Living with Disabilities
/My time in high school
Attended high school in the
2000s
Overall high school experience
10/10. I had a blast at [high school name omitted]! Yes, 11th grade was difficult, but it also prepared me for the demands of college and graduate school.
Grades in high school
A's and B's. I did really well in school, though geometry my sophomore year was difficult due to my vision impairment.
Best subjects
English, History / Social Studies, Performing Arts
Struggled with...
Math and science were challenging for me because of my visual impairment. Looking through microscopes, measuring angles and making graphs were difficult; yet I was very fortunate to have teachers who understood that I was having trouble with those components due to my vision impairment and were willing to work with me.
Favorite extracurricular
Music
Life since high school
“Being diagnosed with Asperger’s the summer of my freshman year of high school changed my life. It explained why I took things so seriously and the problems I had with social skills and communication. But with the right interventions, my Asperger’s became less of a challenge over time.”
Attended college / university at
I first went to Foothill College where I majored in special education and completed an associate's degree. Then I transferred to San Francisco State where I majored in Communicative Disorders before switching to the history major. I graduated cum laude in 2014 with my bachelor's degree.
Post-graduate education or training
I am currently finishing my master's degree in special education with an emphasis in Visual Impairments at San Francisco State. I am working on a self-advocacy curriculum for eighth-grade students with visual impairments who are academically-oriented.
Places lived in US
California
Current occupations / past occupations
I volunteer my time with Challenger League soccer and baseball, leagues that give children with disabilities opportunities to play sports.
Industries I've worked in
I have not worked.
Did your education prepare you for your career or occupation?
I am not working at the moment, but I am feeling like my education has set me up well.
Has your education or career/occupation trajectory ever changed? How?
I don't think so.
A little introspection...
To me, being successful means...
Achieving your goals while also keeping yourself relaxed. Stress will come into play, but if you don't let it stop you from continuing to put in hard work, you will do well.
My definition of success has not changed over time.
My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
My greatest accomplishment was getting into the Visual Impairments program at San Francisco State University. I learned that persistence is key and, while good grades do help, it also comes down to how well you interview and the kind of volunteer experience you have.
My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
I found following professional sports to be my biggest mistake. As someone with Asperger's, I would get really upset if the team I rooted for lost. So I've learned that it's best that I just follow college sports.
An unexpected event that changed my life and how it impacted me
Being diagnosed with Asperger's the summer of my freshman year of high school changed my life. It explained why I took things so seriously and the problems I had with social skills and communication. But with the right interventions, my Asperger's became less of a challenge over time.
Anything else you'd like to share?
I have mentioned this earlier, but I have two disabilities, a visual impairment and Asperger's Syndrome. I currently play music through this symphonic band in the Palo Alto Adult School and I do Special Olympics track and field.
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