Blog / Dreaming Her Dreams
“My disability isn’t really a disability. It gives me a chance to share nice words with people. When I need help, and others come to help me – like with writing or drawing or going to the board – it's a chance to make friends. I can be kind to others by saying 'thank you’ and ‘you’re so nice to help me’ and then they smile, and I made a friend. I like that about myself.
“One day, I decided that I wanted to learn how to do life by myself. It became my dream to someday have a job and live in an apartment with a roommate. I heard about Shepherds College at my high school, and I thought it sounded like a good place to learn to do that, especially because the school offered Culinary Arts. My mom is a really good cook, and I love her very, very much. I like to cook too and want to work in a restaurant, so I thought, ‘Shepherds College will help me dream my dreams until they come true.’
“We needed help to get me to Shepherds College. My mom struggles with English, so my teacher worked on the paperwork with us. We were worried about money to pay for college, and my cousins and other family shared their money with us. We went to church and prayed together – I prayed especially for help for my mom – and now I’m able to be here. My mom got some money together, and then we heard that there were scholarship funds from Shepherds... and now I’m wearing a Shepherds College t-shirt!
“I’m really glad I made it here. After hearing about a school that can help me with my future, I’d be devastated if money was the reason I couldn’t come! But I’m not. I’m going to learn everything I need so I can graduate, get a job, and then make enough money to help other people like they are helping me.
“To the people who gave me money, thank you very much. You are so nice to help me. I feel you are my friends.”