ALLIANCE, Ohio – Peggy Coyne is set to give the annual autism awareness lecture at the University of Mount Union as part of Autism Awareness Month on Monday, April 22 at 7 p.m. in the Campus Grounds of the Hoover-Price Campus Center.

Coyne’s lecture will focus on her family’s journey from her son’s diagnosis of autism to earning his diploma.

As a mother of a son on the autism spectrum, Coyne has experienced both joy and sorrow as she has helped her son rise up to meet the communication challenges he encounters on a daily basis. One of her most memorable moments is speaking at the Alpha Xi Delta 2009 National Convention in Denver at the kickoff of their partnership with Autism Speaks. At the convention, she spoke about the impact Autism has on her life and what it means to have the sisters of Alpha Xi Delta join her on the journey to help her son realize his potential.

Coyne is very proud of the work that Alpha Xi Delta has done since 2009 to support Autism Speaks in raising money and awareness. From sisters in the field of education who helped the Coyne family advocate effectively for her son, to her sisters in the Kent State University Alpha Xi Delta chapter who helped fund educational opportunities for parents of children on the autism spectrum, Coyne credits her sisters for helping to empower her to help her son realize his potential. He is now in his second year at Kent State. 

Coyne earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations from Kent State and will graduate in May with her MBA from her alma mater. She currently serves as the lead analyst-IS analytics for the J.M. Smucker Company in Orrville, Ohio. Coyne and her husband, Tim, reside in Ravenna, Ohio, with their sons Alex and Josh.

The autism awareness lecture is sponsored by the Spectrum Education Center and Alpha Xi Delta. For more information about the Spectrum Education Center, please visit mountunion.edu/spectrum.