Bold Blind Beauty On A.I.R.
Bold Blind Beauty On A.I.R.
Thriving in College: Triumphs & Tips for Students with Disabilities
Episode title and number:
Thriving in College: Triumphs & Tips for Students with Disabilities 4-#8
Summary of the show:
In this episode of Bold Blind Beauty On A.I.R., host Roberto Solis and co-host Gabby Mendonca discuss the challenges of college life for students with disabilities. They are joined by guests Alana Ambrosekia, Amy Arias, and Kira Erickson, who share their personal experiences and hurdles such as homesickness, unaccommodating professors, and accessibility issues. The conversation also touches on imposter syndrome, transportation difficulties, and transitioning from specialized schools to mainstream colleges. The episode concludes with the guests offering advice on self-advocacy and sharing their social media handles. While the sound quality is not optimal, the content remains enlightening and valuable for listeners interested in the experiences of visually impaired college students.
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Bullet points of key topics & timestamps:
00:00 | Introduction and Welcome
00:48 | Meet the Hosts and Guests
02:03 | Biggest Challenges in College
08:14 | Imposter Syndrome Experiences
12:22 | Transportation and Accessibility
15:41 | Limited Edition Alert!
16:29 | Resolving Accessibility Issues
19:36 | Transition from School for the Blind to College
22:12 | Social Media Handles and Farewell
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Music Credit: "Ambient Uplifting Harmonic Happy" By Panda-x-music https://audiojungle.net/item/ambient-uplifting-harmonic-happy/46309958
Thanks for listening!❤️
[00:00:05] Introduction and Welcome
[00:00:05] Steph: Welcome to the September edition of Bold Blind Beauty On A.I.R. I'm Stephanae McCoy, and we have a special treat for you. I'm thrilled to introduce our amazing intern, Roberto Solis. Today, Roberto is taking the lead as he discusses the ups and downs of college life with a disability. He'll be joined by some fantastic guests who will share their unique experiences and challenges.
[00:00:33] So whether you're a student or just curious about the college journey from a disability perspective, stick around for an insightful discussion. Let's get started.
[00:00:48] Meet the Hosts and Guests
[00:00:48] Roberto: Welcome Bold Blind Beauty On A.I.R. I am your host, Roberto Solis and I am taking over this episode. Thank you'all for joining us for this important discussion on college life and the different obstacles that we might all face. Co-hosting this podcast is the lovely Gabby.
[00:01:08] Gabby: Yes. Hello. Hi, everyone.
[00:01:10] Roberto: And I'll be introducing the three guests. So, Alana, would you want to introduce yourself?
[00:01:17] Alana: Sure. So I'm Alana Ambrosekia. I currently attend Malawi University going into my junior year as a computer information systems major.
[00:01:26] Roberto: Whole bunch of tech stuff. Amy, would you want to introduce yourself?
[00:01:32] Amy: Hi, I'm Amy. I am going into my sophomore year studying social work at the University of Minnesota Duluth.
[00:01:41] Roberto: Interesting. Last but not least, Kira.
[00:01:44] Kira: Hi, I'm Kira Erickson. I am going into my junior year and I am studying Recreation, Parks, and Leadership Studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
[00:02:00] Roberto: Wonderful. So.
[00:02:03] Biggest Challenges in College
[00:02:03] Roberto: College can be, I would say, a little scary, you know, once you go in. And one question I have for y'all is, what has been the biggest challenge or hurdle that y'all faced so far in your career? Amy, I want to start with you since you just finished your first year.
[00:02:20] Amy: Oh, okay. For me, it was definitely being away from home because I am very family oriented and I mean, where I go to school, it's only like two hours away, but it was still really hard for me. Like, I remember crying, like, when they left and I was just like, no, my family.
[00:02:40] And that was really hard, but I feel like once I started to actually engage with my classes and, you know, talk to people around me, it definitely became easier, even though it's still hard because I love my family, but I'm, I feel like I'm much more prepared for this year.
[00:03:00] Roberto: What do you do for food?
[00:03:02] Amy: Oh, it's so sad. Like literally I, I'm used to like Mexican food. Cause I'm Mexican. And like, when I go to the dining hall and like, it's like potato salad or something. I don't know. That's like the first thing that came to my brain. I'm like sad. I mean, obviously like, if you're used to eating like different types of food like that, it's fine. But for me, I'm like, no.
[00:03:31] Roberto: I felt that as a Mexican myself. Yeah. Oh, I got hurt too. Kira?
[00:03:37] Kira: I would have to say my greatest challenge so far, like Amy said, was the first year of not being close to home. But I also have learned to really like it.
[00:03:54] But one of my major challenges is when you find out the first day of classes that one of the classes you have signed up is not gonna be accessible even when you paid extra for online materials. So, that's fun having to panically register for a class that works with your schedule that you can hopefully get a chance to get to before the end of the week because we only get a week for like officially dropping classes.
[00:04:33] So that was a challenge. Intro to nutrition is not accessible with the specific professor when she passes out paper copies and tells you you can leave class.
[00:04:45] Roberto: Hit me like that sometime. I'd like to have that kind of experience too. Yeah.
[00:04:52] Last but not least, Alana.
[00:04:53] Alana: So for me, I it's between probably dealing with unaccommodating professors and also learning my way around campus, because that was a little bit hard for me. My campus is pretty small, so it was pretty, like, once I got into it, it was like, you could, you could do it, but it was just like, you know, like any place, you know, you have to. You know, you do mobility or whatever, you get your training.
[00:05:17] But also unaccommodating professors, yeah, I've had a couple and Nalpha, that's probably the other one.
[00:05:24] Gabby: Yeah, I can relate to that 100%, trust me.
[00:05:27] Roberto: Gabby, do you want to jump in on this too?
[00:05:29] Gabby: Yeah, I mean, I, You know, for me, when I was starting college, what, four years ago, five years ago at this point, like it was, it was hard. Cause you know, like transitioning as all of us know, like from high school to college, like that's a very tough transition, like, especially. Like, it's, it's tough in general, but then I think when you add on like having a disability, whatever that is for each individual person, like that makes it 10 times, like, even more scary because you know, you're stepping into a new environment, you're dealing with professors, like, Alana said that are unaccommodating.
[00:06:09] And I, I've had way too many situations with unaccommodating professors. And so I know like that's a really tough thing, but you know, I think like the best advice I would just say really quickly is just like, keep advocating because you're there to gain an education, but at the same time, you're also teaching these people how to help you and how to best assist you because Even if they say that they know how to help, oftentimes they're really lying because some of them haven't really had much experience like helping somebody with a disability.
[00:06:44] So keep advocating and like trying to educate people because it's important to teach them like, listen, this is what you're doing and it's not working and I need help fixing this problem. And that's the best way to help. The best thing you could do for yourself is just keep advocating on behalf of what you need.
[00:07:01] Alana: I feel like sometimes though, it's annoying because they don't like, sometimes it's like, it's like they don't want to learn. Like, even though you're trying so hard, they're like, no, I'm doing this my way. And that's how you feel. And you're like, no, no, it's not because I need you to work with me. And they're like, no.
[00:07:18] Kira: Yeah. Are you trying to communicate it? And you, like with my Intro to Nutrition class, I emailed her ahead of time, explained a few things. And then that next class day, she was like, Oh, you can leave early because I don't have this quiz or reading for you. And I was like, well, we have a quiz each week. I'm gonna fall behind.
[00:07:44] Yeah, wow.
[00:07:46] Roberto: Yeah, I've had professors who just told me like, Go to the office of disabilities. I can't do nothing for you.
[00:07:52] Gabby: Yep, that's so true.
[00:07:54] Roberto: And it caused me to drop one of the classes because there's no way that I was gonna, that the office of disabilities were gonna help me. They just think that do anything.
[00:08:02] Right.
[00:08:03] Alana: They just think that it's not their job to do anything, like those ones who just don't want to do anything. Like, it's just like, guys, like Right. Yeah, exactly.
[00:08:12] Roberto: All right. Next question.
[00:08:14] Imposter Syndrome Experiences
[00:08:14] Roberto: So one issue that we might have all faced is the feeling of not belonging or the feeling of not deserving on the position that we're at known as imposter syndrome. So, has there been time where y'all felt that, whether it was in the classroom or at an event?
[00:08:32] Alana: I think in the beginning. Yeah, I think in the beginning I kind of felt a little bit like that I joined the Performing Arts Club and I kind of felt like a little out of place because I was the only visually impaired person there so it was kind of like at first it was like a little weird because there's some other kids in my school that I chat with but like none of them were in the Performing Arts Club so like I was just like, oh, man, you know, this is a little weird, but I got used to it and they're really helpful. So I kind of just jump right in but in the beginning was a little hard. Definitely.
[00:09:03] Amy: I didn't really know what imposter syndrome was, to be honest, until I looked it up, like, yesterday. And I think I really related to it because when I first went into school, I was like, okay, I'm a first generation student, I am blind, like, I felt like I was scrambling to do what I needed to do because I had no idea what I was doing. And I was like, all these people around me, they know what they're doing. They have their life figured out. But then I realized nobody knows what they're doing. Like, I think we're all struggling. So I think that was, that was it for me. And yeah.
[00:09:46] Roberto: I felt that in my soul about being first gen, being blind and just like thinking everyone had, you know, they knew what they were doing.
[00:09:55] Gabby: For real, that is so valid.
[00:09:57] Kira: I think mine would definitely have to be during first year, but I feel like it was a little different because I joined the live and learning community, which is where you, well, you're supposed to live on the same floor as most of the people. We did not, that did not work out super well, but you have like a couple classes together. You do a weekly study and sometimes a weekly event. So that I feel like helped a lot with my imposter syndrome, but I know for sure when I first got onto campus, I was like, I'm alone.
[00:10:39] Most of these people don't are doing just fine. They're my learning community is like helping unload and getting people cards because we got on campus earlier. And then I'm just needing more O&M assistance right now. And I felt like, what, how do people know this place so good already?
[00:11:03] Gabby: Yeah, no, that's that's a very, like everything you all said is very valid. Cause I think like all of us have had that feeling at some point in time, whether you know, you're new to starting college or you've been there for like at least. two years or you'd like me if you've already graduated which it sounds like I think most of you are, you know about to graduate or kind of, you know, just starting out a little bit.
[00:11:28] But I mean, like I 100 percent like feel that because like I was the first to never only blind student on my campus. And when I got there, I literally, I isolated myself for like the first two years. And that was like really hard because I was like, well, these people don't want to be friends with me.
[00:11:49] Like nobody's gonna, you know, be like coming up to me to have like, ask me to join a club just for the fun of it all. But like, yeah, so I think like I can 100 percent relate to each and every one of your stories.
[00:12:04] Alana: Yeah, it's kind of frustrating because like I'll go up to people and I'll be like, Hey, I was like, Hi, and then we'll talk and then we'll make plans like to hang out or something. And then like, they never follow through with it. It's kind of sad that most people don't.
[00:12:17] Roberto: Yeah. I've got through that too. Okay, next question.
[00:12:22] Transportation and Accessibility
[00:12:22] Roberto: So, transportation is also another issue. So, sometimes our schools can be really far from where we live, or if we're dorming, sometimes it could be, you know, we still have to commute. So, how did y'all do it from, to transport, or from getting from point A to point B, and did y'all have issues with that?
[00:12:43] Alana: The only issue I really had, cause I live super close to my school, so the only issue I really had was sometimes my they call it able ride over here, paratransit. The only thing I would have here is like, sometimes it would come late, but most of the time it was actually pretty good.
[00:12:58] So I live like 12 minutes away. So, yeah, but I mean, I get how it could be challenging. It's like, especially like, in the city area, where you are, Roberto must be like, Access-A-Ride and everything.
[00:13:11] Kira: Well, I think I kind of have it easy because I choose to live on campus. So, yeah, most of the time I can just walk to most of the places. And then there's a nice shuttle, that I can take home to my family home over breaks and stuff.
[00:13:31] Alana: So, I didn't even mention I lived on campus, so I usually go home, like some days of the week when I'm not like doing much. But yeah, I technically live on campus.
[00:13:42] Now and do not go home that often. It's an hour and a half. So and with the shuttle, it's like two hours because of the stops. So yeah, I do not go back to my family home. I usually just stay on campus most of the time.
[00:13:57] Amy: Yeah, I'm kind of like Kira. I just I live on campus and my my school is like all connected. So I don't even have to go outside. And I love that, especially in the winter.
[00:14:10] Kira: Rub it in, why don't you?
[00:14:13] Amy: I will. I do. Kira and I have arguments about this. My school is really cool because of that.
[00:14:19] Kira: Well, we get less snow than you, so.
[00:14:22] Amy: But I don't even go in the snow. Anyway. Anyway. But, yes, I didn't really have to worry about, like, getting to school but if I wanted to go out in the community, like, to the grocery store or stuff like that I'm very lucky to have a good bus system that I can utilize or there's always Uber and Lyft available, which I have grown very comfortable using, and I really like, you know, I really like the Uber because personally, it's faster and gets me there and I can come back and I don't have to wait an hour for the next bus.
[00:14:59] But, yeah, and to go home. I also have a shuttle kind of thing that goes from my campus. To the campus in the cities, and then my parents or someone will pick me up from there and take me home and it's nice.
[00:15:12] Kira: That's cool. Yeah, we also have a bus system. It's not my preferred. I feel like half the time the buses are every hour. So, I usually try to stay on campus, which might be my downfall, but we'll see. There's plenty of activities on campus, so. Even though the food's not my favorite. I'll survive.
[00:15:41] Limited Edition Alert!
[00:15:41] Steph: Final notice!
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[00:16:10] This special collaboration with Krista offers you the chance to enjoy one of a kind pieces that will enhance your holiday celebrations for years to come.
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[00:16:29] Resolving Accessibility Issues
[00:16:29] Gabby: Well, thank you all for sharing that. I mean, it's college man. I don't know. Okay. How did you resolve accessibility issues? Were there any strategies or resources that you utilize or that have been helpful for you?
[00:16:46] Alana: So for me I had, I won't get into too much of it, but I had one professor I had was like super unaccommodating and there was one time where I had to go to the higher ups. So I went to the accessibility office and then I had to go higher. So I went to the chair of the department and what we ended up doing was because of how unaccommodating she was being, we had somebody come to class with me.
[00:17:11] Which kind of was annoying to do, but that was the solution we came up with, but I think it really, like, benefited me because this professor was normally being unaccommodating. She was being very horrible, just generally to the entire class. And so, just somebody to witness that I think really helped out.
[00:17:29] And then, just to help with reading, like, the board, because she ran the board and stuff. And yeah, that, so that really helped. That was one of them that we thought of. Yeah,
[00:17:39] Amy: For me, I took a biology course my 1st semester and I had a lab and it was a very like, hands on lab, but. There was a very sorry, there was a lot of visual kind of aspects to it. So I asked my counselor at the disability office and they recommended and they call it an access assistant at my school and it's basically an employee. I think Alana is what you were kind of talking about, like an employee who works at the disability office who is also a student. And then they kind of explain things to you that are happening like in a video or like in the lab.
[00:18:27] I think we were doing this one with worms or something. And I was like, I am not a worm. Like you just tell me what the worm is doing. And she did and that was really great for me. And it really helped me understand what was happening in the classroom it's just wonderful.
[00:18:42] Kira: I took a self defense class last semester and I got I can't remember what they call it at my school off the top of my head. But like Amy said, it's a student, and at least at our school, they get paid 15 every credit hour, and she would just stand next to me in self defense class and show me the moves, or correct my idea of the moves. Because, yeah, sometimes I would do them wrong, since the professor wasn't always the best at describing. So, that was very helpful.
[00:19:26] Roberto: Watch out for her. She could fight. Right. That's good.
[00:19:31] Gabby: Well thank you all of you for sharing that experience.
[00:19:36] Transition from School for the Blind to College
[00:19:36] Gabby: For those of you who went to a school for the blind prior to college, how big of a transition was it? And how did, how did you feel you prepared for it? Or, you know, what was the preparation for that transition like for you?
[00:19:50] Alana: So for me I had gone to a school for the blind from 8th grade to 12th grade, so I, most of my life I actually was in public school. So it actually wasn't super hard for me. It was a little bit but I know some people have been, Some people go to school for the bottom from like kindergarten to 12th grade and that that wasn't me. So I kind of had a feel for what what everything else was, was, was like, and so it took a couple of weeks. I was like, Oh, wait, I'm not the only one anymore.
[00:20:18] But then like, you know I guess I should say I felt kind of right at home. Like, once I got used to it, because, you know, It didn't take super long, which was good, but yeah, it was definitely like a little bit of like a, a smack in the face because you're like, wait, whoa, whoa, okay. I'm back in, I'm back in the, the sighted world, you know so yeah, I mean, it was a little bit of a struggle, but we got through it.
[00:20:40] Amy: I didn't go to a school for the blind, I went to public school. So I think it was just a, Oh, I'm sorry this is kind of like high school, but there's so much reading I have to do. Scary!
[00:20:56] Kira: I also did not go to a school for the blind. I went to public school. So, yeah, I, going into college was like, oh, this is college high school on steroids a bit, but.
[00:21:11] Gabby: Perfect way to describe it.
[00:21:13] Roberto: That's crazy. I was the only one who went from, from kiergartenng to high school, right, to school for the blind. Big transition.
[00:21:21] Alana: That was a big, if that was like a little, a little bit for me, like, I can't imagine like how big it must have been like for you.
[00:21:27] Roberto: I mean, you kind of have to, what's it called? Because it was definitely, I wouldn't say scary, but way different. So I had to easily adapt to it. Well, I had to adapt to it as soon as I can, because in a school for the blind, people know how to help you. They, you know, they're experienced with people like us. But once you go to, you know, a college, they don't know what to do. So you kind of have to explain to them, like, you know, how to help you.
[00:21:56] Alana: Yeah, you have to advocate for yourself a lot. A lot.
[00:22:01] Roberto: And they don't enforce it in the institute as much.
[00:22:04] Alana: Yeah, so I'm very lucky that I got that experience in public school because they really don't enforce it. So yeah.
[00:22:11] Roberto: All right.
[00:22:12] Social Media Handles and Farewell
[00:22:12] Roberto: So we're going to wrap it up here. Last thing, where can we find y'all like on, on social media?
[00:22:18] Alana: So I'm on YouTube and Instagram as Alana Ambroo, so that's A-L-A-N-A-A-M-B-R-O-O.
[00:22:26] Amy: You can find me on Instagram at Amy Arias, ESQ. That's A-M-Y-A-R-I-A-S.
[00:22:36] Kira: You can find me on Instagram at, okay, lemme remember it. I'm pretty sure it's Kira Erickson nine seven. I can spell that out, but if you cannot find me, I am following those other two, so you should be able to find me. It's K-I-R-A-E-R-I-C-K-S-O-N. The number is nine seven.
[00:23:00] Roberto: Wonderful. All right, so thank y'all for joining me from this episode, I would say we had, we definitely had a great conversation.
[00:23:09] Gabby: Yes, I agree.
[00:23:11] Thank you for inviting us on. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
[00:23:21] Steph: Thanks for joining us for this exciting edition of Bold Blind Beauty On A.I.R. We hope you're feeling empowered and inspired after hearing our amazing guests share their college experiences. Remember, our journey doesn't stop here. Hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode filled with insightful discussions and uplifting stories.
[00:23:44] And don't forget to connect with our vibrant community on Instagram for exclusive behind the scenes content, motivational doses and a sneak peek into our next adventures. Your support means everything to us as we work together to amplify the diverse voices and stories. Let's keep the momentum going for Access, Inclusion and Representation.
[00:24:08] Until next time, stay Bold, stay Beautiful and keep shining Bright!
