Monday, April 27, 2020
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Sunday, December 7, 2014
About Me (My Personal History)
My story begins like everyone else's story, with one exception. I was born about eight weeks early and had difficulty breathing correctly. I have cerebral palsy due to the lack of oxygen at birth. My first major surgery, at the age of two, was to improve my vision. My next surgery was at age three for tendon release, which is basically a lengthening to increase stretching ability. When I was eight, my first baclofen pump was installed. This pump releases chemicals directly into my spinal cord in order to make me less rigid. Without it, I would be like a statue in a seated position! My baclofen pump also needs to be refilled every six months without fail. I attended school as everyone else does, but the highlight of my calendar year is my annual summer visit to Camp Jabberwocky in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts.
I've been going to Jabberwocky since 2001, between third and fourth grade. This camp for persons with disabilities was founded in 1953 and has approximately one hundred campers over two summer sessions. One of the biggest reasons I look forward to camp each year is that no one ever looks at me as if I'm different.
From ages five to thirteen, I was always able to drive my own wheelchair, but then another setback showed up. At age thirteen, my spine began to curve to the right due to my use of my wheelchair controls. By age fifteen, my head was at a ninety degree angle parallel to the floor when my waist was still in its normal position.
You can imagine what fun it was to watch my favorite television programs! Luckily, at age seventeen (right when I returned from Camp Jabberwocky), I had two steel rods and thirty screws installed into my spine and now I'm straight as an arrow. The only drawback is that I set metal detectors off wherever I go! The TSA hates my guts!
Life is pretty good right now. I haven't had any major surgeries since 2010.
I graduated from Harrison High School and am now a college student at Ivy Tech community college. I will be attending Camp Jabberwocky for the fifteenth time this summer, and will get to see all my friends in person that I only chat with online regularly. At least I won't have any homework over the summer!
From ages five to thirteen, I was always able to drive my own wheelchair, but then another setback showed up. At age thirteen, my spine began to curve to the right due to my use of my wheelchair controls. By age fifteen, my head was at a ninety degree angle parallel to the floor when my waist was still in its normal position.
Life is pretty good right now. I haven't had any major surgeries since 2010.
PRC and the ECO2
My career goal
is to be a spokesman for the Prentke-Romich Company (PRC). PRC is a company that manufactures, sells and
customizes augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. AAC is a term used to describe various
methods of communication that can help people who are unable or have difficulty
using verbal speech to communicate. My personal device is called the ECO2 and is pronounced "echo." AAC
can benefit a wide range of individuals, from the beginning communicator to a
more sophisticated one that generates their own messages. For more information about PRC and their products, visit: http://www.prentrom.com/. For general information specifically about the ECO2 device, please read: http://assistivetechnology.about.com/od/AugmentativeCommunication/p/Prentke-Romich-Aac-Devices-Give-Users-Language-Not-Just-Words.htm.
Part of my driving motivation for potential employment at PRC would include benefiting others with a communication device in the same manner that I myself have benefited. There may be people who have never had an AAC that are in dire need of such a device. They simply may not know they exist, or, more realistically, they cannot afford one. I would not be able to enjoy a higher quality of life without my ECO2, and so I would feel irresponsible by not sharing such opportunities with those in need. PRC could also benefit from having a spokesperson that is a daily user of their devices, rather than a sales person.
In the past, I have been given
opportunities to give speeches and demonstrations concerning my experiences
while utilizing my Prentke-Romich AAC. I
gave these speeches twice at Vanderbilt University, three times at Purdue
University, and once at Ivy Tech community college in Lafayette. These speeches were organized through the
department of augmentative and alternative communications (Dr. Lyle Lloyd; http://www.edst.purdue.edu/aac/). While giving these speeches, I felt an
incredible sense of purpose and was happy to be included in spreading the word
about the benefits of AACs. To read a transcript of my speech, documented as a Wikipedia entry, please read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Scottandy. The speeches are a big part of why I would like to be employed by PRC in this manner, getting
paid to advertise and present information about the company’s AACs (which I
myself use on a daily basis).
Part of my driving motivation for potential employment at PRC would include benefiting others with a communication device in the same manner that I myself have benefited. There may be people who have never had an AAC that are in dire need of such a device. They simply may not know they exist, or, more realistically, they cannot afford one. I would not be able to enjoy a higher quality of life without my ECO2, and so I would feel irresponsible by not sharing such opportunities with those in need. PRC could also benefit from having a spokesperson that is a daily user of their devices, rather than a sales person.
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