Student Success Stories

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Reed Hahne

Reed Hahne is not a “typical” UVU student, if there even is one. Still, Reed is a bit different because he has Down syndrome.

Despite his disability, he is thriving at UVU – and succeeding – as a regular student in regular classes. Hahne, 26, is working toward an associate degree in special education so he can be a teacher’s aide in an elementary school.

“I want to help other students like me,” he said. Hahne, an Orem resident, has been a UVU student for about four years, and still has at least two years left.

“He just keeps plugging along,” said his mother, Karen Hahne.

Reed usually takes one or two core classes each semester plus a dance or music class. In his core classes, the only accommodation he has is a note-taker that is usually a classmate who takes notes for themselves and gives a copy to Reed. This allows him to focus and mentally process the lecture. He also is allowed longer time to take tests because it takes him longer to process information, and sometimes he needs to say it aloud to understand it.

“We never dreamed he’d go this far,” Karen said. “I can’t emphasize enough how great this campus has been for him. He’s had great teachers, made great friends. I don’t know if this would have happened anywhere else in the state.”

Sometimes Reed doesn’t realize how amazing his success is. He’ll shrug and tell you that he has lots of friends with Down’s in his LDS institute classes. But then his mother will ask him how many of them are pursuing a college degree.

His eyes light up with understanding as he says, “I’m the only one!”

Reed simply enjoys working hard, and like any of us, he enjoys the college atmosphere. “I like having fun, and learning new things. I like meeting new friends,” Reed said. Even when the work is hard, he still has a determined smile on his face.

Brent Anderson teaches Reed’s Effective Business Communication class, and said he does an exceptional job in class. “He’s always the first one to present with each new report. He’s always ready, always prepared. (In group work) Reed always takes his part in the research and preparation, and will do it with style,” he said.

Reed doesn’t just study, though. He regularly performs in the ensemble chorus at the Scera, and is in UVU’s Concert Choir. He sang April 3 in the second session of the LDS General Conference as part of the LDS Institute Choir, and those watching the first song of that session caught a glimpse of him on the first row.

He also takes a dance class each semester. This semester he is in a Latin dance class, and he’s competed in ballroom dance competitions. He’s reached the bronze level in the cha-cha and samba.

Reed has been on the move since birth. He came to the Hahne family through adoption, and is the youngest of six. There are four other adopted children in the family, all from different backgrounds. Reed is Mexican-American, and he has two Navajo sisters and a Korean brother. When Reed was a baby, Karen wanted guidance on how to help him develop, so she looked around locally for some support, but found little.

“Back then, we couldn’t find a program to meet his needs,” Karen said.

She then heard about a program at the University of Washington, where children like Reed and their parents were succeeding. She went there and studied their work. Then she and a friend, Brenda Winegar, who also had a child with Down syndrome, decided to start a similar program.

That program became Kids on the Move, a non-profit organization that provides support and services for young children with disabilities and lower income families. “I really think Reed came to us to be the impetus to starting that program,” said Karen.

Reed gets a little embarrassed by all the attention. He also is a little shy about how many people recognize him from his plays and performances. “He has friends all over the world. We were on a cruise and these kids knew him. We were in Yellowstone and a big group of kids recognized him from when he performed at EFY at BYU,” Karen said.

Through all of this, Reed is an inspiration to many.

“Reed doesn’t know the use of pity,” said Anderson.

“You know, you might peak at what you can learn in depth,” Karen said, raising her hand to illustrate height. “But you can never peak at learning in breadth,” she said spreading her arms wide.

Reed is spreading his arms wide and making the grade at UVU.