The University of St. Thomas added the exceptionalities minor – which focuses on better understanding of individuals who fall under one or both of the special education and gifted education labels – to its list of minors last fall.

Jo Montie, the exceptionalities minor adviser, said the new program pairs well with an education major because it makes students more marketable to schools.

“For students getting their general ed teaching license, (the exceptionalities minor will) help them really be better prepared for a range of students,” Montie said.

St. Thomas senior and education major Mary Cate Landt already sees the benefits of the exceptionalities minor in her student-teaching.

“It was nice (for student-teaching) to have this background of dealing with kids with behavior issues without yelling and screaming and flipping tables,” Landt said. “I could understand them and get them to do what I needed to.”

Only 10 students are currently pursuing the minor, but they represent several departments on campus including Catholic studies, family studies, psychology and health and human performance.

Montie thinks this diversity shows the importance of the minor and its applicability to anyone looking to better understand people under the special education and gifted education umbrella.

“This is definitely not just a minor for people pursuing a teaching path,” Montie said. “There’s a lot of different areas of study where they’re really thinking about, How do I better support individuals with disabilities in my work and in communities?”

Landt agrees that the exceptionalities minor can be beneficial to students in majors besides education.

“No matter what you do, it’s good to have that background,” Landt said. “(It’s like) ‘How to work with people 101.’”

Montie feels the exceptionalities minor goes beyond academia and is also in line with St. Thomas’ mission to advance the common good.

“How do we advance the common good? It’s all about how do we support everybody who walks or wheels into our community,” Montie said.

Emily Coon be reached at coon8192@stthomas.edu.