null,"created":"1681394728","gmt_created":"2023-04-13 14:05:28","changed":"1681395094","gmt_changed":"2023-04-13 14:11:34","alt":"Elliott and Alex 01","file":{"fid":"253396","name":"Elliott Smith and Alex Goodman engagement.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/13\/Elliott%20Smith%20and%20Alex%20Goodman%20engagement.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/13\/Elliott%20Smith%20and%20Alex%20Goodman%20engagement.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3245480,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/04\/13\/Elliott%20Smith%20and%20Alex%20Goodman%20engagement.png?itok=ubwsUNkG"}},"670519":{"id":"670519","type":"image","title":"Elliott and Alex 02","body":null,"created":"1681394889","gmt_created":"2023-04-13 14:08:09","changed":"1681394889","gmt_changed":"2023-04-13 14:08:09","alt":"Elliott and Alex 02","file":{"fid":"253397","name":"Elliott-Alex.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/13\/Elliott-Alex_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/04\/13\/Elliott-Alex_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2866399,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/04\/13\/Elliott-Alex_0.jpg?itok=eUt8_LVe"}}},"media_ids":["670518","670519"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022eatkinson6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EEvan Atkinson\u003C\/a\u003E, Institute Social Media Officer\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["eatkinson6@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}