“Everything happens for a reason.”
That’s the quote that Jack Devlin lives by. All he wanted to do was get the average college experience at a big university like everyone else, but his learning disability stood in the way of that.
He stayed positive. He stayed resilient. And when the right opportunity presented itself, he went for it and never looked back — his life now changed forever.
“I want to make my story known because there are a lot of people who will find out what my story is about, inspiring people with special needs to just chase their dreams,” Devlin said .”You just never know where life will take you.”
Devlin was born in the state of New York but moved around quite a bit throughout his childhood. His dad, Matt, was an up-and-coming sports broadcaster who held positions with the Memphis Grizzlies and then-Charlotte Bobcats before landing with the Toronto Raptors in 2008.
The family migrated 759 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Toronto, Canada, in the wake of the job opportunity and has resided there ever since. Matt also broadcasts baseball and college football, but the initial path turned Jack’s head to basketball.
Matt was just one of many members of a widespread basketball family. Jack’s mom and two uncles coached at the college level, and two of his cousins are also a part of the basketball industry. Jack was a basketball guru from the jump.
“I used to go to a lot of Raptors games years ago,” Devlin said. “Being out here in the Midwest, I’ve kind of been able to go to maybe one [professional] game or so.”
He always had aspirations of being a close member of some basketball team at a high level, as well as going to a big university. When he and his family discovered the UI REACH program, a comprehensive transition program for college-age students with intellectual, cognitive, and learning disabilities, there was no question that Iowa was the place for him.
He applied to the school and tried to be as patient as possible. When the letter finally came in the mail, he put on his full-body Hawkeye suit, sat on his couch, and anxiously ripped open the letter while his family filmed the moment.
“I got in! Yes!”
“I’ve always wanted to go to college just like any other person, and for me, there’s not a lot of programs or trusting universities who have a program like [UI REACH], that specific program for students with learning disabilities,” Devlin said. “So I was just grateful for that.”
With no professional team in the state of Iowa, the Iowa men’s basketball team carried his interests his freshman year as he went to almost every home game his freshman year in 2018-19.
Then came a life-changing moment.
Devlin’s uncle, Ed Conroy, knew then-Iowa men’s head coach Fran McCaffery personally. After his sophomore year, the two had a conversation about letting him be a part of the team as a student manager, and McCaffery took Conroy up on his request.
Devlin instantly became a deep root within the program, far beyond his basic duties. His positive energy permeated throughout the entire team.
Safe to say McCaffery didn’t regret his decision.
“He’s an incredibly warm young man, and right away you could tell that Jack really understands the game,” McCaffrey said via the University of Iowa website. “He knows the game and loves it. Initially, when he first came, he said, ‘I’m here. I’ll do whatever you need me to do.’”
And that’s exactly what he did — anything that was needed, he did it. But his energy added an extra layer to his value. And at the end, he was rewarded with a full-time job opportunity.
“It means so much that they really want me to still be part of the family,” Devlin said. “You just can’t really turn back on family.”
He now lives on his own in Iowa City, working his dream job. On top of that, his doctors told his parents that he’d never be able to live on his own. But the UI REACH program taught him how to do so.
None of this would’ve been possible without the UI REACH program.
“I felt welcomed here on campus, and the people in the program have created me,” Devlin said. “I have nothing but great things to say about the program. The relationships will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
His parents, grateful for the life-changing opportunity their son has gone through, wrote to the University of Iowa website:.
“We are grateful that Jack has found a second home at Iowa,” they wrote.
The Devlins have committed to $1 million in support, through the Devlin foundation, for the most pressing needs of the UI REACH program, because of Jack’s life-changing experience.
“UI REACH has provided Jack with so much internal growth, independence, and confidence,” the Devlins continued. “To see our son thrive and grow so much, it really brings a smile to my face and immense joy to the entire family.”
Jack wanted to share one message to all out there who are going through a similar situation to his.
“My message is this — it doesn’t matter if it’s a teacher or a director of the program telling you that you are not able to be a part of something bigger than yourself,” he said. “Just don’t listen to that. Be true to yourself and just have the confidence to say that I can really do it. But if you put your heart and soul into something plus your mind, then anything is possible.”