<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> About Me

 

 

 

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General Background
My Disability
Hobbies
Student Activities
Goals
Major Events
Misc. Information

General background

I am an only child who was born on January 3, 1981 in Flint, Michigan. At age 2, my parents got divorced. My father is searching for Ms. Right and my mother has been dating an incredible womyn named Phoenix for years and years now. I have my Bachelors in Social Work from Michigan State University. I am currently working on getting my Masters also from MSU.

my disability

On May 4, 1996, I was in a car accident that left me with a spinal cord injury. The level of the injury was T-5 thru T-7 which means from about mid-chest down, I can't feel or move my body. All of my organs still function (yes I can still have kids) and everything works. The only difference is I can't send messages from my brain to my body or vice versa. I look at my disability as a positive thing. It has become such an important part of who I am today and I am not sure I would change it. I can honestly say it has made me a better person. I remember right after my accident, I set a goal to inspire as many people as possible as well as to educate people on disability issues. I just look back
and laugh at how far I have come. I no longer want to inspire people. I don't want to be a "super crip" that everyone looks at as some role model for "overcoming" my disability. I am a person who lives my life just like everyone else. Just because I play golf and have a disability, doesn't mean jack shit except, well, I play golf. I am so sick of people pitying me and giving me happy meal toys when I order a sandwich or a candy when I write a check for groceries (Yes, Meijer
and Arby's really did this. My fellow people with disabilities, consider yourself warned). STOP LOOKING AT MY DISABILITY AS MY PROMINANT FEATURE!
I am much more than someone with a disability. Ok, I am done blabbing about that cuz I'll probably never shut up.

If you have a disability and plan on attending MSU, I suggest you click here to read about the realities of accessibility on campus.

hobbies

Where do I start. Well, lets see. I love to scrapbook. I have spent the last year and a half taking the millions of pictures I have and doing something with them besides letting them collect dust. I love hockey! Don't even try to talk to me when there is a hockey game on, yet alone the playoffs. My favorite team is the Toronto
Maple Leafs and my second favorite team is the Colorado Avalanche. I like to dream about living happily ever after with Darcy Tucker, even though I know it will never happen. I used to laugh at those who watched reality TV until I became the biggest addict ever! Joe Millionaire, Bachelor, Bachelorette, Celebrity Mole, Real World, Average Joe, Big Brother, you name it, I watch it. I love going to Casino Windsor where playing Let It Ride has made me rich a few times. Well rich for a college kid that is. I am a big fan of hanging out with friends and playing board games, watching movies, or even getting into deep political conversations. Sometimes I think I live for those nights. I love the outdoors, whether it be camping, gardening, laying on the beach, or wandering through the woods, I am game. Just don't expect me to remain calm when the spiders come crawling towards me.

student activities

Student organizations ran my life during my undergraduate time at MSU. I was involved with the MSU Council for Students with Disabilities for a little over two years. An amazing womyn named Kim and I worked exhausting hours to get the organization back up and running. Together, we created an organization
that with the help of other students, accomplished many large strides toward equality for students with disabilities on MSU's campus. My freshman year, I came up with an intervention plan called Accessibility Awareness Week for my community psychology class. I was hoping that I could put that plan into action and sure enough, Accessibility Awareness Week came to life. I was also involved with the MSU Alliance of LBGTA students. I was on committees to include gender identity in the MSU Anti-Discrimination Policy and to extend Domestic Partner Benefits to students. I also attended other student organizations when I had time, such as the Multi Racial Unity Living Experience, Womyn's Council and PRISM. I was also part of the Affirmative R.E.A.C.T.I.O.N. Coalition that is composed of the two chairpersons of the CORES (Council of Racial and Ethnic Students) groups and the COPS (Council of Progressive Students) groups. Together, we composed a list of demands covering issues from all of our organizations including race, gender, sexual orientation, disability and many other issues. We took this list of demands to the president of MSU where most of our demands were met.

goals

I hope to do something with disability policy on a macro level. I thought about how beneficial it would be to start a national organization that enforced the Americans with Disabilities Act. Each state could have an office where buildings were monitored to make sure they comply with the ADA. The office would also serve as an information source for businesses wishing to make their buildings accessible. There would also be contractors and builders employed that would take care of that end. Sounds kinda neat eh? It would be a lot of work, but with some grants, great people, and dedication, I see a nonprofit agency a good possibility. I want to have a baby girl name Makensy Elizabeth, but not for years and years. I would also like to build my own house. How I am going to do that making the little amount a social worker makes, I don't know. It's nice to dream. Maybe I'll win the lottery. Who knows. Although I guess in order for that to happen I should start playing the lottery.

major events in my life

Misc. Information

I want to warn you that some of the following may surprise you. Just be prepared.

 

Website Created By Melinda, 2004

July 20, 2005