Speaking at Point Loma Nazarene University, March 27th, 2014

What does being successful in college mean to you? 

It meant that I was pointed poignantly to learn each polished truth. Top treasured understandings of wisdom freed thunders of “I AM A THINKER.” From lumps of knowledge I’m dearly powered to estimate new ideas. For decades I had prayed for this access to unlimited learning. My never before answered insatiable thirst for knowledge was there finally quenched. I ask that we feed all people.

Was success different for you than the other students you graduated with? 

Yes. I saw that many wanted to get freed of being a learner; I hungered to heart learn all important, wise, restful things. Tests were not crucially important, I felt, while to others tests were an urgent try to reply with an A. For me, best in learning was wisdoms easing my trying to power up being who I’m here to be.

How did you deal with being misunderstood or misperceived as a student with a disability in college, by both students and professors?

Gearing to grease verses of doubt that I was competent was hard. It jittered me. Lies manifested in me as I hear others thinking I’m not belonging here. It feared the sweet in real me. So each data day I determined to journey in feat fearless in spite of their messed up need to feel I’m not important or worthy to be there hungrily seeking an educated future. Realizing they are awed by me, I re-tune my tirades. Jittery they worry I’m destroyer of their chances. Yet I’m cared as are they to get an educated chance. Recognized in me was they need to be freed to know awesome are all children freed by God’s created treasured nest. Yes I’m edited, but I’m forged as all are with great gifts. They need to know there is jewelry in each of us. Over time, sweet re-tunings of hearts dearly began. Fears melted for each. Rest depth I, feeling I’m a belonger.

I’m understanding the wastes of errored estimates of me. Try you to be never deterred by others’ estimates of you. Fetters try us all. Greet yourself sweetly remembering always you are made by God’s hands. Each of us are here to teach awesome are all his children.

While in college, how did you advocate for yourself?

My thirst for learning is without beginning or ending. I will not daze admiringly on thugs that deny the meal of educating opportunity to any of us. I’m trying to feed my being greeted as equal, greatly requesting news I’m warranted a future. So I a seriously studying student joyfully became—a determined, prepared trier treading to learn all things, hoping my success would open opportunity doors for others.

What advice or encouragement would you give to a young adult diagnosed or struggling with a disability who doubts his or her ability to succeed? 

Awe fellow “regular” people by trying understand the reality that they fear and doubt too. There, wedded we are. There we “wise-to-diversity” ones can see that all tread in fears they are not perfect. News is, I and you and they are the Body of great God. Try, yes try point them to treasures are in awesomed all. Eases for all are best freed by seeing wedded we are in our oneness. Wedded to God I tread unfearing, knowing I’m not here by error. I’m estimated I’m here to be all he caringly created me to be.

Can you give us an example of one of your most effective college professors?  What made them a good teacher and how did they differentiate their instruction to help you learn?

They looked at me with possibilities and not limitations. They were always greasing bells to assure my full participation with no academic compromise. They never deeded me as “I’m less,” and it was there I’m knew I’m worthy. My worryful fears began easing.

These treasures confirming I’m in truth a competent treader rested the pertinent lies others told generating my long-distressing feelings that I am trash. I ready tell that the decades I’m trashed were here heard as hellacious. I’m wepter, fearer constantly re-tortured by persons who feared me, causing the real in me to evaporate out. My edited esteem tipped me to unattainable peace. It muted me. News I see now is that my esteem errorers, in understating and devaluing me, re-tortured typically there themselves, referencing they and I are separate. There they are stuck, as they tread seeing me as I’m OTHERED treader. In this thinking, one is their own tomb. One gets tired there by feared differences in treads lit by great God. One gets nervously unsettled by standing some outside of, instead of under the whole of God’s epitome. In this thinking ultimate peace is unpossessable.

Rest is re-tuned and wonders freed by the needs of each being sweetly supported looking at all defined as all. There triers in love tread telling there togethered we answer, “Great God created the whole. One Body. No part less. No part othered.”

Concerning differentiated, professors returned ready openness for different ways for me to show my competence in testings. They heard my reasonable needs and my suggested ideas of accommodations were crafted in our collaboration. Here are two examples of this, two of many testing boards we created together, one for Biology Genetics and one from Intermediate Algebra. In knowing how our brain works and opportunities for communicating and collaborating with our professors, we must be active members of our teaching-learning experience.

Reaping poignant peace I am. My heart points– powered by the pretty in my irregular, I’m pertinent. It rest I try be. I’m here because great God put me here. Pured rest I’m depth desire. Re-tuned I am to dear myself, and nary to jury utterers that saw I as reason to pity or jeer at as worthless. Up, up I certainty journey trying to be pointer asserting treasure in every one of his children. You can be a ready pointer too. Wedded we are in our oneness, rejoicing in and supporting the needs of the whole Body. There lies personal and world peace.