For Emma Levick, a dog made all the difference; in this case, a service dog named Zia.
In 2022, just a week before starting classes her first year at Pitt, Levick was paired with a golden retriever-Labrador mix from Canine Companions, a national nonprofit that trains and supplies service dogs at no cost to people with disabilities. Levick, who uses a wheelchair, described getting her first service dog as “life-changing” and the key to living independently from her family.
In the last four years, the graduating senior has logged 400 volunteer hours with the student-run club Service Dog in Training Education Program (STEP@Pitt) and Canine Companions, so even more people can benefit from having dogs like Zia.
“I enrolled at Pitt without really knowing if I could do college; it was a wing and a prayer for me. Having Zia when I started helped me gain the confidence to go out and try new things, because I knew that he was right there when I needed help,” said Levick, who’s graduating with a history degree from the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences.
You can read the full story in Pittwire.