Program Manager

Kelly Golden has worked at the Burkhart Center since September 2011. Previously, Kelly was an administrative assistant at the Texas Tech University College of Education Virginia Murray Sowell Center for Sensory Impairments, working with the Deaf/Hard of Hearing program. Kelly has been employed at Texas Tech University College of Education since 2009. Kelly received an Associate's degree of Science in Respiratory Therapy in 1993, from South Plains College. Kelly worked for a short time as a respiratory therapist, then became a stay-at-home single mother raising four children. She is the grandmother to five grandchildren and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Program Manager

Julian Munn is a South Carolina native who worked as a Job Coach for Vocational Rehabilitation after obtaining her Bachelors in Psychology. Julian moved to Lubbock in 2020 where she was hired as a Learning Specialist for CASE before getting promoted to Program Manager in 2024. Julian enjoys assisting the CASE students with preparing for employment and working toward their goals while at school. Julian loves being active outdoors with her husband and two dogs. When she is not outside, she can be found curled up on the couch with her cat and a good book.

Learning Specialist

Ethan Stewart began working at Texas Tech University during his undergraduate years and began working as a Learning Specialist in the Fall of 2023. He earned a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Psychology and his Certificate of Autism with the Texas Tech College of Education in the Spring of 2024. He is working on his Master's in Addiction Counseling with Texas Tech Health Sciences Center. Ethan loves learning new things, playing video games, watching anime, and reading various books. He also loves animals and has two cats named Pooh and Po.

Learning Specialist

Conner Brodeen started with the CASE program as a Peer Mentor and helped facilitate social events for the students. It was in doing his Peer Mentorship that he found a passion for helping students diagnosed with Autism succeed in a college setting and joined the CASE team as a Learning Specialist. He recently graduated from Texas Tech with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and strives to provide quality support and guidance to those that he interacts with. Conner’s hobbies include hiking, especially in the West Texas State Parks, as well as playing table-top games like Dungeons and Dragons and various other board games. Being a recent graduate of Texas Tech, he is aware of the struggles and difficulties in navigating a college setting and looks forward to supporting students towards to achieve their individual goals.

Learning Specialist

Maya Shaffer holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Sciences from Texas Tech University. When working on her degree, she was an integral member of a research team focused on investigating young adults' transitions to college. She has extensive mentorship experience in education, rehabilitation, and vocational settings. No matter the needs of the individual she works with, she believes in exercising respect, promoting autonomy, and staying positive. She looks forward to providing students with the assistance and resources they need so that they may succeed in the college transition and reach their highest level of independence. In her free time, she volunteers at High Point Village and participates in hobbies including hiking, reading, and training her dog, Moose.