Always Believe in the Power of Your Dreams

It was a beautiful day today, which gave me the opportunity to go for a drive in my wheelchair and reflect on how my life has changed and evolved throughout the years. As I have mentioned before, I absolutely love my power chair, because it gives me the ability to go wherever I want independently. Going for a drive is a great way to clear my head. This week marked the end of my first semester of college, a huge milestone for me. I am enrolled in the educational assistant program at Lethbridge College. So far, I am really enjoying the program and, I am enthusiastic to start my second semester come May. I decided to take the educational assistant program, because it is something that is very close to my own heart.

I recieved the help of educational assistants until I reached tenth grade. School was the same for me as any other student my age. I loved to learn and, I experienced no trouble academically. The only difference was that I had someone who was there to help me with the physical aspects of my day. This included things like; transitioning from class to class so I would not get trampled and bulldozed by the students in the hallway. Compared to my friends and quite frankly almost everyone I am very small. I am four feet eleven inches tall and ninety pounds which at times did make it extremely difficult for people to see me as I tried to plow through the sea of people in the school hallways. If I am being honest, the sound of the bell that symbolized the end of class freaked me right out! Although, I was grateful that I always had someone there to ensure my personal safety, having a teacher's assistant made feel even more different from everyone else, which was the last thing I wanted at this point in my life This is why I elated when I found out that I was going to be given the opportunity to try it on my own. Yes, I was happy that I was going to try it on my own, but I have to admit that I also was initially apprehensive that I would be able to do it. Looking back on it now, I can see that it was one of the best decisions we have ever made and, it helped me to know that I could ask for assistance any time I needed it.

Initally, I remember how angry my dad was when he found out that I would no longer have my own personal assistant. Little did we know that it would give me the opportunity to grow as a person. I discovered that I could do even more independently than I had originally thought, I just had to put in the effort to find ways to complete my daily activities that worked for me, which meant almost always doing things differently than everyone else. However, that did not matter because, I could do it on my own. Because I couldn't get into my locker using a regular lock, I used a lock that only required a single digit to access what was inside. I eventually learned that it was much easier to leave class five minutes earlier than everyone else so, that I could beat the rush of the hallway whether I was in my walker or my wheelchair. I also learned how to use the washroom and make transfers on my own. I think the most important lesson I learned throughout the entire process was how to advocate for myself, something that terrified me when I was younger. Even though it wasn't always easy, my former assistants knew that one of my biggest dreams was to become self suffcient and independent. I still have a long way to go, but I am making strides towards achieving this goal everyday.

Today, I maintain the very special relationships that I have with those amazing people who were my educational assistants. They taught me to always believe in the power of my dreams even if that dream seems impossible to achieve. I want to be able to inspire children to keep moving foward even when life proves to be difficult. I want to be there to support and encourage students from all different walks of life because, every person deserves to have the kind of support and encouragement that I have recieved throughout my life from my family, friends and educational assistants. I have said before that I have no idea what the future holds, but I do know that believing in the power of your dreams will get you anywhere you want in life!