2008-2009 Fellows: Stephanie Hardwick-Goldblatt
The opportunity offered with the Helen Keller Fellows program will facilitate my immersion into a field in which I have been working since an early age. I started working in the periphery of this field at an early age, working at a summer camp for children with visual impairments and deafblindness and developing an exercise program that they would follow for 2 weeks in the summer. My experience with these children and people who I met along the way taught me self-awareness, strength, and character at a formative time in my life—my teen years. I have attended the Helen Keller Festival several times, participated in the coordination of the International Helen Keller Art Show as well as the Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama, which I now have the privilege of coordinating.
After graduating from college with a degree in Psychology, I knew I wanted to work with children, primarily children with disabilities. I pursued a master’s degree in School Psychology, during which time I worked with children with and without disabilities in general and special education. I was fortunate enough to come back to my previous job and continue in the periphery. Having had such experience over the years, it was only a matter of time when I would apply for the Vision and Orientation and Mobility Certification program.
As I embark on my new path into a familiar field, my goal is to immerse myself in as much experience and knowledge that is possible as I transition professionally into. I would like to expand upon my current education and sharpen my skills in one area, deaf-blindness, and continue to be an advocate for these children. I look forward to working with these children and helping provide an environment where there are no barriers and much support for learning.