EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one of a series of Saturday profiles of area residents and their stories. To suggest a profile, contact features editor Burton Cole at bcole@tribtoday.com.

BOARDMAN — When Ariel Jenkins accepted the parent mentor position for Boardman Local Schools, she was thrilled.

In her new title, Jenkins explained, she’s an advocate for parents and children with disabilities, assisting parents in individualized education plan meetings.

“I was excited, regardless of whether I got the job or not, that it came along,” Jenkins said. “I know what it’s like to be in that IEP meeting and not have an advocate.”

One of her two children in the school district has a disability.

Individualized education plans (IEP) are documents that are developed for each child who is eligible for special education. It tailors the learning experience to each child’s strengths, outlines areas in which the child needs help, adaptations and services, sets goals for the student and outlines the ways teachers, parents and other providers will work to achieve them.

An IEP is drafted for any child who has any kind of disability, Jenkins said.

Some children have trouble transitioning from home to school, while others have disabilities where a co-teaching environment that includes the teacher as well as an aide is needed, or a student may need things read aloud during a test.

Jenkins said she’s gone to those meetings, which often include a member of the school, the parent and sometimes the child. They can feel daunting and overwhelming for the parent.

She didn’t set out to work with children. After attending Youngstown City Schools, Jenkins, who now lives in Boardman, decided to attend Youngstown State University for nursing home administration.

“I chose that because my parents were getting older, and I wanted to learn a little more about end-of-life and long-term care,” Jenkins said.

Once she received her bachelor’s degree, Jenkins decided to go back to YSU for her master’s in health and human services, which also has a certificate of health care management.

Once she graduated with her master’s, Jenkins held various health care management roles.

When she saw the parent mentor position advertised with the Boardman Local Schools District, she felt a connection.

“One of the requirements was a parent of a child with a disability,” Jenkins said.

Spending a lot of time in her children’s schools advocating for them, Jenkins said she believed she was a good match.

“The IEP process … if you don’t understand it, it’s a tough process,” she said.

Katie Fallo, director of student services with Boardman Local Schools, said that the district wanted to ensure that there was someone to support parents in the school setting as well as outside of school.

Fallo said Jenkins “has a lot of experience and willingness to pick up the phone and call,” whether it is to a resource for a parent or to the family.

She also said that the district wants to earn trust from parents.

“Having a parent mentor to build that trustworthiness would be a great addition” to the staff, she said.

Since school has been out of a traditional setting since mid-March, Fallo said Jenkins, who is working already, is reaching out to some families, as well as working on a social media page.

A bigger task Jenkins will be working on is a community survey for the department of special education, which will be used for planning, Fallo said.

The survey won’t be sent out immediately so families can focus on other things during the pandemic.

Jenkins said that she would like to see neighboring districts in the Mahoning Valley use the mentorship program, which is funded through a grant from the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities.

“It’s huge. It’s needed,” she said, noting that parents can benefit from learning about the IEP process as well as the additional support her position has to offer.

“It’s important to have somebody on your side that knows what it is like to deal with a child with a disability, and to know every day is different,” Jenkins said.

When she isn’t working, Jenkins said she likes providing certain opportunities for her kids.

“I’m strong on creating experiences,” she said. “I would be the parent instead of buying a $500 Xbox, take my kids to Niagara Falls.”

During the pandemic, she said she’s been shopping for those who are unable to. Her friends and family call her to help find resources or to simply vent.

“I just like to support others,” she said.