[Nfbwv-talk] Bre Brown and WDTV

[Jack Yahnke]

Charlene,

Thanks for passing this along.  I would have never seen it otherwise.  I
enjoyed reading about Bre's accomplishments.  We are all so proud of all she
has accomplished since we first met her.

Jack Yahnke, President
Sightless Workers' Guild


-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbwv-talk [mailto:nfbwv-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Smyth,
Charlene R via Nfbwv-talk
Sent: Monday, July 27, 2015 3:04 PM
To: NFB of West Virginia Discussion List (nfbwv-talk at nfbnet.org)
Cc: Smyth, Charlene R
Subject: [Nfbwv-talk] Bre Brown and WDTV

Clarksburg Native Honored By Largest Organization Of The Blind Written by
Kiley Putnam Last updated on July 24, 2015 @ 7:29PM Created on July 24, 2015
@ 6:20PM



Blindness is considered a disability, but a young woman from Clarksburg is
showing the nation this is not the case.

22-year-old Brianna 'Bre' Brown received the Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship
earlier this month during The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) 2015
National Convention in Orlando, FL.

Brown is a 2011 graduate of Clarksburg's Liberty High School and is
currently a junior at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX, where she is
majoring in special education.

Brown was born completely blind, but instead of looking at it as a
disability, she said it's only makes her stronger.

"I think it made me the person I am today, blindness is not a terrible
thing, whenever I learn something new I just don't give up," said Brown.

Brown's parents said growing up she was just like any other kid, full of
life and energy.

"Very outgoing, very rambunctious, even when she was a little kid,
completely blind, she would still roller blade, she would still ride her
bicycle. She keeps going, nothing holds her back," said David Brown, Bre's
father.

"I think that being visually impaired myself, in a way, helped me to have a
blind child because she had to do chores like every other child, I expected
her to do her best in school," said Diane Corbitt, Bre's mother.

Brown has always kept a busy schedule, she played the trumpet in the
marching band for all four years of high school, was in school plays and
eventually joined the NFB.

"I went to a chapter meeting in 2009, after that I was hooked, I knew that I
had found the right place for me," said Brown.

Since joining the NFB, she completed a rigorous nine-month training program
at the Louisiana Center for the Blind in Ruston, LA.

Also, for the past four years, she has returned to the Louisiana Center for
the Blind to work as an instructor in a summer program for blind children.

"It is one of the challenging, yet one of the most rewarding jobs I have
done, and it's so awesome to see when a student realizes the confidence he
or she has gained," said Brown.

This year, Brown was selected as one of the 30 finalist to attend the
Federation's 2015 National Convention. The finalists are awarded
scholarships ranging in value from $3000 to $12,000.

She was the one recipient choose to receive the Jernigan Scholarship, the
highest award of $12,000.

It is presented in honor of the late Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, a lifelong leader
of the National Federation of the Blind, who served as its president from
1968 to 1986.  Dr. Jernigan has been described as the most influential blind
American of the Twentieth Century.

Brown's family, friends and mentors couldn't be more proud of all she's
accomplished.

"I have a lot of respect and admiration for her, I feel blessed to be a part
of of her life," said Connie Baker, Brown's Braille Aid Specialist.

"I'm just so proud of her," said Corbitt.

"It's just amazing, it shows that all her effort and time she's spent on it
has been well worth it," said David Brown.



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