Car Donation in Indiana

Amanda, 2003 Dallas Can! Academy graduate, realized after graduation that she’d learned more than she expected. Not only did she learn mathematical equations, English literature and scientific practices, she learned that determination was the key to overcoming obstacles. Amanda enrolled at Dallas Can! Not because she was having difficulty with her schoolwork, but because she liked the flexible schedule and accelerated classes. “I wanted to get on with my life and go to college so I could get the job I want instead of settling for minimum wage,” Amanda said. “I had heard good things about Dallas Can! And decided this was the school for me.” Amanda worked towards her graduation day. She enjoyed the staff and the facilities so much that she recommended the school to her boyfriend, Hector, who attended and graduated in 2002. “When I was sick, she , would call me up to find out what was wrong and how she could help,” Amanda said. “My other schools didn’t care enough to do that. They wouldn’t make time for me.” After graduating, she put her newly learned knowledge to use. She used classroom handouts from a job training skills class that she had kept to help guide her through the interviewing process. Those handouts helped her get her first post-graduation job as an officer with a security company. She worked at the security company during the summer while waiting for the beginning of the fall semester at Mountain View College. Amanda had earned a Rising Star scholarship that would pay for the first semester of school. However, a series of neighborhood incidents hampered her going to college right away. ‘There were some really nasty people in my neighborhood who were going around slashing tires and damaging cars,” she said. “All the tires on my car were slashed the day before I started school. When I explained that to the college, they told me that they couldn’t extend the scholarship. So I have to wait to go back to college.” But she hasn’t given up the dream of furthering her education. Amanda plans on returning to Mountain View College within the next year, paying for it herself, to complete the few credits she needs to transfer to Cedar Valley College. Once there she can finish her training and become a veterinary technician. In the meantime, Amanda was hired on at FOX-4 News as a full-time receptionist due to her determination and positive people skills. “The security company I worked for was a sub-contractor to FOX-4,” she said. “The office manager there liked me so much, he hired me to take over as the receptionist.” Ms. Scott said she will always remember Amanda. “She encouraged me to continue to do what I do by her kind words and how she always told me how much I meant to her and how I touched her life. She was never afraid to let people know how much they helped her and how much she appreciated that support,” said Ms. Scott. “Her kindness was much appreciated.” “When I went on my job interview, I kept reviewing the flyers that I had been given at school that told me what to do in an interview,” she said.

Last Friday at a seafood buffet in Washington D.C. I got a phone call. It was from a publicist for my school, Texans Can! Academy at Carrollton-Farmers Branch. Over the past week, I had been blogging about my experiences at the Stephen Tyrone Johns Summer Youth Leadership Program at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in the nation’s capital. 

She told me that she had read my blogs and wanted me to write an autobiographical article. It was like a dream, I was happy enough having my blogs published on the internet. Now I'm going to have my work published in a real newspaper. Although I may have procrastinated, I believe I do my best work in the clutch. So here is my story. 

Born a healthy seven pounds, six ounces on the morning of September 6, 1991. I came into the world with a loving family, and a wonderful community to help raise me. My parents were both deaf, and as you can imagine, this can make things difficult when it comes to communication. Luckily, I learned sign language at a young age. When I was only seven or eight months old, I learned some simple signs from my parents and grandparents. I can’t imagine how exciting it must have been for my parents to communicate with their hearing child. 

As I grew older, my knowledge of sign language gained momentum and grew like a snowball tumbling down a powdery, snow-blanketed hill. I was a bright child, and drank in knowledge like a dry sponge. Even though I knew sign language, there were still communication issues. My hard-of-hearing mother could speak, but had a speech impediment. When you cannot hear your own voice clearly, it’s hard to correct your speech. My favorite anecdote illustrating this happened when I was 4. I remember my mother was cleaning my ears. When I asked what was in them she replied “earwax.” Because of my mother's speech impediment I heard her say “ear rats.” From then until I was six I believed that there were rats in my ears. 

Reading and spelling came easy to me, so if there was a word in ASL I didn't know, I could always spell it out. This helped me a lot in school. I was proud of my ability to spell and write, but school often bored me. I did well on tests, projects, and other assessments, but rarely turned in homework. People always told me that I was smart, but needed to apply myself more. Doubting my own intelligence, I thought that’s what they told everyone. I still loved reading, writing, and learning, just not school. 

I learned a lot about life and the world from my parents and would never trade them or their disability for anything. I have them to thank for my concern for others and my ability to empathize. They are very caring individuals who would do anything to ensure the well being of those around them. I inherited this skill from mom and dad, and it is part of the reason I can convey and understand others’ emotions so naturally. I am fond of telling people that sign language is body language’s most extreme and thorough manifestation. To communicate what the hearing can with tone and pitch, the deaf communicate so much more emotion in their facial expressions and movements. 

Because of their lack of hearing, they have to be so much more attentive to non-verbal cues than the hearing , and growing up in that kind of environment allowed me to more readily be able to pick up on those things. Growing up, religion was a big part of my life. As a child, I served as an altar boy and sang in the choir. Although I liked being a part of the church, and the praises I got from my family and church community, I think it was too much responsibility at a young age. I remember how easily I could be distracted during choir practice. My eyes would drift from the sheet music as I thought about how much fun I could have had I skipped practice that day. I stopped going to choir practice, and eventually church altogether. This is when I entered the somewhat rebellious stage most do. I started hanging out with the wrong crowd, smoking cigarettes, and skipping school. This only got worse when my parents separated. As in many situations where a parent leaves, I could not help but blame myself. Between my brother and me, I took mom and dad’s separation the hardest. I started smoking pot and drinking, probably to cope with my mother’s departure. This in turn had a more dramatic effect on my school attendance. I normally passed most of my classes, but because of my poor attendance my high school career was badly derailed; I only had two credits earned with twelve weeks left in the last semester of my sophomore year. I would have dropped out, but thanks to my counselor at Thomas Jefferson High School, I was given a second chance. 

She told me that I could either go through truancy court again, or go to a charter school in Farmers Branch called Texans Can! Academy. Realizing this was my best option, and only chance to graduate on time, I jumped on the opportunity and straightened up my act. My attendance improved greatly and despite a few bumps along the way I am now officially a senior. I should be graduating in the next year and I'm ready to start college soon. I have not found the right university for me yet, but I do know that I want to become a deaf education teacher. Jesse Jackson said once, “The problem is not that the students cannot hear, the problem is that the teachers do not listen.” I feel like Reverend Jackson was speaking directly to me; demanding I become a teacher to help shape young minds, especially those of the deaf. I have the advantage of being a hearing person in possession of a special understanding and deep relationship with the deaf community cultivated in my upbringing. I can relate and communicate with students, and have the caring attitude it takes to empathize with them. I have learned so much from the deaf community and the only thing I would like more than to give back to that community is to teach it's most important lessons and skills to the hearing. Teaching has always been that option that sat patiently in the back of my mind, a plan-B where I knew I could succeed but not necessarily what I wanted in a career. I have only recently discovered it as my true vocation. I have always enjoyed educating others and felt I was very informative. I have also had many inspiring teachers over the years. Foremost among them is my current History and Journalism teacher, Mr. Aubrey Leveridge. I have only known Mr. Leveridge for a year; 2009-2010 was his first year teaching and even though this is only his second year as a teacher at Texans Can!, I have adopted him as my official role model. I can only hope that I can become half the teacher he is. 

Teaching is more than my calling, it is also my familiy’s legacy. My grandmother taught science, and my aunt teaches special education. I come from a long line of educators. A gift has been given to me in my ability to sign and understand the deaf. Manifested in my heart is a great concern for others and I have seen firsthand the mistreatment of deaf people; ranging from staring and poor service in stores and restaurants to great difficulty finding work. I have had a terribly difficult time finding a job this summer probably because of the economy and am very well aware how difficult it is for my father. I remember reluctantly tagging along on job interviews with him because there was no interpreter. He has been out of work for some time now, and I hope he can find the right job. For the most part, the treatment of those with hearing disabilities has been sub-par from my perspective. It is my goal to change that, if only for a few people. My recent trip to and participation in the Steven Tyrone Johns Summer Youth Leadership Prgram at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in D.C. has inspired me to found a deaf awareness group. I plan to teach my peers sign language and the progression and treatment of deaf people throughout history. Also, there will be events where hearing and deaf students can come together and just have some good old fashioned fun like when my parents would take me to the deaf chat at Starbucks every Saturday. This is where I got the idea for the awareness group. 

I often reminisce about attending and fondly remember the fascinating stories I heard. Watching a deaf person tell a story is a very engaging experience. You can almost feel the same emotions they did at the time. I want to show others the attentive and caring nature of the deaf community. Hopefully through education and sympathy, I can make a difference for deaf people. I have many aspirations for the future including starting a deaf friendly non-profit organization that will offer employment opportunities and aid for the deaf and the hearing alike. I want to make a contribution to society in the best way possible, and that is through action. In the community of Holocaust museums and historians, this is called being an “upstander” instead of a bystander. In order to make a change, you must actively pursue life and never stop until you achieve your goals. 

I have been through a lot over the years. I was evicted from my childhood home, and again from my first apartment. My parents split up, and my mom moved away, but I never let those things get me down. I have been inspired by my own hardships, and the tribulations of those around me to better myself and set the stage for a bright future. I just hope that my story will communicate this inspiration to others. It is the nature of man to struggle, and without it we are nothing. There would be no life lessons or morality, and the world would be a boring place. I have lived my life to the best of my ability, and I have no regrets. I may be young, but I have learned a lot about life through experiences. I always try to remember Otto von Bismarck’s admonition, saying fools learn from their own experience while wise men learn from the experience of others.I want to live this adage as an example to people in a manner suggesting they learn from my mistakes and build on my successes. 

Despite my shortcomings and setbacks and because of the man they have made me, you are reading my words, but they could be someone else’s. I am not the only young person to have suffered in life and then grown from it; I am not the only young person with a voice; and I am especially not the first young person to want to change the world, yet here are my words. For those of you who have not suffered and grown, for those of you who have not found your voice, and for those of you who have never wanted to change the world; you will. You will suffer and you will grow; your voice is there, but you have to hear it before anyone else can; and when you are ready to change the world, let me know because I will help you if you help me. 

For those of you who have done all these things already, remember what it was like to be me and help me help you. In closing, I would like to thank my family, my teachers, my community, and anyone who helped raise me along the way. For they are my guides and I the true maker of my destiny. They inspire me to better myself, and I want to make them proud.

She was bullied and sexually harassed. She wanted to tell someone, but was too ashamed. So she often considered suicide as her only solution.

“Middle school was very tough for me. I was bullied by other students. Girls and boys. I was the constant victim of sexual harassment. I tried to talk to my mom about it, but she wouldn’t listen. I needed help and she was just in another world.”

Tania needed someone to save her, but felt like a burden to her own mother.

“Sometimes I thought about how much better off my mom would be without me. I even considered taking my own life.”

“At that time it was hard to find someone who really cared about me. My teachers at my old school didn’t care if I succeeded or not. I was afraid to attend the high school in my neighborhood. I didn’t know if I’d be bullied even more by students who were so much bigger than me.”

“So I asked my mom if I could go to Texans Can Academies and I was really surprised when I got there. I found teachers who really cared about me.”

“I talk to my advisor almost every day and my history teacher, Mr. Vasquez, he inspires me to do more and be positive in life.”

“I’ve even participated in the Latinas in Progress program. I’ve received commended on two of my STAR tests - algebra and biology.”

“All of my experiences have helped shape me and I’m still learning. Since coming to Texans Can I care more about my grades, I socialize with people who have potential and goals. I’m more open to ideas and I’m just more mature.”

“Thanks to Texans Can I’m on my way to earning my high school diploma. In just a few months, I’ll be the first person in my family to graduate high school.”

“After that, my goal is to become a doctor by attending Texas A&M University or the University of North Texas. My advisor is even helping me look for scholarships. I want to be a doctor because of my experiences and because I want to help people. I want to save lives.”

“I know it won’t be easy, but with Texans Can Academies behind me I know I can do it. Maybe one day when I become a doctor, I can help people like Texans Can.”

Paola grew up in a traditional home. Both of her parents supported her ambitions, and she was the perfect daughter - until she started to surround herself with the wrong crowd.

Paola began to rebel. Skipping school became the norm.

“I just didn’t care anymore. I stopped going to school; I basically dropped out,” Paola said. “I was so used to skipping class, I didn’t care who found out or what my family would think.”

Her mother was devastated when she found out Paola had been skipping school. She tried to convince Paola that education was the only way to have a prosperous future, but Paola refused to listen.

Everyday, Paola’s mom would shield her husband from reality. She knew he could not bear the truth about his daughter’s downfall.

“My dad never knew I was skipping school. It was only my mom. One day she couldn’t take it anymore. She finally told him.”

It was difficult to shatter her husband’s reality, but after realizing Paola was out of control, she finally built the courage to tell her husband the truth.

“She called my dad while he was working, and he had a heart attack. It hurt. It was the worst thing in my life. I hate that I had to learn the hard way, while my dad is the one who suffered.”

“That’s what changed me,” she said. “It took such a drastic event in order for me to change. I realized I went too far. I couldn’t let my family down anymore.”

“I couldn’t lose my dad,” she said.

“After that, I wanted to get my life straightened out. My mom didn’t want me to give up on school, but I couldn’t go back to my old school because I didn’t have enough credits,” Paola explained. “So I went to a private school, and it didn’t work out either. That’s when I heard about Texans Can.”

Paola could tell the school was very different than the others she’d tried.

“When I started going here, I realized how much discipline I needed,” she said. “The second I got here, I felt the love from the school. Every advisor and teacher have been nothing but helpful.”

“At a traditional high school they just give you a packet. At Texans Can it’s not like that. They’re interactive at every step. They never just sit in the back and act like they don’t care.”

“I always say if I knew about Texans Can since the beginning I would’ve started here my freshman year. This is a unique school, everything about it is special.”

Texans Can’s college-readiness program has even inspired her to pursue more than a high school diploma.

“I want to go to the army and be a nurse on base, so I can help people,” she said. “I’ve heard many people say Texans Can is for kids who don’t have anything to do. People talk down on the school, but it’s not like that at all.”

“This school is amazing. Iit changed my life. If I had not come here, I don’t know where I’d be. Probably still in the same hole, never able to get out,” she said. “Now I can make my family proud and prove to my dad I have changed for the better. I never want to hurt him again.”

At the age of 12, Kim’s mother loaded the family car with a few belongings and her four children leaving McAllen, TX and a failed marriage to the past.

Though her mother held two jobs to make ends meet, the family squeezed into a one bedroom apartment in East Austin. “We didn’t have a bed. We had one pull-out couch, and I would rather have my brothers and my mom sleep on it than me. She worked so much,” Kim remarks.

“You wish you could do so much more to help the people you love, but I wasn’t old enough. I really wasn’t old enough – I was 14. I was still a kid, but I never really felt like a kid because I always had such a heavy weight to carry.” Kim’s love for her brothers can be compared to that of a mother’s love. Ray, a younger brother, was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of three. Ray’s treatments required the family to stay in the Ronald McDonald House for extended periods of time. Ray has since entered remission and undergone more treatment, but this hardship changed Kim’s personal understanding of her role in supporting the family and sparked her interest in pursuing the medical field.

Ultimately, the burden of caring for her brothers affected her attendance and led to her dismissal from her local high school. Austin Can Academy was not a part of the plan Kim set for herself. Principal Oakes remembers, “She had a hard time adjusting in the beginning. It was obvious she didn’t want to be here, but it only took that first day for her to realize that we were here to support her. After that day, it clicked. She was unstoppable.”

“Austin Can teachers taught you more than you needed to know. When I asked a questions they offered answers that lead me to more thoughtful questions. Austin Can makes you feel like family. You don’t feel, how do you say it in English? I want to say ‘No estorbes,’ like you’re not a bother. If I didn’t make it to school on time, I got text messages and phone calls. When your parents can’t be there to push you, the advisors are there to keep you on track. My mom didn’t talk to me about college – Austin Can did that.”

Graduation was so close Kim could feel it. She came rested and ready for her state exams, and then the worst happened – she didn’t finish her English exam within the five hour time limit. Six weeks later, the news that she failed her English STAAR exam hit her hard but she was positive. “Not passing the STAAR test wasn’t the same rejection I felt from other times in my life. I had support around me telling me that I needed to study a little harder. You can’t lose hope with that kind of support,” remarks Kim.

While continuing to study for her state exams, Kim completed her Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training and certification at Austin Can. “The Certified Nursing Assistant program allowed me to start working above minimum wage. This certification isn’t the end all, it is the first step into the medical field. Now, I’m working on my Medical Aid Certificate. I’m making a decent amount, and I can continue my classes without having to pick up extra shifts. I’ve been helping the other CNA students get jobs – one of the girls has a house now. Nursing opens so many doors. I enjoy what I do. I want to make a difference in someone’s life.”

Kim has since graduated from Austin Can and continues the effort to surround herself with positive, driven and empowering people. “When you hang around with people who are not on an upward path, you’re not going to change. When you decide to make a change, you have to make the choice about who you spend your time with. Even if it is family or friends, if they don’t get it – you have to remove yourself.”

“The students – we don’t have a lot, we’re not lucky like others. The support people give to the school takes a weight off of our shoulders. It’s a chance for us to become something or somebody. There are people my age who have two jobs. When I tell people about my high school experience, they wish they would have known about Austin Can. The Can doesn’t let you walk out with your diploma, they’re going to help you create those first steps.”

“Honestly, I’ve never felt so stable and happy. Austin Can gave me a confidence to make it through the tough times. In times that I felt like giving up because of the obstacles in my life, Austin Can changed my way of thinking and acting in hard situations. You take what you’ve been through and you take what you’ve seen and you use that to make an impact. I may not be the one to break the chain, but I at least want to be the one to weaken it. I tell my brothers, they can do this – they can make it.”

Kim currently works as a CNA while continuing her coursework to be a Medical Aid. She plans to pursue a degree in nursing and work with children with chronic disease. “Where do I see myself in five years? It’s not so much where I see myself, with an RN degree you can do so much. How I want to feel in five years – I want to be happy. I want to love what I do and want to move forward in that. I just want to be happy really.”