Coming to the University of Illinois from a small town in Michigan where the total population was smaller than the number of students at the university I would call home for four years was a daunting thought. I was going to a place where I did not know anyone, in fact, the only thing I did know for sure was that this was going to be my opportunity to break free of the falsehoods and misconceptions society had placed on me because I had a disability.
Education was, and still is, going to be my ticket to freedom, but I still needed to learn how to best harness that freedom; Beckwith Hall was to be my training ground. Over the three years I lived in Beckwith I was transformed from a shy young boy into a confident young man with the potential to change the world for the better. I learned to manage my life without the safety net of my parents and manage stressful situations with grace. With that said, Beckwith was a minor part of my college days, which is what Beckwith was truly meant to be… minor. Beckwith’s true legacy is to prepare young people with disabilities for the real world; to be that step stool from living at home with your parents to living on your own. Beckwith provided me with just enough support to allow me to spread my wings and take flight. I earned my bachelor’s degree, worked several jobs, made numerous friends, participated in many organizations and made an impact on an unknown number of lives. Without Beckwith Hall, none of that would have been possible.
After my junior year I ventured outside the walls of Beckwith and got an apartment with another one of Beckwith’s now alumni. It was a good opportunity to gain the experience of true independent living with the comforting knowledge that support was still just a few blocks away. In the blink of an eye, the year was over and I decided to take a giant leap and move to San Diego, CA for graduate school, 2,500 miles away from my family. Once again, I willingly placed myself in a daunting situation but, this time, thanks to Beckwith, I was armed with the confidence that I could handle life on my own. Without those three years at Beckwith Hall I am not so sure I could have handled living here in San Diego since 2004. Beckwith taught me a great deal, through practical experience, of the techniques and strategies I have had to use to get through personal assistant shortages, transportation difficulties and a whole host of other crises.
The point of this very tardy blog? Never be afraid to take risks and stand out where you could get hurt. If you are a member of a minority... any minority... you must be willing to take risks; to fight for what you want in life if you are to ever come out on top. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." As I have said in previous blogs, many people look at me as an inspiration, even though I feel as if I am merely living my life to its fullest. If you have the confidence to take risks and to seize opportunities as they present themselves despite society's efforts to oppress your individuality and the great worth that is innate in all of us... you, too, will be an "inspiration" to many.
