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Coach Dree: The Life Skills Guru Redefining Adulthood for Special Needs Students

A Classroom That Feels Like a Gym for Real Life

Newberry High’s special education room isn’t your average classroom—it’s a training ground for adulthood. Forget textbooks and lectures. Here, students hone grocery lists, rehearse job interviews, and tackle real-world problem-solving. The energy? Pure preparation.

One student puts it best:

“She’s not just a teacher—she’s a coach for the game called adulthood.”

That coach? Un’Drena Cromer, a 2000 alumna who returned to her hometown to plant roots—and change lives.

The Motto That Sticks: “Learn How to Adult”

Cromer’s classroom philosophy is simple yet fierce:

“When I’m gone, Mama’s gone, the bill collector still shows up—so learn how to adult.”

She doesn’t just teach—she equips. Budgeting? Covered. Self-advocacy? Mastered. The unshakable truth that disability does not equal inability? Instilled.

Her lesson plans? More like real-world scavenger hunts. Early mornings, late nights—she’s always planning, always innovating.

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From Side Hustle to Social Media Sensation

Who says teachers can’t moonlight? Cromer never planned to open a restaurant—but she’s already cooking 200 meals a week for families across town. Her TikTok account? A viral hit. Those quick chicken pot roast videos? Millions of views.

But this isn’t just about flavor. Cromer’s posts are snapshots of inclusion—a vision she dreams of expanding into a brick-and-mortar café. A place where students with special needs clock in, clock out, and prove their paychecks matter to the community.

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A Mother’s Mission, A Community’s Heart

As a single mom to a son with autism, Cromer walks a tightrope—lesson plans by day, Lego therapy and bedtime stories by night.

“My son is my first classroom,” she says, her voice steady but warm.

Her family? A chorus of believers. They say her life’s work is her heartbeat—injecting love, tough love, and second chances into every day.

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More Than a Coach: A Title That Sticks

Teenage girls in her softball league call her “Coach Dree.” Former juvenile cases she mentored still slide into her DMs, asking for advice. The common thread?

“I’m training you to outlast the system.”

This is more than teaching. It’s transforming.

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