May 1 is Inclusive Postsecondary Education (IPSE) Day! IPSE Day is a day to raise awareness and spread the word about postsecondary education options for students with intellectual disability.
What was your life like before you went to college?
My life before college was very bleak, I was hit with a one in a million situation and it hit me and my family very hard. I acquired a brain injury and I/DD after being diagnosed with epilepsy for 2 years and after medication not working and having brain surgery that left me cognitively and my vision impaired. I had to relearn how to read, write and do all those things most people take for granted. I was very isolated and struggling to thrive as an individual. I didn’t know what was next for me or where I would end up. I was feeling doubted in every way possible by everyone except the ones who loved me, which mattered the most.
Now that you have graduated from college, what do you think you can now do, that you might not have been able to do without being a college student?
When I attended Bergen Community College Turning Point, I chose to pursue a hospitality certificate. Going to college opened up so many doors for me. At this time in my life, I see no limit to where I can go. I was given some of the best advice by my professor: “You have to learn to be comfortable in the uncomfortable.” College helped me gain a sense of normality back, slowly, and helped me learn to accept my disability and learn to use it to my strength. While attending The College of New Jersey Career and Community Studies Program (CCS), I paved my own way and chose to pursue something I was interested in. I advocated for an independent study and that is how it all began. With the start of the independent study, my advocacy journey began its course. I was able to intern as the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities (NJCDD) as well as the PCIL (independent living center) in Mercer County. These were some of the greatest experiences of my life, that I will value and have learned and grown from.
I graduated from my IPSE programs and am now continuing my education and mapping out master’s programs as well. I feel there is no limit to where or what I can achieve now that I have grown from being a part of the IPSE community.
What will you take away from your college experience?
I will always take away the friendships and connections I made during those times. It was really fun hanging out and getting to know new people. However, a huge thing for me is how impactful a staff can be on a student’s life. You have to have the right supporters in your corner to help you get where you want. I wouldn’t be where I am today without having those people backing me through my vision and journey.
For students who are entering college in the fall, what advice could you give to them or to their families?
New students entering college: it is okay to be nervous, sometimes there is such a thing as feeling “good nervous”. One piece of advice I have for you is that YOU have to step up for yourself and speak up for what you want. That doesn’t mean your support system isn’t there on the phone or can visit when you need advice, but they have to let you take the ropes and take control of your life. YOU need to be the one making the choices because it’s YOUR life.
AUCD Policy Talk 