Trailblazing Unleashed

Being disabled makes life hard. But you can still do pretty much anything you put your mind to! I know that this is an adventure/travel based blog, but being educated has given me access to more adventures than I ever could have imagined. If you aren’t disabled, this post is meant to give you some perspective. If you are disabled, this post is to make you feel seen, and give you a bit of instruction on how to take on education if you’re struggling right now.

Early Education

When I was younger, no one had any idea I was disabled. I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD or Dyslexia until I was 17, which made my experience in Elementary and Middle school a bit different.

I was an extremely chatty child (hello ADHD). I got in trouble for it in elementary school A LOT. I got distracted easily and had a hard time staying focused in class. I would often complete material way faster than other kids, and spend the rest of class buried in a book. This made me rather unpopular with other kids, and I was pretty socially awkward. I struggled to stay engaged in school and was losing my love of learning by the end of elementary school.

I was a really big reader for someone who is dyslexic. I spent a lot of time reading, escapism really helped me as a kid. I wont a lot of awards for words read at my elementary school, and being smart became a big part of my identity. I was also really interested in learning outside of school, and always asked a lot of questions.

While I struggled in day to day school, a good part of my childhood was definitely the gifted program! Gifted is a form of Special Education for students with a higher IQ. This essentially means that I got to take a class once a week where I could focus on a special interest. I had an amazing and beautiful teacher (Mrs.K, I hope you know I still love you) who helped me focus my scattered brain on something interesting. Gifted kept me interested in school. Mrs.K kept me interested in learning, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without her.

Gifted had a bit of a downside. I was labeled as different from kindergarten on. I missed class one day a week, and some teachers were really difficult about it. This is the first time that I had a teacher be difficult about my accommodations, and one of the first times I had to advocate for myself. I got a lot better at advocating for myself as I grew up, but its been a journey.

In middle school I got to experience honors classes for the first time, and start pushing myself more. I spent less time bored in class, but I still struggled to get the engagement I wanted from teachers. I put a lot of energy into clubs and sports to get the engagement I was looking for. At this point, I was starting to get more sick because of my Celiac Disease, but I was still undiagnosed.

High School

High School was an entirely different story. In my freshman year, I decided I was going to attend the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. I devoted all of my energy towards my application. I took the hardest classes, did as many extra curriculars as possible and pushed myself to be the best version of myself.

At around the same time, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and Dysautonomia. My health was slipping, but my education had never been better. Teachers were usually happy to help with my accommodations, but there were a few who were less helpful. Advocating for yourself is a huge part of being disabled!

My freshman year of high school was also when the pandemic started. I became even more isolated, and felt alone among my peers throughout my health struggles. My friends at the time were not as supportive as I would of hoped, and sophomore year was a hard time for me.

I went to the School of Science and Math for the last two years of high school, where I navigated living alone for the first time. NCSSM is a residential high school, and while it was a difficult adjustment it was incredibly beneficial for me. Not only was NCSSM great for my education, it helped me grow as a person. I learned how to navigate school cafeterias as a Celiac. I learned how to live alone and handle migraines, low blood pressure, and everything else that goes with my disabilities. Being at a residential high school set me up incredibly well for college.

I was also diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia in my time at Science and Math. I had a ton of amazing support from the counseling department there, who helped me get diagnosed and find resources. I never would have been diagnosed with Dyslexia without the counseling department and some insight from my calculus teacher at the time. I am incredibly grateful for my time there and what it taught me about who I am.

I still played a lot of sports and found connection in activity. I loved staying active and my experience in sports taught me resilience.

I graduated high school with stellar grades and life long friends, which wasn’t something I saw happening in middle school. It was a happy surprise to say the least.

Secondary Education

After high school, I chose to attend North Carolina State University. I’m still here, working towards BA in Design Studies. Being disabled is still a thing in college!

Navigating food as a person with Celiac Disease and a college student who lives on campus can be difficult! I spent a lot of time getting to know the people who worked in the dining halls, and learning what I could and couldn’t eat. Talking to people and asking for help is essential!

There is a disability resource office at NC State, but in my experience they are more trouble than their worth. All of the accommodations that I have today are from my own advocacy rather than the help of that department. If you have disabilities on campus, you need to be sticking up for yourself!

There are some good parts about college for those with disabilities though! There are lots of scholarships and programs for those with disabilities! Make sure to take advantage of any additional funding you might get through applying for scholarships.

Being educated can help you discover your passions, get professional experience, and become the person you are meant to be. Don’t let your disability hold you back, advocate!

There will be more posts talking about navigating college with celiac disease, my learning disability diagnosis, and more in the future!

Hopefully this post will help you be an even more educated adventurer.

Trailblaze on!

— Kaya