Boise’s Ian Peachey grew up engulfed in Bronco culture. Peachey donned blue and orange to watch Boise State University sports games on weekends. He admired Boise State athletes, and witnessed the sense of life and community that the university brought to his hometown. He pictured himself at the university after high school, getting the quintessential college experience in his own backyard. But as a person with autism, Peachey wasn’t sure what his higher education journey would look like — that was, until he found PEERS (Providing Exceptional Education and Raising Standards), a two-year program at Boise State designed to give students with intellectual and developmental disabilities a typical college experience, while building up their confidence and preparing them for the workforce. The intention of the program is to open the door to higher education for students with developmental and intellectual disabilities, who might not be able to access college otherwise. So far, PEERS has done just that.