[nabs-l] My article that is in the Sounding Board!

[Chris Nusbaum]

Hi,=20Rania.

Thanks=20for=20sharing=20this=20article=20and=20good=20for=20you=20for=20tr=
ying=20and=20
achieving=20your=20dream=20despite=20negativity=20from=20others!=20It=20sai=
d=20in=20
the=20article=20that=20you=20took=20a=20training=20course=20at=20Blind=20In=
dustries=20
and=20Services=20of=20Maryland=20(BISM.)=20So,=20are=20you=20from=20Marylan=
d=20and=20is=20
that=20affiliate=20the=20editor=20talks=20about=20Maryland=20or=20New=20Jer=
sey?=20If=20
you=20are=20from=20Maryland=20and=20are=20a=20member=20of=20the=20Maryland=
=20state=20
aphiliate,=20I=20am,=20too!=20See=20you=20at=20the=20convention!
P.S.=20=20You=20know=20that=20quote=20in=20my=20signature,=20"A=20loss=20of=
=20sight,=20
never=20a=20loss=20of=20vision"?=20I=20think
by=20that=20story,=20you=20define=20that=20statement=20very=20well!

Chris=20Nusbaum

"A=20loss=20of=20sight,=20never=20a=20loss=20of=20vision!"=20(Camp=20Abilit=
ies=20motto)

=20-----=20Original=20Message=20-----
From:=20Rania=20Ismail=20<raniaismail04 at gmail.com
To:=20AdultROP=20<AdultROP at yahoogroups.com
Date=20sent:=20Fri,=2029=20Apr=202011=2009:07:23=20-0500
Subject:=20[nabs-l]=20My=20article=20that=20is=20in=20the=20Sounding=20Boar=
d!

MY=20MASSAGE=20SCHOOL=20EXPERIENCE
By=20Rania=20Ismail

Editor=92s=20Note:=20Rania,=20a=20former=20LEAD=20student,=20learned=20her=
=20lessons=20
well.
Her=20determination=20and=20hard=20work=20have=20given=20her=20the=20opport=
unity=20to
complete=20what=20she=20started.=20=20Rania=20is=20an=20active=20member=20o=
f=20the=20
At-Large
Chapter=20of=20the=20affiliate.=20=20Keep=20up=20the=20great=20work,=20Rani=
a!

Since=20I=20was=2014=20years=20old,=20I=20wanted=20to=20become=20a=20massag=
e=20therapist.=20=20
I
had=20sustained=20a=20neck=20injury=20that=20had=20left=20me=20in=20chronic=
=20pain,=20and=20
at
the=20time,=20massage=20therapy=20was=20the=20only=20thing=20that=20gave=20=
me=20any=20
relief.
It=20was=20from=20then=20on=20that=20I=20knew=20I=20wanted=20to=20become=20=
a=20massage
therapist.=20=20I=20could=20give=20others=20who=20lived=20with=20chronic=20=
pain=20the=20
same
kind=20of=20relief=20I=20was=20receiving=20myself.

After=20attending=20an=208-month=20program=20at=20Blind=20Industries=20and=
=20
Services=20of
Maryland,=20I=20did=20some=20research=20on=20massage=20schools.=20=20I=20fo=
und=20out=20
that=20my
local=20community=20college=20offered=20a=20massage=20therapy=20program.=20=
=20I=20
decided
to=20try=20it.

While=20I=20was=20researching=20whether=20the=20Commission=20for=20the=20Bl=
ind=20
would
assist=20me=20with=20funds,=20I=20faced=20a=20lot=20of=20discouragement.=20=
=20Some=20
people
didn=92t=20believe=20that=20I=20could=20become=20a=20massage=20therapist,=20=
either=20
due=20to
my=20blindness=20or=20my=20learning=20disability.=20=20Some=20of=20them=20e=
ven=20tried=20
to
convince=20me=20to=20change=20my=20career=20choice,=20but=20I=20wouldn=92t=
=20budge.=20=20I=20
knew
that=20becoming=20a=20massage=20therapist=20was=20something=20that=20I=20tr=
uly=20
wanted.

Although=20the=20massage=20therapy=20program=20at=20the=20community=20colle=
ge=20
didn=92t
work=20out=20the=20way=20I=20hoped,=20I=20still=20learned=20a=20lot,=20and=
=20my=20journey=20
didn=92t
stop.=20=20Some=20people=20continued=20trying=20to=20convince=20me=20not=20=
to=20go=20back=20
to
school=20and=20work=20toward=20my=20goal.=20=20Some=20people=20wanted=20me=
=20to=20gain=20
work
experience,=20instead=20of=20encouraging=20me=20to=20go=20back=20to=20schoo=
l=20to=20
finish
what=20I=20had=20worked=20so=20hard=20to=20achieve.=20=20I=20pushed=20on=20=
despite=20the
negativity,=20and=20didn=92t=20let=20what=20they=20thought=20hinder=20my=20=
success.

I=20continued=20looking=20for=20massage=20schools=20and=20at=20last=20found=
=20the
Institute=20for=20Therapeutic=20Massage.=20=20I=20called=20the=20school=20a=
nd=20spoke=20
to
an=20admissions=20counselor.=20=20I=20explained=20my=20experience=20at=20th=
e=20
community
college,=20and=20I=20told=20the=20counselor=20that=20I=20wanted=20to=20achi=
eve=20my=20
goal=20of
becoming=20a=20massage=20therapist.=20=20When=20I=20toured=20the=20campus,=
=20I=20could=20
tell
that=20everyone=20at=20the=20school=20-=20from=20the=20counselors=20in=20ad=
missions,=20
to
the=20teachers=20I=20met=20-=20really=20wanted=20to=20help=20me=20complete=
=20this=20
program!
I=20could=20tell=20that=20everyone=20believed=20that=20I=20could=20make=20i=
t=20and=20
achieve
my=20goal.

The=20people=20who=20believed=20in=20me=20and=20encouraged=20me=20to=20keep=
=20going
are=20my=20mother,=20Terri=20Lucas,=20a=20longtime=20friend,=20Nicki=20Newt=
on,=20my=20
aide
from=20middle=20school=20until=20I=20graduated=20from=20high=20school,=20Jo=
e=20
Ruffalo,
who=20was=20one=20of=20my=20mentors=20in=20both=20the=20blindness=20field=20=
and=20one=20of=20
my
mentors=20in=20the=20field=20of=20massage=20therapy,=20Mary=20Ellen=20Ricks=
,=20who=20is=20
a
massage=20therapist,=20Jane=20Marron,=20another=20massage=20therapist,=20Ja=
son
Rivera,=20also=20a=20massage=20therapist,=20Alan=20Reynolds=20,=20a=20yoga=
=20
instructor,
and=20many=20more.

I=20started=20at=20ITM=20in=20September=202009=20and=20graduated=20in=20Jul=
y=202010=20
with=20my
certificate=20in=20therapeutic=20massage!=20It=20took=20me=20three=20years=
=20to=20
achieve
my=20goal.=20=20I=20will=20admit=20that=20it=20was=20a=20lot=20of=20hard=20=
work=20but=20it=20was=20
worth
it!=20=20After=20graduating,=20I=20applied=20for=20my=20New=20Jersey=20stat=
e
certification,=20and=20I=20am=20now=20a=20New=20Jersey=20state=20certified=
=20massage
therapist!

Yes=20the=20journey=20was=20long=20with=20many=20road=20blocks,=20but=20I=20=
did
it!=20=20I=20made=20it=20because=20of=20my=20willingness=20and=20my=20deter=
mination=20to
learn.=20=20My=20instructors=20were=20also=20willing=20to=20work=20with=20m=
e=20until=20
the
very=20end=20of=20the=20program.=20=20Now=20I=20am=20on=20call=20at=20a=20l=
ocal=20salon.

Joe=20taught=20me=20that=20when=20things=20don=92t=20go=20the=20way=20you=20=
want=20them=20to=20
but
you=20have=20something=20that=20you=20really=20want,=20=93it=20doesn=92t=20=
matter=20how=20
long
you=20take=20to=20win=20the=20race,=20what=20matters=20is=20that=20you=20fi=
nish=20the=20
race.=94
After=20thinking=20about=20that=20for=20a=20while,=20I=20came=20to=20realiz=
e=20that=20it=20
was
going=20to=20take=20me=20a=20little=20longer=20to=20achieve=20my=20goal=20b=
ut=20it=20was
possible!=20That=20quote=20showed=20me=20that=20the=20only=20thing=20that=20=
matters=20
in=20the
end=20is=20that=20you=20finish=20what=20you=20started.=20=20Another=20quote=
=20that=20
helped=20me
keep=20going=20is=20this=20one=20from=20Christopher=20Reeve:
For=20everyone=20who=20thought=20I=20couldn't=20do=20it
For=20everyone=20who=20thought=20I=20shouldn't=20do=20it
For=20everyone=20who=20said,=20=93It's=20impossible=94
See=20you=20at=20the=20finish=20line!

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