Tag Archives: Spina bifida

Embracing My Differences

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Growing up I never saw myself as any different from everyone else. It was never a big deal to me that I simply sat and rolled while others stood and walked. I felt annoyed by, but quickly got used to children in public pointing at me and asking their parent what happened to me. It took me years to even realize that I am different. 

I’ve never seen the need to call attention to my differences. I am disabled yes, but I’m also just your average young adult with my own hobbies and aspirations, much like you may have. I have never attempted to consider myself as part of a “community” or felt the need to be celebrated for being “so strong” for the way that I live. 

When I randomly discovered that July was Disability Pride Month, I first felt silly that there even was a holiday celebrating people like me. But then, the story-lover in me did some research. Why is July “Disability Pride Month”? That’s because July marks the anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. I then recalled that I had once written on my blog about this very date.

Taking a second look at that date, astonishment set in me. It seemed so unbelievable to me that only 30 years ago, people like me were just granted rights that I have today. Today I can look around and see ramps at the end of many sidewalks. Because of what people of all different disabilities fought for, I was welcomed into public schooling because they are required to have wheelchair ramp access and elevators. What I had thought of as nothing more than a social media trend, now started to make sense. 

I now claim newfound pride to be a disabled person. I came to the realization that it’s okay to celebrate me and what I symbolize. This month gave me an opportunity to recognize how fortunate I am due to the plight of those who came before me. Although I refuse to let my disability entirely define me as a person, I took this month to recognize myself and embrace my position in a community of others like me.

I can do without the cliché, restrictive saying that I am “differently abled”. I know what I am capable of. My disability adds many challenges to my everyday life, but I’ve lived this way my whole life, and it is my normal. I’ve lived everyday simply accepting who I am, but now I vow to appreciate the things that make me, me. I have brown hair, brown eyes, and I have a disability in which I use a wheelchair to get around. From this month forward, I am embracing my differences.

Is College the Right Choice for the New Generation?

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Most high school graduates have typically been bombarded with the age-old question, “So, what college are you going to?” The answer was almost always followed by the names of prominent universities. However, with the increasing movement towards online degrees and the outrageous rising tuition costs, the answer is no longer so clear cut. As our economy and world changes, young adults everywhere are having to rethink the question, “Is college the right choice for me?”

Those who decide to go to public college are faced with many challenges. Typically, they are overwhelmed with high costs that they find themselves paying off for many years later in life. Also, many students find that the job they get after school has nothing to do with the degree they pursued, therefore those years of handwork and financial investment were for nothing. So, if you know for certain what you want to pursue in life absolutely requires a college degree, then public college is the right choice for you.

With these increasing tuition fees, some people even question whether going to college is worth it at all. This varies person to person and depends on each circumstance, but this option should not be shunned. Many students after high school graduation get their foot in the door of a company and go straight to work. In the work field, having a college degree typically helps when applying and certainly looks good to an employer, but is not always a requirement and does not determine one’s capabilities and success in certain fields. Therefore, if you are willing to give up the opportunity to have the public setting college experience, and you want to get straight to work in an area that does not require a specific degree, then I say you should go for it.

Another option for incoming college students is online studies. This is the avenue I personally chose and I will say it has its pros and cons. Online schooling is perfect for those who need or want to study in the convenience of their own home. No, with online classes you don’t get a typical classroom setting, but you are still held to the same standard of your average student. You must be disciplined in a schedule that works for you in order to properly study, meet assignment deadlines, and keep up good grades. Online college still offers a variety of degrees and is a good way to study, at the least, your basics. You can receive the same material and ultimately the same opportunity as any public school with courses online. If you know that the career you want doesn’t truly require a college degree, then maybe an online program is the right choice for you.

With the recent events of this pandemic, students across the globe have gotten a taste of online studies and it has brought up the question whether or not virtual learning is the way of the future for schooling at all grade levels. I asked my mother who is a public school teacher her thoughts and she stated, “When I first became a teacher 23 years ago, people would joke that robots would replace teachers in the future. The internet has now stepped in allowing a new platform for teaching that was unfathomable when I began my teaching journey. I am old school and I do prefer face to face instruction. Yet I must appreciate the convenience of online learning and embrace it as the way of the future. We all have to adapt or be left behind.”

So, is traditional college the right choice for the new generation? Is virtual learning the way of the future? We’ll just have to wait and see.