(gentle music) - Cool, would you mind, let's take a look at that first.

- [Narrator] Jesus Jimenez never thought he would be able to attend, let alone succeed in college.

He thought that due to his disability, completing high school would be the pinnacle of his education.

But the Camden Post-Secondary Program in San Jose has allowed him to further his education and pursue his dreams.

- It has changed my life for the better.

I mean, if anything, if I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't be the person I am right now.

- The post-secondary program is for students age 18 to 21 years old who graduate from high school with certificates of completion.

For our students with moderate to severe disabilities, graduating without a regular diploma really poses the question of what are the opportunities for them to build their future?

- [Narrator] For Jesus, that means taking classes at West Valley College in Saratoga.

It's one of several opportunities provided by the Camden Post-Secondary Program, which helps students with disabilities acquire employment skills, learn to live independently, and offer educational opportunities beyond high school in just four years.

Camden Union High School district runs the program, and Ophelia Gomez is the special program's manager.

- The purpose of this is to help them transition from school to work, from school to the adult world, but as you know, training for adulthood is a journey.

- [Narrator] And it's a journey shaped by the students themselves through their chosen pathways.

Jesus is on the college pathway, which exists thanks to the program's partnership with West Valley College, where students can take community college classes.

- Our initial intention was just for them to have a college experience.

You know, they're 21, they're 18, so they should really be in a typical environment to be with their neurotypical peers, right?

Why not?

But then the confidence grew in such a way that they wanted to be more focused in what they want to do at the community college.

- Hold on.

What a gentleman.

All right, come on in, guys.

- Come on in, everybody.

- Awesome.

- Within the first semester, we realized, oh, these students are doing well with support and they could start pursuing things like certificates.

- [Narrator] Mike Dickey is a Camden Post-Secondary teacher on the West Valley College campus.

He helps students navigate their classwork and college life.

- The program is really about supporting the students becoming independent, and as they do that on college campuses, learning how to communicate with the professors, how to navigate the college campus, how to make social connections, how just to become involved in the community here.

- It's been a huge ride.

Like when I first entered here, I was a little nervous.

I felt like I wouldn't fit in that well.

But as the years go by, I felt like I'm a different person.

I've become more social.

I tend to work more harder than usual.

- [Narrator] And his hard work is paying off.

Jesus is on track to earn his certificate in business administration in December, an opportunity students with moderate to severe disabilities rarely get to achieve.

- Being in college is not abnormal for post-secondary programs.

Around the state, plenty of schools' programs have kids taking a yoga class or going and taking like a PE class or maybe an art class or something like that.

But what we were looking at doing is having them jump in, taking more of the actual academic classes and pursuing these certificates.

We had like early childhood education, we had kids going for business administration, we had kids going for filmmaking or theater or for coding things.

Just like this whole world of college and things that they can do with their lives that they would never thought was possible.

(bright music) - [Narrator] On Camden Post-Secondary's main campus, students can join their peers in workshops and explore other pathways that interest them, like the crafts, entrepreneurship, and self-employment pathway.

This track teaches students how to create handmade soaps, cards, potpourri, and other crafts that they then sell at the local farmer's market.

It also provides students with money management skills and puts them into their community.

- Here's your change, two dollars, have a great day.

- I really would like people to know that our students are very capable of doing some things.

It's just a matter of discovering what they can do and then you build the future from there on.

- [Narrator] Organizers of the Camden Post-Secondary Program say they hope to partner with more community colleges in the future to provide students with even more opportunities.

- I literally think that these students that we're working with are some of the best humans on earth.

They really are amazing humans.

A lot of our students come from places where their expectations are a lot lower, and like I said, you come here, you have a lot of chances to really excel.

- I mean, if I have advice for people who wanted to take classes in college, go for it.

It might surprise you.

It makes me feel like I'm able to do amazing things.