Emmerson Fipps, a student in the NC State College of Education’s elementary education program, has always had a passion for special education.  When she enrolled in the College of Education, she opted to earn a special education add-on licensure; and when she learned about NC State’s inclusive postsecondary education program, Elevate, Fipps knew she wanted to be part of it. 

She found a way as a peer mentor with Elevate. As one of approximately 30 trained peer mentors, Fipps helps students in Elevate navigate NC State’s campus life. She offers academic assistance and study support, fosters engagement in campus activities and provides guidance on building independence and developing life skills while developing skills of her own. 

“The most rewarding part of being a peer mentor with the Elevate program would definitely have to be watching students have those ‘aha!’ moments when they finally get the hang of something they have been working on. Whether it is an academic skill, or a social one, those moments just confirm how important programs like Elevate are, and how much of a difference they make in students’ lives,” Fipps said. 

Administratively housed in the College of Education’s Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences (TELS), Elevate is a university-wide initiative designed for North Carolina residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and offers a four-year certificate. 

The program welcomed its first cohort of seven students in January 2025 and the second cohort of 10 students began classes during the fall 2025 semester. 

“I love the peer mentors here!” said Sarah Gatewood, who joined Elevate as part of the inaugural cohort. “I thank them for their support and love for the students in cohorts one and two.”

Because Elevate students take classes across multiple colleges, many peer mentors are students in other colleges at NC State.

Siddharth Maruvada, a sophomore majoring in biochemistry, had worked with students receiving special education services since high school, designing and developing public speaking modules for them. Having witnessed the growth of the students he worked with while still in high school, he was excited to continue his work by serving as a head academic peer mentor in Elevate. 

“Through this experience I’ve learned just as much as I’ve given, especially the importance of patience, resilience and celebrating every small victory,” he said.  “I’ve learned to be more empathetic, to listen without rushing to respond and to adapt my approach to each student’s individual needs and strengths. It also reminded me that confidence is built through encouragement and consistency. Just showing up and believing in someone can make a lasting difference.”

The relationships he’s developed with his mentees and seeing them share their personal lives with him, Maruvada said, has been one of his favorite parts of working in the program. It’s a sentiment that Fipps echoes, listing the personal moments she has shared with students in Elevate as some of the most memorable. 

“Any day I get to work with the Elevate students is a good day in my book; but my favorite memories are probably playing UNO last semester in Tally Student Union with students, seeing the Elevate students all dressed at the College of Education scholarship banquet and being able to witness the tremendous growth the first cohort of students has made since beginning the program in January.”

As one of two head social peer mentors in Elevate, Fipps has taken on new roles this semester, including helping to plan events, leading communication to other peer mentors and collaborating more closely with Elevate staff. 

This collaboration, planning and delegation, she said, are skills that she can use in her future career as an educator. Additionally, her work in the program is helping her to develop a better understanding of how to support students with intellectual and developmental disabilities of all ages. 

“In this line of work, the learning never ceases. Every day is a new opportunity to develop new tools/skills I can put in my ‘educator toolbox,’” she said. “Since I did not have much experience working with adults with IDD before becoming a part of the Elevate staff, a lot of the things I have learned are specifically related to how I tailor my approach to situations involving adults, as opposed to ones involving children; and how to balance supporting adults with IDD while also maintaining their autonomy.”