As Lesley doubles down on its commitment to neurodiverse learners and the Threshold program embarks on its fifth decade of transformative work, the program has warmly welcomed a new member to the Lesley community: Stacey Villani, the inaugural Director of the Threshold Lifelong Support program.
Thanks to the generous support of two anonymous donors, as well as Lesley University Trustee Veronica Ohanian Heath and her husband Donn, and patrons of the Threshold 40th Anniversary Gala in May, the Threshold Lifelong Support program has come to fruition.
The Lifelong Support program aims to support Threshold students beyond their years in the current program, and offers holistic services that will help neurodiverse learners succeed throughout their lives. These services address a critical post-education gap, and this nuanced program requires a leader with the expertise, compassion, and dedication to help participants thrive.
Perhaps it’s not surprising that the perfect candidate was personally acquainted with Threshold and all that it can offer.
Stacey Villani was trained to help people and organizations work to their potential, receiving her undergraduate degree in Human Resource Management at Boston University and her M.Ed. in Organizational Management from Endicott College. Her career trajectory was guided not only by these educational experiences, but by her son and the journey they have undertaken together.
He has cerebral palsy, and Villani dove into assisting him throughout the complexities he faced, developing a vast array of new skills and igniting a passion along the way.