STORIES OF TRIUMPH
Click on a name to read the story

Carla Alvarez
Ria Baylen
Devin Drozen
Marquita Vinson
Leah Gardner
Jacob Lesner-Buxton

Meet Carla Alvarez

March 2003

"When I was sixteen, I started getting depressed because I thought that a visually impaired person couldn't succeed in life.  I thought I was going to have to stay at home and be useless.  My self-esteem dropped and my grades at school did, too.  But my dream was to become independent.  I wanted to prove to my family that a person with a disability could succeed.  When that thought came to my mind, my eyes got full of tears.  One day I decided to visit my friend Cynthia.  I started telling her about my problems.  It always made her mad when I told her that I was useless.  She told me about the Living Skills Center for the Visually Impaired.  I couldn't believe it she told me that that program helped people become independent.  After talking to her, I went home and imagined my future.  I finally saw a light at the end of the path.  Going to the Living Skills Center became my new goal.  My grades at school improved a whole lot, and I had a positive attitude.  In the summer I had an opportunity to visit the Living Skills Center, and I could feel this new opportunity coming my way.  I sent in my application and was accepted a few weeks later.  Finally it was time to depart.  My dad, mom, and sister dropped me off at my new apartment at the Living Skills Center.  Now I have been in the program a few months, and I have been learning lots of new skills.  I am even attending college!  The Living Skills Center has changed my life because finally I am becoming fully independent."

May 2006

Update:  Close to completing her Associate of Arts degree, Carla has certainly been busy ever since she graduated from the Skills Center.  After her obtaining her degree from Contra Costa College, Carla is off to Guide Dogs for the Blind to receive training with her new guide dog.  The timing couldn't be better, for shortly after her term at Guide Dogs for the Blind, she is going straight to one of the University of California campuses - as of yet, she hasn't decided which one to attend, so be sure to visit our website again for more updates on the accomplishments of this highly motivated LSC graduate!

October 2006

Update:  Here is a picture of Carla with her new Guide Dog, Dorsey.  They are such a good team!  Carla finally made her decision and will be attending U.C. Davis this fall.  She has found a place to live, moved to Davis, and is ready to start the next chapter of her story.

NOTE:  The California Department of Rehabilitation referred Carla to the Living Skills Center and continues to support her studies at UC Davis.  As one of the Department of Rehabilitation's community partners, we wish to acknowledge with gratitude the many referrals made by California Rehabilitation counselors to the LSC.  All California LSC applicants must be clients of California DOR.  To find out more about the Department of Rehabilitation or to apply for services, log onto www.rehab.cahwnet.gov.
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Meet Ria Baylen
 

My name is Ria Baylen, and I have Usher’s Syndrome Type II, which is a combination of Retinitis Pigmentosa and a hearing loss. I lost my hearing at a very young age and discovered my visual impairment at the age of eighteen. For the first couple of years after the discovery of my vision loss, I did not know Braille, Mobility, or Adaptive Technology. I wanted to prepare myself and to be aware of what I should do if I lose all of my vision. I know that I cannot always depend on family members or friends to do things for me. So I joined the Living Skills Center, and it was a great opportunity for me to learn independence.
I enjoyed learning everything that LSC had to teach and every single lesson was very helpful. Learning contracted Braille was very helpful because when I was growing up, I used to read lots of books for fun and I missed reading. Now that I know Braille, I can read again! The quality of instruction that I received at LSC was excellent, and everything was worth learning; not only Braille, but also how to use public transportation, adaptive technology, and cooking. The field trips and social activities that we did were also very fun and enjoyable! I'm the type of person who enjoys outdoor activities and socializing. All the activities were great and are something that I will never forget. The kayak trip to Angel Island was an exciting experience because I've never kayaked before and I loved it! The ski trip was great too, it was fun skiing down the hill and falling on my bottom! I also loved the walk in San Francisco near Christmas time, Thanksgiving dinner, Fourth of July, the music nights, walking in the rain, the trip to Alcatraz and many others.
The challenges and success I experienced at LSC came about by my getting involved in all the activities, and I learned how to be independent, gained social skills, strength, and courage. Without the Living Skills Center, I don't think I would have had the confidence to be independent and do things on my own!

Note: Since graduating from the Living Skills Center, Ria has had a cochlear implant and hears much better. She is working part-time at the San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind teaching Braille and sign language.
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Meet Devin Drozen

"When I first came to the Living Skills Center, I was shy and nervous, and I didn't know the area. I was thinking to myself, I don't know if I can stay here, but then I told myself I would give it a shot, and see how it goes. For the first week, I had to get used to my apartment and I was homesick. But then I met Louis and Brandy and all the other students and we started hanging out and having fun. I met all the teachers and they helped me out and made me feel at home.

"Now I have learned how to go places, like to the mall, and how to cross streets. In living skills I learned how to cook a whole bunch of stuff! I never really got to cook before. I can do my own laundry now, too, and go anywhere I want. I never had to pay bills before, and I have become really good at paying my bills online, it's so easy! I also learned how to use Zoomtext so I can see the computer screen better, and Ron taught me how to type much better than I used to. And the kayak and ski trips were great!

"I could have just gone to Merced College after high school, but I wouldn't have the experience or confidence in cane travel, cooking, cleaning my whole apartment, paying bills, and living on my own, so I'm really glad I came to the Living Skills Center first. Now I'm not afraid, I could go to live in any apartment because now I know what to do. Best of all, I've made so many new friends. This program is awesome! I like it so much, it's going to be hard to leave!" --Devin Drozen

"The Living Skills Center has been a life-changing experience for Devin. Before, when my husband or I suggested that he try something new, he would become frustrated and irritated and say, "I can't do that," and he wouldn't even try. Now when he comes home to visit, he says things like, 'Mom, can you teach me how to do that?' He is so confident and happy now! Thank you so much for all you have done for Devin." --GeGe Drozen, Devin's mother
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Meet Marquita Vinson

I lost my eyesight at the age of four. In the seventh grade, I began to receive mobility training on my middle-school campus. They trained me to independently travel to each class. Being the stubborn Leo that I am, I simply refused to use my white cane. It was so embarrassing to be seen with one of those things. The white cane made me feel like I was abnormal. It made me feel like I was blind.
Refusing to use my cane continued through high school. I would have different students walk me to class, the cafeteria and even the bathroom. I was completely reliant on other people. Working over the summer was the same routine. I was driven to work, walked to my desk and to nearby fast food restaurants.
One day at school I walked into my Visually Handicapped class and my teacher sat me down and began telling me about the Living Skills Center for the Visually Impaired. She told me that it was an apartment living program for visually impaired individuals who desired to live on their own. She said the program assisted these individuals in learning how to maintain a budget, cook, clean, attend school after high school, find employment and travel independently.
This was the best news I had heard all year. That following fall season, I was a student at the Living Skills Center. After being introduced to all the instructors, I instantly reached my comfort level. I felt like I could tell my teachers anything that first day.
I picked up on the cleaning, budgeting, and cooking techniques pretty quickly, but I required an extreme amount of assistance in computer and mobility training. I easily breezed through the computer training because of the wonderful teaching techniques. The mobility was the most challenging for me. The part of the training that I feared the most was street crossings. I once stood at a street corner with my instructor and I was nearly in tears. I was so afraid to cross that street. She helped me overcome that.
The Living Skills Center helped make me the independent woman I am today. I now live on my own in an apartment in Sacramento. I'm now attending Sacramento City College where I am majoring in Psychology and Human Behavior. I'm independently traveling from home to school on the bus and to my classes with my big black Labrador guide dog.
I want to strongly encourage anyone with a visual impairment who desires to develop a life of independence to become a student at The Living Skills Center. It will change your life, and you will find that your self-confidence will increase extremely.
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Meet Leah Gardner

“The Living Skills Center proved to be a great transition for me. I had moved to California a few months before entering the LSC program, but I was uncomfortable with navigating the Bay Area. After a year of instruction, I am thankful and impressed with my new comfort level with public transportation systems and much-improved grasp of intersection analysis. I now use BART and public busses constantly to get where I need to go. I've noticed an extreme difference in my willingness to navigate independently, and my fear of travel was really lessened during my stay at LSC. I am so thankful for this. I credit the Living Skills Center and its staff for their immeasurable assistance and support. In addition, the technological recommendations, cooking tips, and financial advice were much appreciated. I also found a job while attending the program, and the suggestions and encouragement offered to me throughout my search for employment and after acquiring the job were extremely helpful. I am working full time and forming a new life in Berkeley. I want to thank the LSC staff for their support. It was a tremendously fruitful year for me.”
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Meet Jacob Lesner-Buxton

Growing up I always saw myself living independently. Dreams of owning and taking care of my own place filled my sleep. However, in those visions I always saw myself without disabilities. People with my disability were portrayed as staying with their parents or in a group living situation that was controlled by inept social workers. These two images were not appealing.

Still there was a chance that independent living wouldn't be a possibility because of my minimal experience in the skills I needed to maintain an apartment. I barely knew how to clean, didn't do laundry and could cook only in a microwave. By living with my parents I wasn't motivated. I couldn't move out successfully without having living skills.

My mom then suggested that instead of going to college right away, I take a year off and move into the Living Skills Center for the Visually Impaired about twenty miles away. At the time I was outraged at the idea because I wanted to graduate college with my age group. However, that anger of delaying my education subsided upon learning that half of my high school teachers were still finishing their college credits. Once that fear was axed I still felt uncomfortable about living in a "program."

On my first visit I discovered that the Living Skills Center was located in an apartment building. Students pay for food, power, rent and the phone in their own apartments. Individuals can decide what they want to learn and come and go as they please. With this information I started thinking of this experience as real life and not going to a center.

Still in my head I was confusing the word independence with isolation. In the months before moving out paranoia started hitting me. I felt that I couldn't ask for help at my new place. I was going to be the most independent person with a disability.

Yet behind my tough skin, I was scared of failing. I had earmarked a whole year for this program. What if something happened that messed it up? Nightmares of forgetting to pay rent and getting kicked out of the Center flooded my head. I didn't want people to dismiss me as a helpless person who couldn't manage on his own.

The first night my mantra, "I will not ask for help," got tested. I was having a hard time trying to open a container of pasta salad and was almost in tears over the situation. Just then one of my neighbors came by to check on me and I got up the courage to ask him to open the container. Although he was nice, I was horrified by my actions because I felt like I relied on him.

Luckily, over the next few days, I met the other students in the program and saw that they weren't perfect at being independent. Teachers were helping my neighbors with everything from using the ATM to cooking dinner. After seeing them I finally relaxed and let people help me. As long as I made an effort to do all I could by myself I saw no reason not to ask people for assistance.

Over the next few weeks my teachers taught me many skills. For example I was able to learn how to use the stove, make computer checks and clean the house. When someone showed me how to use the burners safely, suddenly I could cook pasta without fear. I now pay my rent without assistance because I learned how to print checks on my computer. My living skills teacher gave guidance on the best methods of cleaning the house. Learning to use these tools helped me to feel more comfortable about living alone.

After I got over all my worries I was able to experience the joy of living alone. I decide when I do chores, shop and cook. Plus, being around people my own age who had similar disabilities gave me a lot of social opportunities. I found that living independently forced me to overcome my shyness and connect with people. No longer are my parents around to provide social interaction, instead, I have to find it myself.

For the first time in my life I feel confident in myself and my future. Over the past six months I have gained a better understanding of what I can and cannot do. Chores, mistakes and the unplanned incidents are daily occurrences in my life. However, I get a rush of adrenaline from fixing a problem or completing a task. Each day I get satisfaction from knowing that with support I can live a life which is fulfilling and my own.
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