Buena Vista University (BVU) and Opportunity Living, of Lake City, Rockwell City, and Carroll, have become Strategic Partners.

Buena Vista University (BVU) and Opportunity Living, of Lake City, Rockwell City, and Carroll, have become Strategic Partners, opening a variety of educational benefits now available to employees of Opportunity Living.

Under the Strategic Partnership initiative, Opportunity Living employees, spouses/domestic partners and their children may receive grant funding to lower the overall cost of education while enrolled in classes at BVU’s Storm Lake campus. Partner grant funding also reduces the cost per credit hour for students enrolled in BVU’s convenient online/hybrid undergraduate programs or BVU’s online organizational leadership graduate program.

Additional training programs, workshops, and more are also available to Opportunity Living through BVU.

“We are excited to expand our benefits package for employees and their families through this Strategic Partnership with Buena Vista University,” says Opportunity Living’s Chief Executive Officer, Shannon Mahannah, a BVU graduate. “Enabling our employees to access higher education will serve to strengthen them both personally and professionally.”

“This is a wonderful development for BVU and for the employees and families of Opportunity Living,” says Katie Smith, BVU Director of Strategic Partnerships. “To see staff members and their families receive a savings while continuing their education is rewarding. To see how a BVU education can help create stronger communities, and organizations like Opportunity Living, is transforming.”

“We are proud to be home to 82 clients within 13 homes throughout Lake City, Rockwell City, and Carroll,” says Mahannah. “these homes and our Activity Center in Lake City continue to provide opportunities for both clients, their families, and the public. This Strategic Partnership with BVU is but another step in growing our organization and the region it serves through education.”

About Opportunity Living

Opportunity Living is a non-profit provider of outstanding services to adults with intellectual disabilities, licensed for Intermediate Care Facilities with locations in Lake City and Rockwell City, and expanded services to Home and Community Based Services with locations in Carroll.

For over three decades, Opportunity Living staff members have provided individualized health care and rehabilitation services to increase independence and functionality for clients. Employees provide 24/7 care and services to clients to support the organization’s overall mission of “Providing Special Persons Opportunities for Living.” The organization employs over 250 people, making it one of Calhoun County’s largest employers.

For more information about Opportunity Living, please visit www.opportunityliving.org.

About Buena Vista University

Where students dream, innovate, and build—taking concepts from state-of-the-art classrooms and labs to real-world applications throughout the U.S. and across the globe. Our commitment to Education for Service, Division III athletics, and experiential learning opportunities provide students with skills sought by employers and community leaders. Our campus on the shores of beautiful Storm Lake hosts students in a variety of in-demand majors, while 11 community college partners across Iowa—as well as graduate programs—expand student potential through a variety of convenient online and hybrid programs. Visit bvu.edu for more.

For more information on Strategic Partnerships and BVU partner opportunities, please visit bvu.edu/strategic-partnerships or contact Katie Smith at SmithK@bvu.edu.