My Story
Hi! My name is Grace and I am 23 years old originally from New Hampshire. I was born extremely premature with Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) which caused me to be legally blind. Growing up, I was bullied a lot for my blindness and it was hard for me to make friends. I didn’t feel like I fit in. Fortunately for me, I have amazing parents who let me try and do everything a sighted child did and they taught me to not let my blindness hold me back! They taught me that my blindness is part of who I am and makes me unique but does not define me and my capabilities! All of these things contributed to my ability to get through the difficult times and prevail stronger than ever! I graduated high school as valedictorian in 2016 and went on to University. The university allowed me to spread my wings and become more independent while also showing me the importance of advocating for and believing in myself. There came a point in University where I realized using a cane as my mobility tool was no longer allowing me to be as independent as I wanted. So, I applied for a guide dog! In August 2019, I received my guide dog, Montana, from Guide Dogs for the Blind! Since then, she has given me more independence than I’ve ever had and has quite literally helped me navigate my last 2 years of University! I will be graduating in July 2021 with my bachelor's degree in neuroscience! I plan to work to gain experience in my field before I continue my education. I look forward to seeing how everything I’ve learned in my classes shows up in the clinic, laboratory, and world around me! If I had one piece of advice for anyone with a disability, it would be to never give up on yourself and your dreams! Keep moving forward and don’t let anyone or anything hold you back because you can do anything if you work hard!! You’ve got this!
