[humanser] Academic/Professional Update and Request for Advice

[Ericka Short]

hI
I AM HAVING TROUBLE ADAPTING TO A NEW KEYBOARD SO PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH THE 
CAPITALS HERE.

I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH MELISSA.  now IS THE TIME TO GO FOR TRAINING SO YOU 
CAN HAVE THAT CONFIDENCE IN THE  GRADUATE PROGRAM AND IN THE FUTURE.  IF I 
COULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, I WOULD HAVE GONE TO BLIND FOR THE ENTIRE TIME 
AT A COLLEGE OR ADULT PROGRAM BEFORE I ATTENDED COLLEGE.  I DON'T THINK 
THERE WERE COLLEGE FOR HIGH SCHOOL FOCUSED PROGRAMS BACK WHEN I GRADUATED 
HIGH SCHOOL IN 1990. I WENT TO COLLEGE THEN DECIDED TO CHANGE MAJORS IN THE 
MIDDLE OF SENIOR YEAR.  THAT IS THE TIME I SHOULD HAVE GONE FOR THE FULL 
PROGRAM. I HAD NO TRAINING TO REALLY SPEAK OF BEFORE THEN AND MY LIST OF 
CONCERNS GETTING AND KEEPING THE JOB WERE GETTING THE BEST OF ME. MY SIGHT 
HAD CHANGED SOME IN Y SOPHOMORE YEAR .  I WAS COMFY IN AN EDUCATION SETTING 
AND FELT I OUGHT TO GET THE EDUCATION DEGREE , THEN GRADUATE WITHOUT THE 
CERTIFICATION AND GO RIGHT INTO SOCIAL WORK THINKING IT WOULD BE A MORE 
WELCOMING AND ENCOURAGING MAJOR. THERE WERE A LOT OF STUMBLING BLOCKS IN 
THERE BUT I STUCK IT OUT. I HAD LOS OF TROUBLE WITH THE INTERNSHIP AND HAD 
TO DO IT TWICE.  BEFORE I DID THE SECOND ONE I WENT FOR TRAINING AT BLIND. 
INC.  I WAS  NOT SURE WHAT TO DO.  INSTEAD I WENT THROUGH  ALMOST ALL OF MY 
SECOND DEGREE BEFORE I WENT FOR THE SHORTER PROGRAM.  I GAINED LOTS OF 
CONFIDENCE AND LEARNED  TO BE CREATIVE ABOUT SITUATIONS, AND FOR ME JUST 
TAKING A BUS ALONE IN A LARGE COMMUNITY LIKE MNPLS WAS SUCH A GROWING 
PROCESS.  MY PARENTS BELIEVED IN THE PHILOSOPHY AND TAUGHT ME THE HOME AKING 
SKILLS BUT WHEN IT CAME TO BRAILLE , TECHNOLOGY AND INDEPENDENT TRAVEL I 
REALLY WAS A MESS. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE MUCH LONGER. I WAS COMPLETELY 
TERRIFIED.  I GREW UP IN  A SMALL SOUTHWESTERN TOWN OF LESS THAN 11,000 AND 
WE ONLY HAD FEET, YOUR CAR OR THE ONE TAXI SERVICE TO GET PLACES.  I WALKED 
ALL MY LIFE SO ALL I LEARNED WAS HOW TO CROSS STREETS WITH LOW VISION AND A 
CANE. I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO LEARN ALL I NEEDED, BUT IT DID MAKE ME FEEL MORE 
CAPABLE. , BUT HAD THAT WHIRLWIND EXPERIENCE MELISSA'S HUSBAND HAD.  I 
SHOULD HAVE GONE BEFORE MY FIRST SOCIAL WORK INTERNSHIP BUT I WAS TOO 
SCARED. IT DID MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE. I WAS CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO GET 
MARRIED, MOVE SOMEWHERE I'D NEVER BEEN AND DO PART TIME WORK BESIDES BE 
ACTIVE AT CHURCH AND NEW COMMUNITY.  I HAVE NO FAMILY HERE BUT MY HUSBANDS' 
SO WITHOUT THE TRAINING I NEVER WOULD HAVE SURVIVED. it's HARD ENOUGH TO 
MARRY A SIGHTED PERSON SOMETIMES.  IF I WAS A TOTAL IT WOULD BE EASIER TO 
TRAIN HIM. I HAD TO MAKE HIM UNDERSTAND WHAT I NEEDED HELP WITH AND WHAT I 
DID NOT AND HIS FAMILY. WITHOUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO 
EDUCATE PEOPLE HOW INDEPENDENT A LOW VISION/BLIND PERSON COULD BE PLUS ADAPT 
TO ALL THE LIFE CHANGES MARRIAGE AND MOVING ADDS.  sooner THE BETTER I 
AGREE.  LIFE DOESN'T GET EASIER.

THE MARRIAGE HASN'T SURVIVED AS WELL AS HOPED DUE TO ISSUES NOT RELATED TO 
MY VISION AND SEIZURES, BUT I WOULD NEVER FEEL SAFE LIVING ALONE IF I HADN'T 
TAKEN THE TRAINING.  I WOULD HAVE MOVED AND FOUND A JOB WHERE I HAD FAMILY 
TO RELY ON FOR ALL MY TRANSIT NEEDS . I ALSO WOULD NOT HAVE GONE TO A METRO 
COMMUNITY.  KENOSHA IS OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND RESIDENTS.  I FEEL 
CONFIDENT TO CONTINUE TO LIVE HERE BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE ACTIVE 
ENOUGH T MAKE IT MY NEW HOME AWAY FROM HOME.

BEST OF LUCK ON YOUR BIG DECISIONS.  CALLING AND SPEAKING TO THE DIRECTORS 
WAS A GREAT SUGGESTION.  BEST TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION INSTEAD OF A 
CHOICE MADE BY  ADVICE THAT MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT BE ACCURATE OR EVEN BEST FOR 
YOU.  WE ALL PROCESS THINGS DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OF OUR OWN EXPERIENCES. KEEP 
US POSTED.

Ericka J. Short
262-697-0510

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". Philippians 4:13
"No hand is too small or too big to do good in this world." EJ. Short