Dave Mentors Student Team in “Paving the Pathway to Success” Competition

A team of students with disabilities mentored by Spoken Word founder Dave Scallan recently participated in the Paving the Pathway to Success competition in Houston, Texas on Saturday June 22, 2024. 

Beginning in April

Dave gave the team a “problem statement” and asked them to complete a series of challenges related to the statement.  For this year’s group, Dave chose to simulate an explosion at a chemical plant in the Houston Ship Channel. 

Over the next two months

The team met three times each week. They learned how to write a press release, develop empathy statements and communicate with key stakeholders, including residents in the area of the plant as well as media outlets looking to cover the event. They also learned how to include empathy in all their communication, as well as how to become a credible source of information to both the public as well as the news media.

Finally, on June 22 after two months of hard work

The team presented their learnings in the form of a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation in front of an audience of over 100 guests.  Although they didn’t get the trophy this year, the team did an excellent job and received high marks from the judges. Most importantly, working with Dave helped the students build confidence in their abilities and increase their work readiness.

Paving the Pathway to Success is a program by the Gulf Coast Workforce Board and Texas Workforce Solutions Vocational Rehabilitation Services. The 7-month training program for young adults with disabilities (ages 16-22) helps students increase work readiness through a series of professional workshops designed to build confidence in their existing abilities by not focusing on their disabilities. The program’s vision is to bridge the gap between school and work by creating the same level of competitiveness with their peers who do not have a disability.

More about Paving the Pathway to Success

Contact Dave at