Today’s guest blog comes from Laura Nunez. She’s here to tell how she overcame obstacles related to her cerebral palsy, the misconceptions of others, and attaining her dream job. You’re in for a treat today, so sit back and enjoy what she has to say.

Pursuing My Different Dream

I have always been a dreamer. When I became a social worker, I wanted to make a difference. My goal was to impact the lives of differently-abled children. I wanted each child that I worked with to know that they are not defined by what they cannot do. You see, I was born with cerebral palsy, and I walk with crutches.

Life can be hard and there have been times I have literally been in tears. I know what it’s like to be judged by others and to have to overcome obstacles and stereotypes. I know that the world is not always fair. Even so, I’m going to admit something totally crazy, something that may not make sense to anyone at all. My disability, my crutches are a gift.

I have a new job. It’s my dream job. I work at Whitestone School for Child Development, a CPSE preschool in Queens, NY.  I have always dreamed of working in a preschool because I love children and want to positively impact their futures.

I attended a CPSE preschool and know that I am where I am today, in part due to the services I received there. I remember I loved it! My teacher and my therapists were great. I had many friends who were just like me and no one made fun of me or left me out.

In elementary school, I attended Henry Viscardi School; a school for the disabled founded by Dr. Henry Viscardi, who also had a disability. I remember seeing him in the hallway, hoping to one day be like him and help others. As I got older and truly understood how much he had done to advance and advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, the more convinced I became that I wanted to be like him and leave a mark.

There’s something that I was not prepared for: being denied opportunities because of my disability. I was raised in a family where I was no different than my siblings. My mother has always been my greatest ally and advocate but she also believed in being honest with me. “You have to work harder and do better because people will judge you,” she’d tell me, followed quickly by, “but you can do anything if you work hard enough.”

While the first half of her statement annoyed me, I always believed she was right, that I could do anything. I grew up assuming that my dreams would come true as long as worked to make them a reality. Reality isn’t that simple; people are not always nice. I’ve been on interviews where people made it quite obvious that my crutches made them uncomfortable. I quickly learned that my mother was right. It seemed to me that my dream of making a difference would never come true. Every time I thought I’d found the perfect job for me, I’d hit a brick wall. My crutches always seemed to get in the way. Because of my naiveté, I had never seen my crutches as an issue. I am as independent as I can be and I have never let crutches stop me.

I was beginning to question if I was ever going to be able to make a difference. I was ready to give up on my dream when I got the phone call to come in for an interview. I was excited but hesitant. I was shocked when I was offered the job!

I have finally come full circle working at Whitestone School for Child Development. I’m finally in a place where people don’t stare at me or refer to me as the girl with the crutches. I walk into a classroom and all the children shout, “Hi, Laura!”

I may never know if I’m making difference in their lives but I hope that they understand that they are amazing and capable of achieving their dreams. I hope that in a way, I am giving back to those who helped me get to where I am today.

Now do you understand why I say my crutches are a gift? They don’t define me. They are not who I am. I hope that when people see me, they see the person I am; someone who is truly happy and grateful for the opportunity to impact others and just maybe, leave a mark…yes, I still dream big!

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