‘More Than We Could Have Ever Imagined’: Master’s Alumna and Family Find Comfort, Support at Scott Center
By Erin Alvarado ’16
Amanda Wise ’16 M.S. has dedicated her career to giving parents peace of mind about their children— and Florida Tech has done the same thing for her.
In February 2008, Wise accepted an entry position with Access411, at the time, a small, family-owned business created by William Morrison, Wise’s father and a former teacher and assistant principal in Baltimore in the ’90s.
What started as school lanyards with students’ Polaroid photos attached has grown into the CAAS System, a software that creates student ID cards that they scan throughout their day—when they get on the bus, arrive at school, are marked present in class, arrive at afterschool clubs, etc. Data is then sent to school district leaders and students’ guardians through an app.
The program has now been implemented in over 1,500 schools throughout the nation, including New York City, Baltimore City and District of Columbia public schools.
Today, Wise serves as Acess411’s director of accounts, a position she largely credits her online information technology master’s degree from Florida Tech for achieving.
“The classes at Florida Tech helped me gain so many skills necessary to help drive the growth of Access411, support the schools that we partner with and work on projects, including software rollouts and data integration,” she says.
After her son, Shawn Jr., was born, Wise and her husband noticed that he was showing the early signs of autism and needed support. She enrolled Shawn Jr. in a research study and, later, full-time applied behavior analysis therapy on site at The Scott Center for Autism Treatment.
“The services provided by The Scott Center were life-changing for our family,” she says.
A few years later, Wise and her husband welcomed their second son, Kamon, who was also diagnosed with autism and started attending The Scott Center with his older brother.
Throughout their journey with The Scott Center, the boys have learned how to follow directions, communicate through sign language, dress themselves, eat new foods and use the restroom on their own.
Wise, her husband and her stepdaughters also attended training sessions at The Scott Center as a family to learn the tools and skills they needed to help support the boys with their treatments.
“Florida Tech challenged my sons and our family to become more than we could have ever imagined,” Wise says. “I would like to say a special thank you to Florid Tech, The Scott Center for Autism Treatment staff and the students who worked with my children and always went out of their way to make us all feel welcomed and loved.”
“Florida Tech challenged my sons and our family to become more than we could have ever imagined. I would like to say a special thank you to Florida Tech, The Scott Center for Autism Treatment staff and the students who worked with my children and always went out of their way to make us all feel welcomed and loved.”
Amanda Wise ’16
This piece was featured in the winter 2024 edition of Florida Tech Magazine.
