CSULB’s 鲍勃·墨菲访问中心 celebrates 50 years of supporting students with disabilities
他们一生都被告知“你不能那样做”. 他们听说:这太难了. 那些楼梯很陡. 阅读具有挑战性. 最好选择一份不费力的工作. 你坐在轮椅上. 连试都不要试.
But these five Cal State Long Beach alumni didn’t listen to the naysayers who whispered how - because of their disabilities - they could not succeed. 他们的字典里从来没有“不”这个词, thanks in part to the support they discovered at The Beach and their resolve to make a difference.
通过学校残疾学生服务中心(DSS)的努力鲍勃墨菲访问中心(BMAC) 以及他们积极进取的精神, 安东尼Vasquez, a specialist in web accessibility; Deaka麦克莱恩, a public relations specialist who is an advocate for the disabled; Keyon安德森, a 社会工作硕士 faculty member at The Beach; Caitlin Cutt, Netflix的流媒体推理剧制作人, 还有玛丽Zendejas, 长滩市议员, 在他们选择的领域表现出色.
BMAC, 为了纪念它成立50周年, 瓦斯奎兹入会了吗, 麦克莱恩, 安德森, 卡特和曾德哈斯在10月11日进入名人堂. 13日庆祝活动. Their unique stories not only resonate at The Beach but throughout the 社区 and beyond.
“The Hall of Fame represents CSULB Disabled Student 服务/BMAC alumni who have made a positive impact in their work, 无论是出于个人原因, 社区, 专业, 政治, 等.BMAC主任玛丽·阮(Mary Nguyen)说.
“在我们系的周年庆典上, 我们分享他们的故事和旅程，展示他们今天在哪里, 他们所取得的成就以及他们的生活如何影响了他人. 从听到这些个人的故事, we see how disability is a source of strength and we look to build 社区 around their shared stories.”
他们的故事
安东尼·瓦斯奎兹，10岁
安东尼·瓦斯奎兹可能在CSULB学过法语. But never one to back down from a challenge, he decided to take on Mandarin Chinese. Only problem was there were few study guides and textbooks in Braille for Chinese learners.
“我已经懂西班牙语了, 所以我想学点不一样的东西,瓦斯奎兹说。, 他是盲人，后来在斯坦福大学获得了硕士学位.
通过残疾学生服务中心的努力, Vasquez was able to secure the study materials he needed and graduate with a double major in Mandarin Chinese and journalism. 今天, he helps businesses and educational institutions implement effective web accessibility strategies. Vasquez also serves as a communications specialist for an accessible information technology nonprofit.
“If it wasn’t for the 鲍勃·墨菲访问中心, I would not be able to do this,” Vasquez said. “这是一个巨大的荣誉，这是我没有想到的.”
玛丽Zendejas 01
长滩市议员玛丽Zendejas说, 有小儿麻痹症的人有婴儿吗, 是美国第一位坐轮椅的拉丁裔公职人员吗. The alumna has long advocated for personal independence for people with disabilities, and for higher education and quality employment opportunities for the people living with disabilities.
LGBTQ社区的坚定支持者, Zendejas said she found strength for advocacy from the people in the Disabled 学生 服务 office while she was a student at The Beach.
“They gave me the confidence to pursue everything I wanted, to keep moving forward,” she said. “他们告诉我，我的能力比我的残疾更强大.”
Zendejas持有B.A. in speech communications, said she is “beyond honored” to be inducted into the BMAC Hall of Fame.
“To be recognized as a Hall of Famer in the BMAC holds special place in my heart.”
凯因·安德森，埃德.D., ‘12
As a first-year student in high school, Keyon安德森 had a second grade reading level.
但在被诊断患有阅读障碍后, 安德森在阅读技能方面得到了帮助，并从高中毕业. 然而，上不上大学仍然是个问题. 高等教育面临的挑战更大, 比如向每个教授解释他为什么学得慢.
在海滩上, 他发现了残疾学生服务中心, which guided him through his journey to earn a bachelor's and a master's degree in social work. He went on to earn a doctorate in education and became an MSW faculty member and a clinical social worker. 在DSS，他找到了导师，延长了考试时间，使他取得了成功.
“I don't think I would have made it through my undergrad without the resources,” 安德森 said. “Having the resources for me it translated to understanding what equity of services and looks like for students.”
安德森 said he doesn’t think anything he has achieved is “Hall of Fame worthy.” Try telling that to the students and 社区 members he affects through his own experiences.
迪卡·麦克莱恩09年，16年
麦克莱恩不需要帮助. 至少她一直这么告诉自己. 直到有一天, she had dropped her books in a planter at Brotman Hall and realized her mobility issues and learning disability were hindering what she wanted to do.
麦克莱恩说:“我花了一段时间才明白这一点. “我很挣扎，但我想这是自豪感.”
从她进入残疾学生服务办公室的那一刻起, 麦克莱恩, 谁生来就患有脑瘫和阅读障碍, found the tools she needed to pursue her journalism degree and master’s degree and become a leading advocate for the disability 社区. 通过她的声音, 她通过公开演讲带来了积极的变化, 讲故事和志愿服务.
但要做到这一点并不容易. 麦克莱恩两次申请CSULB，她都没被录取. On the third try, a counselor suggested she apply under the Special Admission process through DSS. She still got denied but at least she had found allies who helped her navigate the required math class. 在她的第四次尝试中，麦克莱恩收到了录取通知书.
但她的挣扎并没有结束. 她需要做几次手术, 但我还是坚持了下来，并于2009年毕业, 这在很大程度上要归功于她的坚持和DSS的支持. She said being inducted into the Hall of Fame is an honor that she could never have imagined.
凯特琳·卡特10岁
凯特琳·卡特在海滩大学主修比较世界文学, setting the stage for a 10-year career in true-crime podcasts and television.
She says on her LinkedIn that she loves researching challenging stories and “getting in touch with the people who’ve found their lives entangled with incredible, 有时是令人心碎的经历.”
这有点讽刺，因为她生来就有心脏病. But that didn’t stop her from becoming a story producer for the Netflix’s series “Unsolved Mysteries,” connecting with individuals who have been involved in emotionally charged experiences and bringing their stories to life.
