Wal-Mart has been a great place for me to share my story. Children have come up to me, after seeing me with my cane or wheelchair, to simply ask, “What is wrong with you?” The first time I heard this it shocked me because I do not view myself as more different than anyone else, but then I realized it was a great opportunity to shine a positive light on disabilities. Everyone I meet, whether they are embarrassed parents in Wal-Mart or classmates at school, is hesitant to ask me about my story. However, I am more than willing to share about how cerebral palsy has affected my life in both positive and negative ways. On the afternoon of November 16, 1995, my mother experienced severe stomach pain. She attempted to persuade the doctors that something
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I thought the task would be simple; after spending much time around hospital nurses as I grew up, I thought that nursing was the logical choice for a passionate career. As I was researching nursing, however, I typed ‘disabled nurse’ into a search engine. That was when I realized that my disability may hinder my dreams. The source I had found said I would not be a successful nurse because of my disability. This was extremely hard for me to read. After much contemplation, I realized nursing may not be what I have been called to do. My mom suggested I research social work because my passion is to help others. She sparked my interest, and as I began to research the career, I found that this was my true calling. Now that I am a social work student at Pikes Peak Community College, I have grown to love the profession even more. The social work profession is amazing! This field focuses on making peoples’ lives better through empowerment. I want to do just this. I want to show the people I interact with either as a hospital social worker or an adoption counselor that they can overcome anything, and that their lives matter. I want to make an impact on this world, and I believe social work is the avenue to make this world a better place. I may not have ever received this chance to make the world a better place if I was not a disabled student who thought one
I thought the task would be simple; after spending much time around hospital nurses as I grew up, I thought that nursing was the logical choice for a passionate career. As I was researching nursing, however, I typed ‘disabled nurse’ into a search engine. That was when I realized that my disability may hinder my dreams. The source I had found said I would not be a successful nurse because of my disability. This was extremely hard for me to read. After much contemplation, I realized nursing may not be what I have been called to do. My mom suggested I research social work because my passion is to help others. She sparked my interest, and as I began to research the career, I found that this was my true calling. Now that I am a social work student at Pikes Peak Community College, I have grown to love the profession even more. The social work profession is amazing! This field focuses on making peoples’ lives better through empowerment. I want to do just this. I want to show the people I interact with either as a hospital social worker or an adoption counselor that they can overcome anything, and that their lives matter. I want to make an impact on this world, and I believe social work is the avenue to make this world a better place. I may not have ever received this chance to make the world a better place if I was not a disabled student who thought one