[Colorado-talk] About one of our Aurora Chapter members

[Dan Burke]

Here's a press release about Reem from Community College of Aurora:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	
		
DISABLED STUDENT RISES TO THE CHALLENGE TO GRADUATE
Reem Hamodi Graduates with 4.0 GPA

May 9, 2016 – Aurora, CO – When Reem Hamodi arrived in the United
Sates five years ago from Iraq, she wasn’t sure what to expect.

She felt isolated because her English wasn’t perfect and communicating
with others was a challenge, especially because Hamodi is also blind.

Despite those challenges, Hamodi graduated from the Community College
of Aurora on May 7 with an Associate of Arts degree in psychology and
with a 4.0 grade point average with the intention of becoming a
psychology professor.

Hamodi grew up in Iraq and lived in several countries such as Jordan,
Syria, and Libya.
“There were no services for blind people in my country,” she said,
referring to Iraq.

She said it was the happiest day of her life when she arrived in the
U.S. “I attended Colorado Center for the Blind for eight months to
learn how to cook, travel, read, and write Braille. I felt arriving
here was the starting point for my success.” After graduating from the
Colorado Center for the Blind, Hamodi began taking classes at the
Community College of Aurora in 2012.

Hamodi has overcome many obstacles by learning the technology and
social skills she has needed to become an independent person. Working
with CCA’s Accessibility Services Office, students like Hamodi receive
equipment and continuous support to help them realize their potential.

For example, students learn to use JAWS, a screen reader technology,
which helps them read assignments that instructors place on the web.
Hamodi also had a tutor for math and a talking graphing calculator to
help her through math classes.

Hamodi has this advice for students with disabilities: “Think about
your possibilities instead of your limitations,” she said. “Be
positive about your life and do not give up to your life’s struggles.”

This was the largest graduating class in the college’s history, with
326 students graduating.

About the Community College of Aurora
The Community College of Aurora (CCA) has campuses at CentreTech and
Lowry in the greater Denver area. Equipped with the latest
technologies, CCA allows students to study new and traditional
programs, while also offering Colorado online classes and degrees.
CCA’s service community includes 325,000 people in a 350 square-mile
area and CCA’s student population reflects the diversity of this
community. The college provides lifelong educational opportunities,
prepares the current workforce, and promotes excellence in teaching,
learning and service. For more information, visit us at
www.ccaurora.edu.


-- 
Dan Burke
My Cell:  406.546.8546
Twitter:  @DallDonal