[Njabs-talk] Great News to Share

[Serena]

Congratulations!  Way to go, girls!

Serena


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Quintina M. Singleton" <qmsingleton at comcast.net>
To: "New Jersey Association of Blind Students" <njabs-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2010 5:31 PM
Subject: [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
>
>>
>
>>
> _______________________________________________
> njabs-talk mailing list
> njabs-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/njabs-talk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> njabs-talk:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/njabs-talk_nfbnet.org/serenacucco%40verizon.net