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Community College.
I then transferred to Arizona State University, where I received my Bachelors of Science in Physical Education. I had aspirations to become a baseball manager, preferably at the professional level, but sometimes life throws you a curveball.
For almost 20 years, I have worked as an advocacy specialist at Ability360, where my job duties include organizing special events like the Ability360 Health & Wellness Fair and the African American Conference on Disabilities. Additionally, among many other things, I assist consumers in locating and obtaining the services for which they qualify, advocate for
and obtaining the services for which they qualify, advocate for public transportation that meets the needs of consumers with disabilities, and advocate for public policy that impacts the lives of people with disabilities for the better. Impacting one life is great, but if you change the system as a whole, it's more impactful in the long run as it provides more individuals opportunities to succeed.
Life has changed, and I now have to manage things including–but not limited to– transportation, healthcare needs, hiring and managing caregivers, not to mention the normal, day-to-day activities that we all do like managing a home and paying bills. I do work and have worked full-time for the past 20 years, and to do so requires a lot of coordination, hiring good caregivers, and waking up extremely early. With that said, I have no regrets. I love my job, and hopefully the work I do will leave a lasting impact on others that will be faced with similar challenges. Thankfully, there were disability advocates before me that paved the way to give me the opportunities I do have, but there is more work that needs to be done.
For those of you who have just begun this journey, I will say take one day at a time and make the most of what you are provided in the early stages, especially since that is the time when more resources are at your disposal. You will have setbacks. You may fail, and you may feel different as I did.
Continued...