[Nfbmd] Fwd: [Njabs-talk] Great News to Share
AZNOR99 at aol.com
AZNOR99 at aol.com
Sat Jun 12 21:39:07 UTC 2010
Congratulations to our own Melissa Lomax.
____________________________________
From: qmsingleton at comcast.net
Reply-to: njabs-talk at nfbnet.org
To: njabs-talk at nfbnet.org
Sent: 6/12/2010 5:31:16 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: [Njabs-talk] Great News to Share
The following message was sent to Joe Ruffalo this morning.
Congratulations! Both girls are making New Jersey Proud!
Two New Jersey students have
> been selected to participate in an empowering and memorable experience in
> Damascus, Syria. The Open Hands Foundation has chosen Shafeka Hashash
and
> I, Melissa Lomax, to take part in the Youth Ability Summit. This
> opportunity will allow us to continue advocating for others and making a
> difference in the lives of many people across the world!
>
> Both of us students are active members of the National Federation of the
> Blind, on both national and state levels. Shafeka Hashash is the current
> Vice President of the New Jersey Association of Blind Students, an
active
> member of New Jersey's Northeast chapter, and speaker for both Parents of
> Blind Children and for NFB state conventions. I am an active member of
> the Greater Baltimore NFB chapter in Maryland, a board member of the
> Maryland Association of Blind Students, a speaker at New Jersey NFB
> conventions, and a 2010 National Scholarship winner. Moreover, the both
> of us have benefited from being participants in the LEAD (Leadership,
> Education, Advocacy, and Determination) program. This program unites New
> Jersey high school students with successful, blind mentors to learn about
> technology, issues facing the blind, and ways to gain success and
> independence in the future. In addition, students learn and increase
> their mobility, daily living, communication, and organizational skills.
>
> With the confidence and training provided by LEAD and the NFB, we have
> learned not to allow our blindness to stop us from pursuing our goals
and
> aspirations. Instead, we are active members in our communities with a
> desire to continue helping others. Shafeka is a rising senior at Bergen
> County Academy. She serves as captain of the mock trial team, a
> representative of Model United Nations, a member of the Junior Statesmen
> of America, the National Honor Society, and the Tri-M Music Honor
Society,
> and a volunteer for the Boy Scouts of America and many other community
> service activities. Currently, Shafeka strives to receive an
> International Baccalaureate diploma in addition to her high school one.
> After graduation, she hopes to attend either Columbia or Princeton
> University to major in international affairs or political science and
> minor in Middle Eastern studies. Upon receiving her bachelor's degree,
> her aspirations will lead her to law school and to a career in the United
> Nations.
>
> I, Melissa, presently attend the University of Maryland-Baltimore County
> and in the fall, I will be a sophomore. Pursuing an English Literature
> major, English writing minor, and secondary education certificate, my
> aspirations are to become a high school English teacher. This career
goal
> suits
> me because I have always enjoyed helping others and as a teacher, I can
> spend a great deal of time assisting students with improving their skills
> and strengthening their futures. Currently, I am a member of the
National
> Society of Collegiate Scholars and English Council of Majors and Minors,
a
> volunteer for several non-profit organizations, a leader and coordinator
> of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and an advocate for solving the
> world hunger crisis by assisting in the coordination of a world hunger
> banquet and a "Thirsty for Water" day event.
>
> On Monday, June 7th, we were notified by the Open hands Initiative and
> congratulated for our acceptance into the Youth Ability Summit. This
> summit is based off of the United Nations Convention for the Rights of
> Persons with Disabilities. We are two of only ten Americans selected,
all
> of which have different disabilities and range from age fifteen through
> twenty-one. Our trip will begin on July 29, 2010, when we will fly out
to
> Damascus, Syria for six days. There, we will meet with ten Syrian
> advocates of the same age range.
>
> This summit will first begin with several sessions focused on educating
us
> about the many issues and inequalities that people of all disabilities
> face. Then, we will work together in creating a comic book, publicizing
> these inequalities and issues to the uniformed, general public. A comic
> book will be the best method of reaching developing countries, which
> comprise a large portion of the world. As for developed ones, like
> America, we will use the comic book in addition to brainstormed
ideas-such
> as YouTube videos-to best reach these populations.
>
> While we are learning and working together to make a difference in the
> world, researchers will spend time studying us. They want to know the
> ways in which we feel included and ways we can work together with society
> to obtain equality. The findings will be published in journals, used in
> presentations, and sent to the organizations that we advocate for, thus
> providing another tool to further relay our message. In learning and
> teaching with Syrian advocates, we hope to change the face of
disabilities
> on a global level.
>
> Best Regards,
> Melissa Lomax
>
>
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