[Perform-talk] NFB Scholarship winner featured in Pennsylvania paper

Donna Hill penatwork at epix.net
Sat Jun 26 20:51:04 UTC 2010


Hi Friends,
Here is the text of an article about Zach Brubaker of Lititz, PA, one of 
our NFB scholarship winners for 2010. The article appeared in the Lititz 
Record this week. He is quite a remarkable person.
Enjoy,
Donna
Block quote
Just like everyone else

Blind Warwick graduate faces future unafraid

Photo by Preston Whitcraft

As a young boy, Zachary Brubaker was diagnosed with a disease that 
caused him to lose his eyesight. Now, a recent graduate of Warwick, he’s 
not letting his disability get in the way of his future.

MARC ANTHONY

Record Express Correspondent

Zachary Brubaker is legally blind, but the Warwick High School honors 
graduate can see the future just fine.

The 18-year-old Lititz native was diagnosed with cone-rod dystrophy 
(CRD) when he was just 8. CRD is a progressive disease which causes 
deterioration of the photoreceptors in the retina. Complete blindness 
occurs anywhere from one to 13 years after diagnosis. There is no known 
cure.

”When people sleep, the cones in the retina are not running and they 
recharge like a battery. With CRD this doesn’t happen, they just burn 
out and die,” Brubaker said. ”I can distinguish forms but I have a 
difficult time with distance.”

Brubaker said he will never forget the moments after learning his 
diagnosis; sitting in his living room and wondering what was next. His

silent moments would crystallize into an unconquerable will.

”I never let it get me down, though,” he said. ”I never asked ’why me?’”

With that positive outlook, it’s no mystery why he was a recipient of 
the Harold U. Mumma Citizenship Award, given to him by the Lancaster 
Optimist Club.

Brubaker credits his faith and determination for his proactive approach. 
It’s what makes him so well prepared for the challenges which lie ahead. 
In January, he applied for and won a scholarship from the National 
Federation of the Blind. He is one of only two recipients from the state 
to score the prestigious honor. He will receive a cash prize as well as 
an all expenses paid trip to the NFB convention which will take place in 
Dallas, Texas early next month.

”I’ll be lobbying as to why I deserve the scholarship, meeting a lot of 
people from different organizations and speaking to elementary school 
children about visual impairment. It should be a good week,” he said.

The road Brubaker took to Dallas is the result of the springboard he 
crafted over his high school career. He earned a 4.6 weighted 
grade-point-average and made the distinguished honor roll for 24 
consecutive marking periods. He is an active member of the National 
Honor Society whose test scores are eclipsed only by the impressive 
number of scholarships he has been awarded.

Outside the classroom, Brubaker also had an impressive career on the 
wrestling team with a tenacious style his teammates refer to as the 
”Zach Attack” — thanks to his all out effort over three periods.

In addition to his studies, community has always been close to 
Brubaker’s heart. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 2008. Serving 
as a Den chief, leading food drives and beautification efforts helped 
earn him 32 merit badges and two Palms. He is an active member of the 
Ephrata Church of the Nazarene who is actively involved in youth group.

But this fall, Brubaker will be leaving all that behind when he

journeys to Penn State University. While there, he will join the 
Schreyers Honor College to pursue a double major in math and physics. 
The exclusive honors school has an enrollment of 1,800 students. The 
school keeps this number low so as to afford its students a wide array 
of opportunities both at home and abroad. Brubaker was one of only
30 blind students to win out over a list of 420 applicants at the school.

”I checked out a lot of schools before making my decision,” Brubaker 
said. ”I wanted a research institution, and the opportunities available 
at PSU are incredible. The physics department ranks right up there with 
MIT so I knew I could follow my aspirations.”

Brubaker’s mother, Virginia, said her son’s soft-spoken ways and the 
humility he carries himself with inspire even her.

”He never talks about (his accomplishments), he’d rather just do 
things,” she said. ”He’s always been that way, he’s an amazing person.”

As an NFB scholarship recipient, Brubaker will have the chance to add to 
his prize money based on a series of interviews which will be conducted 
over the course of six days.

”At the convention, each recipient will be paired with a judge whose own 
experiences most closely match his or her own goals,” explains Jim 
Antonacci, president of NFB and long-time member of the scholarship 
committee.

Antonacci, who is retired after more than 30 years as an educator and 
rehabilitation counselor, lost his sight in an accident while he was in 
high school. He understands the challenges facing young people like 
Brubaker and as such has made it his life’s work to provide advocacy for 
the blind.

The Philadelphia-based NFB has a membership of more than
50,000 people. It provides educational enrichment for its members, 
technological devices which help to accommodate their needs as well as 
programs which encourage an independent lifestyle. He said he believes 
Brubaker to be an exemplary representative of what NFB is all about.

”Zach is a fine young man...,” Antonacci said. ”He proves that when a 
blind person is given some accommodations and expected to achieve like 
everyone else, they can and they will.”

The competition will be stiff as Brubaker will be going up against 
candidates with master’s degrees and doctorates. Virginia said she knows 
he will be ready for anything that comes his way.

”Whatever Zach does, he puts his whole heart into it,” she said. ”It’s 
his determination that sets him apart.”

After college, Brubaker said he wants to go out into the field in the 
hope of finding research opportunities in the field of physics, after 
which he would like to teach either math or physics.
Block quote end

-- 
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