Market showcases special education students’ work

The Special Education Parents Advisory Council for Lexington County School District One is planning a holiday market that organizers say will bring joy and smiles to attendees.

Unlike a traditional holiday market, the event showcases vendors and craftspeople with disabilities, giving them an opportunity to display their talents and abilities as community members purchase their products.

SEPAC invites the community to shop for Christmas treasures while celebrating the vendors and the things they do best. The second annual SEPAC Holiday Market will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, and Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Rosenwald Community Learning Center, 420 Hendrix St. in Lexington.

SEPAC was established in January 2025 as a collaboration between the school district and parents of students with special needs. Lexington County School District One Special Services Director Nicole Adams wanted to gather feedback from parents of students with disabilities to strengthen relationships between families and schools. She invited parents to serve on the council, and after receiving interest, Lexington One SEPAC was formed.

“We advocate for parents, our teachers and instructional assistants who take care of our kids every day,” said Rebecca Massey, SEPAC vice chairwoman. “Because it's a collaboration, this can only work when the parents, the district, school and staff all work together to move our children forward.”

SEPAC held its first holiday market in 2025 to encourage participation from students in special education programs and adults receiving behavioral health and developmental disabilities services.

In addition to crafts and other goods for sale, SEPAC has partnered with Santa’s Heroes to offer a sensory-sensitive Santa visit. The experience features a playroom instead of a traditional line and a private room for visits with Santa, with limited noise and fewer surrounding distractions. Parents can take pictures of their children during the free experience.

The holiday market will feature vendors like Cole Nicholson, who  will bring his metal crafts to this year’s market. In addition to working full-time at Palmetto State Armory, Nicholson spends his free time transforming metal items that would otherwise be discarded into works of art, giving them new life and purpose.

His business, Metal Work by Cole, reflects how Nicholson has pursued opportunities to develop his skills and grow without letting his autism diagnosis hold him back.

“I like meeting other people who do crafts because we can share ideas back and forth,” Nicholson said. “There are a lot of ideas that come from other people to improve my production. I also try different ideas from others and it doesn't end up working, so it’s a learning opportunity.”

His mother, Stacy Nicholson, who is also a craft enthusiast, has enjoyed watching her son grow and connect with others through his craft.

“He has befriended several other individuals that take part in the holiday markets,” she said. “He enjoys learning from others and their unique pieces. He likes looking at how others do things and how he or they could make it better.”

While Cole Nicholson may have developed his love for handmade treasures from his mother, Stacy Nicholson is proud of the skills he learned in school and how he has continued to grow as a young adult.

“I am extremely proud of him,” Nicholson said. “He has learned the skills of welding through the tutelage of Mr. Black and Mr. Gratten at the Lexington Technology Center. Their encouragement of him and their tutelage to help him grow in this skill and to become more people-oriented has been fantastic. To see other kids like Cole who have gone through this program and see them take their knowledge and do things with what they learned is amazing.”

Nicholson enjoys watching Cole participate in events such as the SEPAC Holiday Market. She considers the participation of other individuals who may face challenges similar to her son's a “victory.”

“As a mother to a special-needs child, it is very heartwarming and emotional to participate in an event like this,” Nicholson said. “These kids are not always handed the best options, and to see them make something out of themselves and work hard is awesome.”

“I would love for the community to come out and support these young men and women,” she added. “Making a purchase from these young adults that they enjoy or find unique — and then telling the seller how the item will be used or enjoyed — will make their day and encourage them to keep doing what they are passionate about.”

Nicholson encourages parents of children with disabilities or special needs to never give up.

“Don’t give up,” she said. “You can continue to push them to strive to be the best they can be, but if you come up against walls, they’re just detours.”

For more information about Lexington One SEPAC and the holiday market, visit the “Lexington One SEPAC” page on Facebook.