By Chelsey Duranleau

(Student Editor’s Note: Chelsey Duranleau grew up in New Hampshire, after college she attended BLIND, Inc., where she now works as a communications instructor. Here is her advice to all students:

As blind students, we all know and recognize the importance of doing well in school – whether that be middle school, high school, college or beyond. Academia is designed to provide us with knowledge in a variety of subjects and content areas, but also teaches us what are commonly referred to as “soft skills” that we will use in the world of work. These include things like time management, organization, teamwork and problem-solving.

One of the great things about most schools is that they have clubs, teams, and groups for just about any interest out there. Whether you are into sports, music, theatre, or the environment, there is probably something out there that will catch your interest at some point during your academic career. When I was in high school, I was in the concert choir as well as a smaller acapella singing group. I also was part of the environmental club. During college, I was the secretary for the Spanish club, took concert choir all four years, and was in the campus ecology club. I served on the board of our small (but mighty) student division in my NFB affiliate, but I knew that it was important for me to step out of my comfort zone and do more. I found that during college especially, everyone was very friendly and open to me participating in club activities. One of my favorite college experiences was a trip to New York City during my senior year with the Spanish club. We were a small club, but we had enough funds in our treasury to pay for the trip. We went to eat at a really good Latin American restaurant, attended a play based on a book we had read during one of our classes, and even went out to experience the New York night life. Blindness was never a factor.

The more I went to meetings and participated in events on my college campus, the more comfortable and confident I felt around large groups of sighted people. Joining groups with people who are interested in the same things you are interested in can be a great way to meet new people and make friends. Also, by putting yourself out there and getting involved in campus or school activities, you can demonstrate that your blindness doesn’t need to be a barrier.