The Syracuse EOC is excited to announce that one of our very own students has been selected as the winner of the statewide essay contest sponsored by the Association of Educational Opportunity Center Directors. Donna Reese, a student in our Customer Service Office Training Program, was first selected as the winner for the local contest and her essay was then submitted to the state contest. The essay contest asked students to write about how their involvement at the SEOC will impact their futures. The faculty and staff here are so very proud of Donna, and we feel fortunate to have been able to have a hand in what we know will be her bright future. As part of her winnings, Donna was awarded $75 from the SEOC and another $250 from the state contest! Congratulations to Donna!
What Participation in the EOC Means to Me and My Future - by Donna Reese
My participation in the Educational Opportunity Center Program will be significant to me and my future endeavors. I didn’t realize how much just enrolling in the program would help me professionally and personally. I not only learned valuable workplace skills. I feel more self-confident and determined to re-enter the job market.
I have been battling glaucoma and keratoconus for many years. A couple of years ago, the diseases claimed my left eye. Unbeknown to just about everyone but my immediate family, I have been functioning with just the use of my right eye. I didn’t want anyone to look at me differently or pity me, so I kept my condition a secret.
Two years ago, my life took a devastating turn. A corneal ulcer took away the vision in my right eye and left me completely blind. It was the most horrifying moment of my life! I was hospitalized and given round-the-clock eye drops and medication. Unfortunately, a hole developed in my cornea and I had to be rushed to surgery for an emergency partial cornea transplant. My doctor explained this procedure was necessary in order to save my eye. The surgery succeeded in saving my eye but I still couldn’t see. My doctor said that it would take six months for my eye to heal and after the he would perform a full cornea transplant that might give me some of my vision back.
The months leading up to my second surgery were very difficult. I was totally dependent on my family. Someone had to pick out my clothes, cook for me, help me organize my medicines so I wouldn’t take the wrong one or take too much of the right ones. I even needed assistance putting the toothpaste on my toothbrush! Since I could no longer drive, I had to depend on others to take me to my many doctor’s appointments. For an active, independent person like me, this sent my self-esteem into free-fall.
Luckily, the second surgery went well and some of my vision eventually returned. But I was now legally blind and unable to work anymore. I had to take a disability retirement from the state job I held for 20 years and start thinking about what I was going to do with the rest of my life.
One day I got a call from my advocate Amy from the Commission for the Blind. She told me about a pilot program that would be perfect for me. Amy explained that this would be a first-time collaboration between the Commission for the Blind, Aurora of Central New York, and the Educational Opportunity Center (EOC). The purpose of this project is to give people with visual impairments the tools and the training to compete in the job market. So with much apprehension, I enrolled in the Customer Service Office program at EOC.
I almost talked myself out of attending class that first day. I was so worried about the reaction of the students who weren’t visually impaired. Would they make fun of me? Would they resent what they might perceive as special treatment by the instructors? I was also concerned about the reaction of the instructors. Would they be excited about this new program or would they resent the extra work placed on them by students with visual impairments? Would they have a condescending attitude, or worse – a pitying one?
I even started to doubt my ability to complete this course. I was going to tackle subjects I either haven’t dealt with in years or never heard of. Maybe I was taking on too much. My fears turned out to be unfounded as each day I became more self-assured. There wasn’t any resentment from my fellow students. It was a very relaxed, supportive atmosphere. My instructors were caring and knowledgeable women. Whenever I came across difficult parts of the course, my instructors patiently went over the material until I understood what I was doing. I no longer felt any doubt about finishing the course. Since this type of collaboration was a first for them too, we learned from each other what worked and what didn’t. The Educational Opportunity Center’s staff, along with Aurora and the Commission for the Blind, worked hard to give us what we needed to be successful in this course.
But most importantly, my participation in the EOC gave me a renewed sense of purpose and confidence in my ability to face any new challenges. I plan to enroll in the Community and Human Services program at Empire State College. I can apply what I learned at EOC and take classes online. My employment goal is to work with people with disabilities. I was lucky I had the opportunity to show that despite my visual impairment, I can accomplish anything I set my mind to!
