SEMO graduate creates global nonprofit empowering youth with disabilities
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) — For Edwin Blanton, Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) was more than a place to earn degrees — it was the foundation for a global mission of service that has taken him from rural Missouri to London, the Australian Outback, and the Caribbean.
Raised on a family farm in Ironton, Missouri, Blanton discovered his passion for international engagement after transferring to SEMO from Mineral Area College. A 1998 study abroad trip to Mexico — his first time outside the United States — became the spark for a lifelong commitment to global education and community service.
“Your comfort zone will keep you at home, but on a study abroad program, you have support that you don’t have when you’re going alone,” Blanton said. “There were challenges, but great rewards, too. I learned so much about other cultures, about myself, and what I wanted to do.”
Blanton earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (marketing), a Bachelor of Science in Foodservice and Hospitality Management, and a Master of Science in Public Administration from SEMO. He credits faculty mentors like Dr. Ken Heischmidt and Peter Gordon for inspiring him through international study programs and leadership opportunities, including roles as treasurer of the Student Activities Council and vice president of Alpha Kappa Psi.
After graduation, Blanton worked abroad in London and Australia before joining the Peace Corps in 2004. Assigned to Dominica, he collaborated with a village council on local government projects and soon identified an unmet need: children with disabilities who were being excluded from classrooms due to stigma, lack of training, and limited transportation.
That experience led Blanton and fellow Peace Corps volunteer Jennifer Catron to found Ready Willing Enable (RWE) in 2006 — a U.S.-based international nonprofit dedicated to empowering children with disabilities.
Since then, RWE has served thousands through inclusive summer camps, family education programs, and community outreach. In July 2025, the organization hosted its 18th annual camp in Dominica, welcoming 30 to 50 participants each year. Many early campers now return as volunteers, mentoring a new generation of youth.
“The first year of camp we had low attendance,” Blanton said. “Now, nearly two decades later, more than 300 youth have come through. Some of those early campers are now leading activities and managing logistics — that’s the impact we dreamed of.”
Today, Blanton serves as assistant vice provost at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he combines higher education leadership with nonprofit advocacy. He continues to expand RWE’s reach through student volunteer trips, awareness initiatives, and global partnerships.
The path to success, he said, hasn’t always been easy.
“On paper it might look like success, but there were really tough days of wondering if we could keep going,” he said. “I just kept asking, ‘What am I good at? What do I enjoy doing?’ Then I’d suck it up and get it done.”
Blanton credits SEMO for equipping him with the confidence to lead and the courage to take risks.
“At SEMO, I learned how to talk to deans, business leaders, and university presidents,” he said. “Those experiences gave me the courage to walk into rooms that might have otherwise been intimidating. That’s a gift I still lean on every day.”
For students considering a career in nonprofit work, Blanton’s advice is simple: start by serving.
“I hear from people who want to start a nonprofit,” he said. “But sometimes what’s needed is to join and strengthen what already exists. Volunteer first, learn the ropes, and understand the impact. That experience is invaluable.”
Blanton’s journey from SEMO to global service reflects the university’s mission to help students discover who they are and how they can make a difference — wherever their path leads.
