Queens On A Roll

Episode 5: School Experiences Through Our Eyes

May 17, 2022 Latavia & Various Guests Season 1 Episode 5
Queens On A Roll
Episode 5: School Experiences Through Our Eyes
Show Notes Transcript

In this episode my very best friend, Luis and I discuss what school is like when you are ably different and we share our experiences. So Come Roll with Us!!!!! 

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(Instrumental Music & Singing) Queensss On A Roll

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(Instrumental Music & Singing) Yeahh Heyyy Queens On A Roll

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(Instrumental Music & Singing) Ooooo who Queens On A Roll

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(Instrumental Music & Singing) Powerful Queens On A Roll

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(Instrumental Music & Singing) Queensssss

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(Instrumental Music & Singing) Oooo who Queensss

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(Instrumental Music, Singing & Bell Chiming) Powerful Queens

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Hey everyone and welcome back to

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Queens On A Roll podcast.

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This is Latavia here, and we have

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a special surprise for you guys today.

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I have a King on.

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And he's my very best friend, Luis. Hey, Luis.

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What's up?

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Hey, how's it going, Latavia?

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It's going good. It's going good!

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So since this is your first time on the

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podcast, let everyone know a little bit about yourself.

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So, yes, my name is Luis.

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I live in the Bronx, born and raised.

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I go to College.

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I have one more class to get my

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bachelor's, and I work in a high school.

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That is awesome.

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We are out here doing our thing.

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I love it.

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So today I brought you on because I

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wanted to talk about what it was like

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being ably different going to school. You ready?

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I'm ready.

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All right, let's roll.

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(Instrumental Music)

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So, Luis what was elementary school like?

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Elementary school was fine for me.

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I have cerebral palsy, spastic quadriplegia, which

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affects all four of my limbs.

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And I'm pretty much tight all the time.

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So unlike Latavia, I do take medication

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that helps relieve some of the tightness.

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So elementary school was fine from what I remember.

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Well, that's interesting, Luis, because I hated

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the medicine to make your muscles loose.

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I feel like I can't function.

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I mentioned that before, and my

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elementary school experience was okay.

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I would say it had its ups and downs because

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whenever I started school, I was always a pioneer.

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So I was always the first

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one to go through the program.

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And I did general education, but I was under

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the umbrella of special education, so they would give

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me the special education services I needed.

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But I was still in a general education classroom.

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Keep in mind, this was back in the 90s and 2000s guys.

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So things have changed a lot

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now, but elementary school was okay.

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It had its ups and downs as my mom alluded to

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In the last episode, she talked

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about my first day of kindergarten.

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So I'm going to give my perspective on it.

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So we were rolling into this big auditorium

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with all these people in there and the

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teacher yelling down, saying, special Ed is downstairs.

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I heard whispers and parents saying is that girl

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going to be in my son's class?

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Is that girl going to be in my daughter's class?

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And I was like, mom, they don't want me here.

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So mom was like, that's okay, this is where

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you belong and this is where you're gonna

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stay and everything will be all right.

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So I remember when I started

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the kindergarten class, it was interesting. You know

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At first, the kids were standoffish, which I

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can understand why children would be standoffish.

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They've never seen anybody that's different.

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And then the teachers were a little apprehensive because I

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guess they didn't really know how to teach me.

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So that was interesting.

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But eventually when they begin to see that

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I was intelligent, just like everyone else in

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the class, and I actually was doing better

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than the other students in the class.

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I became like the little teacher helper, and

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I would help the students in the class.

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So that made the parents feel a lot

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more comfortable with me being in there.

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So that's wild.

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Our school memories are kind of different.

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I don't remember students or

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parents looking at me different.

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I knew I was different because I was the

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only one in the wheelchair, but the teachers used

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to help me transfer to the mat and everything.

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And this is first and second grade, but

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yeah, they were really nice to me.

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The reason I think I went to a different school in

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third grade was because someone told my mom about it and

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she felt that it would be more inclusive and I will

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feel more like at home, if you will.

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From third grade to high school, I stayed in

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that school, and it was mostly a good experience. Yeah.

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I would say I had some more bumps in elementary school.

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I remember I had this one Para.

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I told her I wanted to be a doctor.

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And she literally told me, you can't be

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a doctor because you're in a wheelchair.

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So I came home.

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I remember coming home and I was like,

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mom, my para told me I can't be

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a doctor because I'm in a wheelchair.

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And my mom was like, don't you let anybody

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tell you what you can and cannot be.

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You could be a doctor if you wanted.

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I'm going to have to call that school.

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I would say middle school was

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when school became hell, honestly.

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(Instrumental Music)

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So why was it hell in middle school?

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It was hell because I got bullied on all fronts.

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So the kids in class would bully me,

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and then the adults were very mean to me.

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I remember my whole 6th and 7th grade years.

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The kids in the classroom couldn't stand me.

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And I didn't really understand why initially, but what

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I found out later was there was these two

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cute boys, like the popular boys in school.

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And instead of, liking the girls in the class

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that would throw themselves at them, they liked me.

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And so I became a target.

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The girls wanted to push me down the stairs.

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They became haters, big, big, haters, big, big, haters.

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But I don't think that was, like the worst of

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it for me because kids are going to be kids.

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So that's generally what happens.

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It was mostly the adults.

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Teachers would say, I don't know how to teach you.

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My paras would want to put their names on my papers.

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My mom gave that story in the last episode,

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too, because they felt like because they were

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writing for me, they did the work.

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I didn't do the work.

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Even though I would tell them what I needed them to

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do, they just felt like, oh, you're not doing the work.

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I'm doing the work.

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So I get to put my name on the paper.

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I can't believe they tried to

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take credit for your work? Yeah.

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I don't think it was so much taking credit for

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the work as much as they just felt it was

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too much for them to try to educate me in

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general ED, because I needed a lot of supportive services.

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So I needed a special chair to sit

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in when I was in the classroom.

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So I needed to be transferred in and out of the chair.

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I needed a scribe, which is a person to write for me.

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I needed mask and markers, which is just basically in

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order for me to do math, I needed things

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highlighted in different colors so I could see.

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So I just basically needed a lot of support.

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I needed extra time on test.

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I needed frequent breaks.

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And they wouldn't provide any of these services.

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They did, but they just felt like I would

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have been better supported if I was in special

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education, because in special education, that's where you're supposed

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to get all the services or according to them.

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So it was like, oh, we don't provide this in general ED.

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And if she needs all of that,

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then she needs to go to special ED

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But my mom was like, no, her intellect is

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fine, so she belongs in a regular classroom.

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You just need to give her the

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services that she needs to be successful.

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There's nothing wrong with that.

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So, yeah, middle school was hell.

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I remember having an occupational therapist that would always equate

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me having CP to her mom having a stroke.

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And that's how she wanted to treat me,

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as if I was a stroke patient.

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And I kept trying to tell her

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like, it's completely two different things.

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It was just a lot going on.

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I remember I also had asthma, too.

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So I remember when I needed to go to

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the nurse because I was having an asthma attack.

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My para thought I was faking and

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she wouldn't take me to the nurse.

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So I had to roll myself because at

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this time, I didn't have a power chair.

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I had a manual chair.

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I had to roll myself to the

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nurse's office because she wouldn't take me.

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It was just a lot

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(Instrumental Music)

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(Story time sound effect)

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I remember one day I was sitting in class,

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everybody was getting ready to settle down, come in.

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And my para was like, Take

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off your jacket by yourself. What? Yeah.

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And I was like, oh, you know, I need help.

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And she was like, I don't care.

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The occupational therapist said, you need to know

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how to do this on your own.

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So take off your jacket.

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And at this time, all the students were coming

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in, and this was when they were really making

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fun of me and really didn't like me.

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So she made me struggle to take off my coat.

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And when I say struggle, I mean

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struggle to take off my coat.

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And all the kids made fun of me.

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I bet they were doing what a lot of kids do

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when with people in wheelchair, they stare a lot stare.

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And they were just laughing like, oh, ha

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ha, you can't take off your own coat.

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And it was embarrassing, I think, from

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That day forth, I didn't want to go back to school,

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so I started telling my mom, like, oh, I'm sick.

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I don't really want to go to school.

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I don't feel well.

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And of course, everyone knows my mom.

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And if you don't know now, she knew I was faking.

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So she was like, oh, no, this school

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is not going to kill my daughter's spirit.

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To learn, she has to come up out of here.

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But that story was just a

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straw that broke the camel's back.

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Because even during that time, when I came into

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that school, I was reading above my grade level.

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I was reading on a 7th grade level

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in the 6th grade at the time.

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So they began to tell her, oh,

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she's doing below grade level work.

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She can't hack the work now, mind you, like

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I said before, I was a nerd in school,

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so my mom really didn't believe it.

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So that incident was only the

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straw that broke the camel's back.

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And what she did after that

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was asked for an impartial hearing.

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And what exactly is an impartial hearing?

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An impartial hearing.

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It's like an annual review for a progress report.

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If people don't know what that is, it's basically

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when everybody meets for the individualized education plan and

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they tell their parents and the service providers

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for the child, they come together and they say

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whether they're making progress or not and what are

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the new goals for their new IEP?

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So that's basically how an impartial hearing

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goes, where everybody comes together and they

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reconvene and talk about the IEP.

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But what they didn't know is that my mom

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had called the state representative to come in, and

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this state representative had been following me since kindergarten.

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So she came in the meeting and

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she was like, you know what?

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Enough is enough.

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Latavia has been going through a lot since kindergarten.

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Where do you want to put her, Ms. Mcmillan?

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And my mom said she needs

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to go to Henry Viscardi school.

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So that is where I ended up in

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the middle of 7th grade at Henry Viscardi

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(Stair climbing sound)

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So that is where Luis and I actually meant.

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(It's fun fact time sound effect)

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And the fun fact is that initially,

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Luis and I didn't like each other.

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But keep in mind, we were middle schoolers,

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so we rode on the same bus together.

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And Luis always liked to sleep

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while I was a Chatty Cathy.

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I always like to talk on the bus ride home.

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So I didn't like him because I felt he was rude, because the

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way he would tell me to be quiet is to shut up.

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And he felt that I was too much of a Chatty Cathy.

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But you know what's funny is, look at us now.

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We are like the best of friends.

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And I couldn't ask for a better friend.

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(Instrumental Music)

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So Luis, how was your experience at HVS?

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HVS became, well, eventually became

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a home away from home.

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Why do you say eventually?

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Because, well, starting out there in third grade, academically,

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I was doing fine, but socially I was just

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really shy of getting to know everybody so I

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didn't know what a bus room was.

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I thought that was actually the

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room that they called the bathroom.

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I remember one day I asked if I could go to

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the bus room because I needed to use the bathroom.

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But they looked at me confused.

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(Laughing sound)

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It was just a very socially awkward time.

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I eventually made friends and I actually enjoyed getting up

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early in the morning to actually go to school.

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I can't say the same about when I was in public school.

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Yeah, I actually feel the same way.

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I actually feel the same way.

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Going to HVS was like a breath of fresh air

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for me because I got to actually do different things

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and actually get to go on trips because when I

(15:06.3 - 15:08.4)

was in middle school I couldn't go on trips.

(15:08.5 - 15:11.5)

They would always say they didn't have any busing and I

(15:11.5 - 15:14.8)

couldn't get to where I needed to go because of that.

(15:14.9 - 15:17.4)

And the kids would make fun of me in my class.

(15:17.5 - 15:20.2)

So what my mom would have to do is she would have

(15:20.2 - 15:22.3)

to make sure I went on a better trip than them.

(15:22.3 - 15:24.8)

I would have to go to Florida or something.

(15:24.9 - 15:26.9)

So that when they told me the next day

(15:26.9 - 15:28.7)

in school that they went to Six Flags, I

(15:28.7 - 15:31.0)

could say, oh, well, I went to Florida.

(15:31.1 - 15:32.3)

We had a good time over

(15:32.4 - 15:34.2)

the weekend and things like that.

(15:34.4 - 15:37.5)

So going to HVS was actually a breath

(15:37.6 - 15:40.6)

of fresh air because I finally got to have

(15:40.7 - 15:43.4)

like a really authentic school experience.

(15:43.9 - 15:46.6)

So I really enjoyed that and loved that.

(15:46.6 - 15:51.2)

We got to go to prom, we got to do senior trip.

(15:51.4 - 15:53.7)

We got to do many different trips throughout the year.

(15:53.8 - 15:56.1)

So it was great and I just felt like

(15:56.2 - 15:58.7)

I was finally in a place where I belong.

(15:58.8 - 16:02.9)

Yeah, there was a lot of other programs like Friday

(16:03.0 - 16:05.9)

Night rec where we would stay late in the school.

(16:06.8 - 16:09.4)

On Fridays there will be basketball,

(16:09.8 - 16:12.4)

you go play with computers.

(16:13.0 - 16:15.4)

They also have the Independence Living House, which is

(16:15.5 - 16:18.6)

pretty cool, where you learn how to live independently.

(16:19.6 - 16:22.2)

Yeah, I love all that different stuff.

(16:22.6 - 16:24.9)

It was a really great experience.

(16:25.4 - 16:28.4)

(Beat sound)

(16:29.3 - 16:32.6)

So now we're transitioning into College.

(16:32.7 - 16:35.6)

College was a nightmare for me, but

(16:35.7 - 16:38.3)

how was it for you, Luis? It was different.

(16:38.3 - 16:39.5)

I wasn't used to going to

(16:39.6 - 16:41.6)

different buildings for each class.

(16:41.7 - 16:43.4)

I can't say it was horrible.

(16:43.5 - 16:46.1)

I mean, they accommodated me so I

(16:46.1 - 16:47.7)

didn't really have a negative experience.

(16:48.6 - 16:51.8)

The late classes were a struggle for me, so I

(16:51.9 - 16:54.7)

only had one late class and I had to drop

(16:54.7 - 16:57.8)

it quickly because I also used access a ride and my class

(16:57.8 - 17:01.8)

would end at 10:00 and access a ride would come around 1130.

(17:02.1 - 17:04.2)

So that was horrible for me.

(17:04.2 - 17:06.5)

Wait, so you mean you had stress a ride because,

(17:06.6 - 17:09.1)

you know, access a ride never comes on time for anything.

(17:09.2 - 17:10.6)

Yes, stress a ride.

(17:10.8 - 17:14.6)

I'm so glad that I barely even use them anymore.

(17:14.8 - 17:15.7)

That's a good thing.

(17:15.7 - 17:16.7)

That's a good thing.

(17:16.8 - 17:20.2)

Well, my College experience was a nightmare, but I do

(17:20.2 - 17:25.1)

know that for some people in HVS that stayed there

(17:25.2 - 17:28.2)

for a long time from, like, third to 12th grade

(17:28.3 - 17:31.2)

felt some anxiety about going to College. Did you?

(17:32.0 - 17:35.5)

I don't think I had anxiety because right after

(17:36.0 - 17:38.7)

I graduated high school, I actually had a surgery.

(17:38.9 - 17:42.0)

So I started College a little later.

(17:42.2 - 17:45.4)

But when I did start, I was excited.

(17:45.5 - 17:48.4)

I want to start my journey in

(17:48.4 - 17:51.1)

College and see where I went.

(17:51.2 - 17:53.3)

I had no idea what exactly I wanted to do,

(17:53.3 - 17:57.3)

but, yeah, I just was excited to get started.

(17:58.4 - 18:00.6)

So, yeah, that's interesting because I

(18:00.6 - 18:02.1)

was talking to my friend Lauren.

(18:02.2 - 18:03.3)

Hey, Lauren.

(18:03.5 - 18:05.0)

And she was telling me that she

(18:05.1 - 18:07.8)

went into HVS in the third grade.

(18:07.9 - 18:12.0)

Before that, she was in public school, and she stayed

(18:12.0 - 18:15.0)

in HVS from all the way to 12th grade.

(18:15.1 - 18:17.1)

So when it was time for her to transition

(18:17.2 - 18:20.4)

into College, she felt a little bit of anxiety

(18:20.4 - 18:24.5)

because when going to HVS, you have that one

(18:24.5 - 18:28.2)

on one attention and individual academics.

(18:28.3 - 18:31.1)

So when she got to College, you no longer have that.

(18:31.2 - 18:32.9)

You kind of have to fend for yourself.

(18:33.2 - 18:36.1)

So she was a little bit nervous, and

(18:36.7 - 18:39.7)

she struggled the first year academically because she

(18:39.7 - 18:42.8)

didn't have that one on one individual attention.

(18:43.0 - 18:45.7)

But after the first year, she got

(18:45.7 - 18:47.3)

used to it, and it was easier.

(18:47.3 - 18:49.7)

So it is a bit of a juggle.

(18:49.9 - 18:51.2)

So it's pretty interesting.

(18:51.3 - 18:54.9)

I never felt like I struggled in College in that

(18:55.0 - 18:59.5)

aspect because I will say being in general Ed and

(18:59.6 - 19:02.8)

then transitioning to HVS, it was kind of easy for

(19:02.8 - 19:06.4)

me because I assimilated in both areas. Right.

(19:06.4 - 19:08.1)

So I was with able body people, and

(19:08.1 - 19:09.9)

then I was with ably different people.

(19:10.0 - 19:13.0)

So I never felt like an outcast or different

(19:13.3 - 19:16.6)

because I was able to co-mingle with both groups.

(19:16.7 - 19:19.4)

So it never felt different to me or I

(19:19.4 - 19:22.1)

never had anxiety about College in that way.

(19:22.2 - 19:24.2)

I think my anxiety came from

(19:24.4 - 19:26.0)

just, like, what everybody feels, right.

(19:26.1 - 19:27.9)

We're so used to going to school, getting

(19:28.0 - 19:31.9)

that help, and now College, you're independent and

(19:32.0 - 19:33.4)

got to do everything on your own.

(19:33.5 - 19:36.8)

So that was my anxiety. Yeah.

(19:37.0 - 19:38.4)

I will admit now that you

(19:38.4 - 19:44.6)

say that independence was definitely new.

(19:45.0 - 19:47.7)

I was not used to taking notes while the

(19:47.7 - 19:51.0)

teacher was, well, professor while they were teaching.

(19:51.0 - 19:54.4)

And I don't know, when I started, I would

(19:54.4 - 19:57.0)

pretty much lose them because they will keep lecturing.

(19:57.4 - 20:00.5)

And I'd be, like, still starting my notes.

(20:00.6 - 20:04.3)

So eventually I had to adapt and start

(20:04.3 - 20:08.2)

recording every lecture, and that helped me.

(20:08.2 - 20:10.5)

So that part was a struggle.

(20:10.6 - 20:15.7)

See, that's where we're different, because in College I went

(20:15.7 - 20:18.5)

into it and College is a little bit different because

(20:18.6 - 20:20.6)

when you go in there, they want to see your

(20:20.6 - 20:23.9)

IEP, so they want to see that individualized education plan

(20:24.0 - 20:27.2)

to see what services you got, but they don't have

(20:27.2 - 20:28.8)

to give you those services.

(20:29.0 - 20:31.9)

So once again, when I started College,

(20:32.0 - 20:34.1)

this word pioneer just keeps coming up.

(20:34.2 - 20:36.2)

But when I started College, my undergrad

(20:36.2 - 20:38.8)

year, I was also a pioneer there.

(20:39.0 - 20:41.3)

So at first they didn't really

(20:41.3 - 20:42.4)

want to give me the services.

(20:42.5 - 20:44.4)

And that's why I say this College

(20:44.4 - 20:46.3)

was like an experience from hell.

(20:46.4 - 20:48.4)

They didn't want to give me the services, and I

(20:48.4 - 20:51.0)

had to fight for those services because they were like,

(20:51.1 - 20:53.1)

well, you don't look like you need them.

(20:53.2 - 20:55.3)

So I think you could manage in the class without them.

(20:55.4 - 20:58.7)

And I'm like, I need these services to be successful.

(20:58.8 - 21:01.3)

So I had a scribe, I had a note taker.

(21:01.3 - 21:03.1)

I had extra time on test, but

(21:03.1 - 21:04.5)

it wasn't easy to get that.

(21:04.5 - 21:07.6)

I think they really need to change the laws

(21:07.6 - 21:11.3)

and possibly mandate that we get those services because

(21:11.4 - 21:14.0)

they were very useful to me throughout school.

(21:14.2 - 21:18.2)

So I didn't have anxiety about note taking because

(21:18.3 - 21:20.1)

I would turn on my recorder and then I

(21:20.1 - 21:22.6)

would get note takers for the class.

(21:22.8 - 21:24.6)

But why didn't you use those services?

(21:24.7 - 21:27.2)

Because I know initially you had them,

(21:27.6 - 21:29.7)

so I did have those services.

(21:30.0 - 21:32.4)

I just didn't feel like I had to use them.

(21:32.5 - 21:36.3)

I didn't even use my extra time during exams.

(21:36.3 - 21:38.6)

I actually started using the extra

(21:38.7 - 21:40.8)

time during exams when COVID started.

(21:40.9 - 21:46.3)

But in class, I didn't feel like I needed them.

(21:46.4 - 21:49.8)

I used the extra time once for an exam because

(21:49.9 - 21:51.6)

I figured it was going to be a long exam.

(21:51.8 - 21:53.2)

I had double time.

(21:53.4 - 21:56.4)

I don't know why, I just never used it.

(21:56.5 - 21:58.6)

Yeah, I used it all the time.

(21:59.2 - 22:01.7)

It had got to a point where I also felt

(22:01.7 - 22:04.4)

like if I didn't use it because they didn't have

(22:04.4 - 22:07.7)

to give it to me, I wouldn't get the services.

(22:07.8 - 22:10.0)

So I used it to the best of my ability

(22:10.1 - 22:12.9)

because I did have this one professor that said, oh,

(22:13.0 - 22:16.2)

well, sometimes you finish my test before everyone else.

(22:16.3 - 22:17.5)

I don't think you need it anymore.

(22:17.5 - 22:18.8)

So I'm not going to give it to you.

(22:18.9 - 22:21.4)

So because it could easily be taken away from

(22:21.4 - 22:23.0)

you and you had to fight for it.

(22:23.1 - 22:26.4)

I just always used it. Yeah.

(22:26.5 - 22:27.9)

So they could say, like, if you don't

(22:28.0 - 22:29.5)

use it, then you don't need it. Yeah

(22:30.1 - 22:31.1)

Yeah, that makes sense.

(22:31.2 - 22:33.8)

But you can't determine for me what

(22:33.8 - 22:35.3)

I'm gonna to need or not need.

(22:35.4 - 22:38.8)

So it was just a whole advocating experience once

(22:38.8 - 22:41.5)

again, but a whole different level, because now I

(22:41.5 - 22:45.2)

had to advocate for myself by myself.

(22:45.4 - 22:47.1)

Like, mom was still there to guide me,

(22:47.2 - 22:49.0)

but she couldn't speak up for me anymore.

(22:49.0 - 22:50.4)

I had to speak up for myself.

(22:50.8 - 22:53.7)

So undergrad was interesting because once again, I was

(22:53.7 - 22:59.3)

a pioneer, and graduate school was very interesting.

(22:59.5 - 23:01.5)

Why was graduate school interesting?

(23:01.7 - 23:06.3)

Graduate school was interesting because I was a pioneer

(23:06.4 - 23:09.6)

once again, and I was the first person who

(23:09.7 - 23:12.2)

was ably different and in a wheelchair to

(23:12.2 - 23:15.6)

go into their speech language pathology program.

(23:15.8 - 23:20.2)

So they didn't know how to navigate or

(23:20.3 - 23:23.0)

how they had to modify the program for

(23:23.1 - 23:26.2)

me so that I could fully participate.

(23:26.3 - 23:29.4)

So it had its ups and downs.

(23:29.5 - 23:32.3)

They tried, but they just didn't have the knowledge.

(23:33.0 - 23:36.3)

So I remember when I initially started grad

(23:36.3 - 23:40.1)

school, they had this wheelchair lift that was

(23:40.2 - 23:43.6)

made to lift up regular manual chairs.

(23:43.8 - 23:48.9)

And when I first initially rode on it, it

(23:49.0 - 23:52.1)

could not lift my custom made power chair up.

(23:52.2 - 23:55.5)

So I remember going to the disability service office

(23:55.7 - 23:59.0)

and asking them to replace the wheelchair lift so

(23:59.0 - 24:02.2)

that it could accommodate all types of wheelchairs.

(24:02.3 - 24:04.6)

And they initially didn't want to do it.

(24:04.7 - 24:07.6)

So what happened was he said, I need to

(24:07.6 - 24:09.7)

see if it works for you or not.

(24:09.8 - 24:13.3)

So he had two ladies from another academic

(24:13.3 - 24:16.5)

Department and stuff come out and they watch

(24:16.7 - 24:20.6)

if the wheelchair lift was accommodating for me.

(24:20.6 - 24:22.9)

And once they realized that it didn't work,

(24:23.4 - 24:27.6)

they agreed to order another wheelchair lift that

(24:27.6 - 24:30.2)

can accommodate all types of wheelchairs.

(24:30.3 - 24:32.5)

But I remember when I was initially talking

(24:32.6 - 24:34.8)

to him about it, he said, Why do

(24:34.8 - 24:37.0)

you have to have a custom made wheelchair?

(24:37.2 - 24:38.6)

Why can't you just use a

(24:38.6 - 24:41.5)

regular wheelchair that everybody else uses?

(24:42.0 - 24:45.3)

And there was moments where if it

(24:45.3 - 24:48.1)

was broken, I couldn't see my clients.

(24:48.4 - 24:51.8)

And at first they wanted to lower my grade

(24:51.8 - 24:54.7)

because of that, because their policy was if you

(24:54.7 - 24:57.2)

were there, you needed to see your client.

(24:57.3 - 24:59.9)

And so I remember one time my professor was like,

(25:00.0 - 25:02.5)

okay, well, we're going to have to reduce your grade.

(25:02.8 - 25:04.9)

And I was like, What? Why?

(25:06.0 - 25:08.1)

Because you wasn't able to see your client?

(25:08.1 - 25:09.8)

I said, yeah, but I wasn't able to see

(25:09.8 - 25:12.4)

my client due to no fault of my own.

(25:12.5 - 25:14.2)

They did a lot of unfair things.

(25:14.3 - 25:18.4)

But again, it was because they really just didn't know how

(25:18.4 - 25:21.5)

to navigate it and really didn't know what to do.

(25:22.0 - 25:25.8)

I also remember one time when it was

(25:25.8 - 25:28.3)

time to go out to do clinicals, because

(25:28.4 - 25:30.4)

now you have to go in different areas.

(25:30.6 - 25:31.9)

They didn't really have a lot of

(25:31.9 - 25:34.4)

places for me that was handicapped accessible.

(25:35.4 - 25:39.0)

So I had to find clinicals of my own, which

(25:39.1 - 25:42.7)

I only had a very limited clinical experience because I

(25:42.7 - 25:45.1)

was only able to go to my old preschool, which

(25:45.1 - 25:49.4)

was United cerebral palsy, and back to another clinic where

(25:49.5 - 25:52.2)

I used to have speech language therapy.

(25:52.4 - 25:55.0)

So that was interesting in itself.

(25:56.1 - 25:57.7)

Academically, I was fine.

(25:57.7 - 26:03.2)

It was just, accessibility the accessibility part, they

(26:03.3 - 26:06.1)

had to get automatic doors because at this

(26:06.2 - 26:09.8)

point, I was going to College by myself. So

(26:09.9 - 26:13.0)

I was traveling by bus and they had these big

(26:13.1 - 26:15.6)

heavy doors in the building you could not open.

(26:15.7 - 26:17.4)

And sometimes the security guard

(26:17.4 - 26:18.7)

wasn't sitting at the desk.

(26:18.7 - 26:21.0)

So I said, well, if you guys can get automatic

(26:21.0 - 26:23.6)

doors, then I can open up the doors by myself.

(26:23.8 - 26:24.8)

That was a struggle.

(26:24.9 - 26:28.5)

And they didn't want to get automatic doors because they

(26:28.5 - 26:30.6)

were like, we don't have it in the budget.

(26:31.1 - 26:32.9)

So I had to fight them and go

(26:32.9 - 26:36.0)

to the omnbudsmen to get automatic doors.

(26:36.1 - 26:37.2)

And eventually they did it.

(26:37.2 - 26:41.1)

But it was just imagine having to do your studies and

(26:41.1 - 26:44.7)

make sure you maintain a B plus average, because the speech

(26:44.8 - 26:50.4)

language pathology major is a lot, and you have to maintain

(26:50.4 - 26:53.8)

a good GPA to even stay in the program.

(26:53.9 - 26:57.8)

So imagine having to do well academically, then

(26:57.8 - 27:00.1)

do well on your clinicals on the outside,

(27:00.5 - 27:04.9)

and then having to deal with accessibility issues.

(27:05.4 - 27:06.0)

Right.

(27:06.2 - 27:09.5)

It was just a lot because I had to juggle three things at

(27:09.5 - 27:13.3)

one time and make sure I was great at doing it all.

(27:13.5 - 27:16.1)

So with all these services and equipment you

(27:16.1 - 27:20.3)

needed, like the automatic doors and stair lift,

(27:21.0 - 27:24.0)

were there, like, staff that looked at you

(27:24.1 - 27:27.0)

like your high maintenance or something like that?

(27:27.1 - 27:32.6)

It wasn't the staff that looked at me differently. It wasn't that

(27:32.6 - 27:35.7)

I feel like they sometimes

(27:35.8 - 27:40.3)

wasn't sympathetic to my circumstances.

(27:40.4 - 27:44.3)

So there was one time my semester where

(27:44.5 - 27:47.1)

this is another story, guys, so buckle up.

(27:47.4 - 27:50.4)

I was almost towards the end, and we had

(27:50.4 - 27:54.8)

to do clinicals, and you have to be on

(27:54.8 - 27:57.6)

time because this is when you're doing evaluations.

(27:57.7 - 28:00.6)

So you're actually evaluating a client now.

(28:00.7 - 28:03.8)

So this was when I got a brand new chair, but

(28:03.9 - 28:06.0)

it was acting up like it would stop in the middle

(28:06.1 - 28:08.4)

of the street out of nowhere for no reason.

(28:08.5 - 28:11.2)

I remember I told you I'm traveling by myself.

(28:11.4 - 28:14.6)

So it stopped in the middle of the street when I

(28:14.6 - 28:17.5)

was on my way to school, and someone had to get

(28:17.5 - 28:20.2)

out of their car and push me onto the sidewalk.

(28:20.4 - 28:24.8)

And at that time, they provided me a helper

(28:24.9 - 28:27.5)

as well in the clinic, because sometimes I couldn't

(28:27.5 - 28:30.2)

manipulate the tools or things that I needed.

(28:30.3 - 28:34.0)

So they provided me with a helper.

(28:34.5 - 28:37.7)

So he came and he pushed me up to the clinic.

(28:37.8 - 28:41.6)

And I remember I missed part of the evaluation

(28:42.2 - 28:45.3)

just because of what happened with my wheelchair.

(28:45.5 - 28:47.8)

And we finished the evaluation.

(28:47.9 - 28:51.9)

I finished the evaluation report, and when I got my

(28:51.9 - 28:54.8)

grade back from my Professor, I got a lower grade.

(28:55.0 - 28:57.1)

So when I went to her and I asked

(28:57.1 - 28:58.9)

her, why did I get a lower grade?

(28:59.0 - 29:03.0)

She said, oh, it's because you were late to the

(29:03.0 - 29:06.2)

evaluation class, and everybody had already pitched in and did

(29:06.2 - 29:08.5)

some of the work, I said, yes, but I was

(29:08.5 - 29:10.8)

late due to no fault of my own.

(29:11.2 - 29:13.5)

And I emailed you and I informed you of that.

(29:13.5 - 29:15.5)

My wheelchair stopped in the middle of the

(29:15.5 - 29:17.9)

street this is not something I can control.

(29:18.0 - 29:21.2)

She said yes, well, I understand and I'm sympathetic to

(29:21.2 - 29:24.2)

your plight, but when you get out in the workforce,

(29:24.4 - 29:27.2)

your employer is not going to want to hear that

(29:27.2 - 29:31.1)

you couldn't come to work because you had wheelchair issues.

(29:31.2 - 29:33.3)

That sounds like a personal problem.

(29:33.5 - 29:35.6)

So that's why I had to lower your grade.

(29:35.7 - 29:39.6)

So I just feel like at certain times they

(29:39.6 - 29:43.0)

weren't sympathetic and really just didn't understand my plight.

(29:43.0 - 29:45.0)

That kind of showed their ignorance.

(29:45.1 - 29:48.2)

So it was a lot of that and it was hard.

(29:48.3 - 29:51.7)

I remember coming home many a nights crying just because

(29:51.8 - 29:55.4)

I had to juggle so much and make sure at

(29:55.4 - 29:58.6)

the same time that I was a great student.

(29:59.1 - 30:00.5)

That is ridiculous that they

(30:00.5 - 30:01.9)

didn't want to accommodate you.

(30:02.0 - 30:04.6)

And I'm sick and tired of people treating us like that.

(30:04.7 - 30:06.3)

But that's what we have to go through.

(30:06.5 - 30:08.1)

And I'm going to tell you a story.

(30:08.3 - 30:09.8)

When me and my nephews go out

(30:09.8 - 30:12.3)

to a restaurant, what happened, Luis?

(30:12.7 - 30:35.5)

(Instrumental Music)

(30:36.2 - 30:39.2)

(Story time sound effect)

(30:39.2 - 30:41.7)

So there was this time that we went to a restaurant.

(30:41.8 - 30:43.8)

Me and my two nephews and the waiter,

(30:43.9 - 30:45.3)

he asked what they wanted to eat.

(30:45.4 - 30:46.3)

They gave their order.

(30:46.4 - 30:48.8)

The waiter asked them what would I like.

(30:48.9 - 30:51.0)

And I told the waiter, I can tell you what I like.

(30:51.1 - 30:52.5)

I have a voice of my own.

(30:52.6 - 30:54.8)

So the waiter was kinda of shocked that he

(30:54.8 - 30:57.3)

apologized and I gave him my order.

(30:57.3 - 30:59.6)

But still they have to stop treating

(30:59.6 - 31:00.9)

us like we don't have a voice.

(31:01.0 - 31:03.3)

We have a voice and we just need to use it.

(31:03.4 - 31:06.0)

I definitely agree with you, Luis. I agree.

(31:06.5 - 31:30.9)

(Instrumental Music)

(31:31.2 - 31:34.1)

This whole episode actually reminds me about

(31:34.2 - 31:36.8)

a poem that you wrote years ago.

(31:37.4 - 31:38.5)

What was it called?

(31:38.6 - 31:40.7)

It was actually called Dear Pioneer,

(31:40.8 - 31:42.3)

I can't believe you remember that.

(31:42.4 - 31:44.5)

Yeah, I think you should read it so everybody

(31:44.5 - 31:46.6)

could listen because it was a great poem

(31:46.9 - 31:49.2)

Well, you are so lucky that I have it on me.

(31:49.3 - 31:51.0)

And it's actually on my phone.

(31:51.4 - 31:52.9)

So here it goes.

(31:53.0 - 31:54.3)

Dear Pioneer.

(31:54.4 - 31:56.6)

We were always taught that a pioneer means

(31:56.7 - 31:58.3)

being the first to do something great.

(31:58.4 - 32:00.1)

That gets a top ten rate.

(32:00.2 - 32:03.0)

Dear Pioneer, that definition I just gave you

(32:03.1 - 32:05.4)

above is as superficial as a Dove flying

(32:05.4 - 32:07.6)

high and passing by in the sky.

(32:07.7 - 32:08.7)

And here's why.

(32:08.9 - 32:10.1)

Because being a pioneer

(32:10.2 - 32:12.1)

symbolizes something more profound.

(32:12.2 - 32:14.4)

You are not just the first to do something great.

(32:14.5 - 32:16.4)

You are the first to create the blueprint.

(32:16.5 - 32:18.5)

You are the pillar for others to stand on.

(32:18.6 - 32:21.1)

You are the first to set the path for others to follow.

(32:21.3 - 32:23.5)

And if one of the others gets off track, you

(32:23.5 - 32:25.3)

take them by the hand and bring them back.

(32:25.4 - 32:27.5)

You are a leader and you must lead.

(32:27.6 - 32:29.5)

Trust me, you are doing a good deed.

(32:29.6 - 32:30.6)

How do I know?

(32:30.7 - 32:32.4)

Because I am a pioneer.

(32:32.5 - 32:33.6)

Dear Pioneer,

(32:33.7 - 32:34.9)

You don't know it yet.

(32:35.0 - 32:37.3)

People will not dare say you are a pioneer.

(32:37.4 - 32:39.6)

It just has a certain air to it.

(32:39.7 - 32:41.7)

People will be flustered, but mustered up

(32:41.8 - 32:43.9)

attempts to find solutions to the problems.

(32:44.0 - 32:46.3)

At first, you won't mind being a pioneer.

(32:46.4 - 32:48.1)

However, over time, you will become

(32:48.2 - 32:50.6)

tired of creating those blueprints, becoming

(32:50.6 - 32:52.4)

the pillar and setting those paths.

(32:52.4 - 32:54.0)

And you just want to be fired from

(32:54.0 - 32:56.7)

this job asking, God, why can't you just

(32:56.7 - 32:58.5)

follow someone else's path for once?

(32:58.7 - 33:01.0)

Because you are just so tired of creating the

(33:01.0 - 33:03.6)

blocks for the flocks of others that will follow.

(33:03.7 - 33:04.5)

You don't want to go

(33:04.6 - 33:06.1)

through the trials and tribulations.

(33:06.2 - 33:08.9)

You just want things to be easy peasy for once.

(33:09.0 - 33:11.4)

You deserve that, right, because with all

(33:11.4 - 33:13.0)

of your might, you are a pioneer.

(33:13.0 - 33:15.0)

That put up a long and arduous fight.

(33:15.1 - 33:17.4)

A break is all you ask for before

(33:17.4 - 33:20.2)

that mask and shielded strength begins to break.

(33:20.3 - 33:23.3)

But news flash, pioneers don't get breaks.

(33:23.5 - 33:25.4)

Dear pioneer, here's why.

(33:25.5 - 33:28.3)

Because through your blueprints and past laid along

(33:28.4 - 33:30.7)

the way, there are stories, stories that at

(33:30.7 - 33:32.4)

times may not brighten your day.

(33:32.5 - 33:34.2)

But hey, they say another man's

(33:34.3 - 33:35.7)

pain is someone else's gain.

(33:35.9 - 33:36.8)

And that is what you do.

(33:36.9 - 33:39.8)

Pioneer, through you, people can gain hope.

(33:39.9 - 33:41.3)

You are someone's inspiration.

(33:41.4 - 33:43.2)

You are the catalyst for motivation.

(33:43.4 - 33:45.2)

When the tunnel seems dark, you get that

(33:45.2 - 33:47.2)

beam of light needed to see and make

(33:47.2 - 33:49.1)

it to the end of the meandering tunnel.

(33:49.2 - 33:52.0)

At times, you may ask yourself, Well, Where's my help?

(33:52.1 - 33:53.7)

Make no mistake about it, you

(33:53.8 - 33:55.1)

are not doing this by yourself.

(33:55.2 - 33:57.0)

God is with you through every tunnel,

(33:57.1 - 33:59.2)

helping you create those blueprints and pillars

(33:59.2 - 34:00.5)

with the cards you've been dealt.

(34:00.6 - 34:03.2)

Dear pioneer, you may not know it yet, but

(34:03.2 - 34:05.5)

you have the job of being that blueprint, that

(34:05.6 - 34:09.0)

pillar, that light that fights for and guides others.

(34:09.1 - 34:12.0)

The very important job of being a pioneer.

(34:12.3 - 34:22.1)

(Clapping sound)

(34:22.1 - 34:23.7)

Wow, that is incredible.

(34:23.8 - 34:25.9)

I think the part that sticks out to me

(34:26.1 - 34:28.6)

is when you say another man's pain is someone

(34:28.6 - 34:31.6)

else's gain and that just matches you because that

(34:31.7 - 34:33.8)

means you were meant to be a pioneer.

(34:34.0 - 34:35.7)

Your pain, your struggle that you had

(34:35.6 - 34:38.6)

to go through will open doors for

(34:38.6 - 34:40.3)

people with disabilities in the future.

(34:40.4 - 34:42.4)

So it just matches you.

(34:42.4 - 34:44.0)

So I think that's awesome.

(34:44.2 - 34:47.4)

Awww Thank you, Luis. Thank you. Of course. You're welcome.

(34:48.2 - 35:13.1)

(Instrumental Music)

(35:13.1 - 35:14.7)

So it's that time, guys.

(35:14.8 - 35:17.7)

It's time for the quote of the episode.

(35:17.9 - 35:19.4)

And Luis is going to leave us

(35:19.4 - 35:21.0)

with the quote of the episode.

(35:21.1 - 35:23.1)

So the quote of the episode is,

(35:23.2 - 35:25.1)

don't judge a book by its cover.

(35:25.9 - 35:29.1)

That's why I started this podcast in the first place,

(35:29.1 - 35:33.5)

because I wanted to bring awareness and let people who

(35:33.6 - 35:36.8)

are able body see that we are people too.

(35:36.9 - 35:39.5)

And just like you wouldn't judge

(35:39.5 - 35:41.5)

someone else, don't judge us either.

(35:42.7 - 35:46.0)

So thank you for being here with me today, Luis.

(35:46.1 - 35:47.3)

Thank you for having me.

(35:47.4 - 35:49.2)

Thank you guys for listening.

(35:49.3 - 35:50.8)

You guys are amazing because

(35:50.9 - 35:53.5)

we have over 200 downloads.

(35:54.4 - 35:58.3)

So this thing is just skyrocketed in less than a month.

(35:58.4 - 35:59.4)

It will make a month on

(35:59.4 - 36:01.9)

May 16, my one month anniversary.

(36:02.0 - 36:03.5)

So excited for that.

(36:03.9 - 36:05.4)

You guys have been amazing.

(36:05.6 - 36:09.0)

Keep sharing, keep subscribing you subscribe by hitting

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that little plus button in the left hand

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(36:14.6 - 36:17.0)

Let us know what you want to hear and

(36:17.0 - 36:19.1)

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(36:19.1 - 36:22.0)

different has a story to share, please share

(36:22.0 - 36:26.8)

it with us at queensonaroll.podcast@gmail.com.

(36:26.9 - 36:32.0)

That again is queensonaroll.podcast@gmail.com again.

(36:32.1 - 36:35.2)

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(36:35.4 - 36:38.2)

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(Instrumental Music)

(37:05.0 - 37:10.8)

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