Two Warwick residents made history last month as part of the first graduating class of Special Olympics Rhode Island’s Athlete Leadership University (ALU).

The ALU, according to SORI Director of Marketing and Communications Dawn Ratté, was created by SORI athlete Mary-Ellen Powers, who wanted a program to guide Rhode Island’s Special Olympians through courses to teach them about leadership. It was modeled after similar organizations in other states that had shown success, according to Ratté.

Christina Peacock, one of Warwick’s graduates and a longtime Special Olympian, said she learned of ALU from Powers. Immediately, she was intrigued.

“[Powers] wanted to make sure that the people who were doing stuff for Special Olympics already were going through the training that she was conducting,” Patricia Peacock, Christina’s mother, said.

Both Peacock and Chris Lussier, Warwick’s other ALU graduate, majored in being an Athlete Spokesperson- one of three majors offered by the ALU, alongside Athlete Representative and Health Messenger.

Peacock said she chose the major because of her interest in public speaking.

“I’m really good at giving speeches,” Peacock said. “I learned a lot about writing speeches and leadership skills.”

Lussier, who has been part of Special Olympics for 18 years, said that his experiences with the ALU were memorable. He had heard about the ALU when it was still in the works, and when he was approached about joining, he didn’t need any convincing.

At ALU, Lussier enrolled in classes to improve his public speaking skills and vocabulary. Though he already had experience with public speaking, he said that the courses helped refine his skills and better focus his presentations to his audience.

“It showed me that other people have the same passion I do,” Lussier said. “Since I started 18 years ago, the organization just continues to evolve more and offer more opportunities. I love this organization and I’m very fortunate to be a part of it.”

The ALU’s first-ever graduation, which happened on June 8, was held at Bryant University. Peacock said that it was one of the most memorable experiences of her life, specifically mentioning individual comments to each graduate from SORI President and CEO Ed Pacheco as her favorite part of the event.

Lussier said graduation encapsulated the work that he and his classmates had done, and, as the first graduating class in the ALU’s history, helped blaze a trail for future Special Olympians.

“I think it’s a really good legacy to have,” Lussier said. “Hopefully, it’ll continue to grow and graduates three, ten, twenty years from now can look back at us… My fellow graduates all have a special place in my heart. I could not be more proud of them.”

The ALU will be starting up again in September, with registration opening to Special Olympics athletes in the near future. Any athletes interested in joining the ALU for their upcoming sessions can contact Mary-Ellen Powers at maryellen@specialolympicsri.org.