By Cathy Spaulding
At 13, Justus Atwood of Eufaula has a good idea of what goal-setting is all about.
“You set goals so you can have something you can do in life instead of laying around,” he said.
Justus and other students at Oklahoma School for the Blind got all sorts of advice on goal-setting, career choices and post-high school life Thursday during OSB’s annual Future Shock Career Day.
Speakers representing various careers and disability programs shared their experiences and challenges with students from pre-kindergarten through high school. Several speakers were former OSB students or OSB teachers; most had vision impairments of their own.
Kevin Burton, a recruiter with the Kansas non-profit agency Envision, asked students, “If you don’t have a goal, how can you show that you are making progress?”
Envision, based in Wichita, is an agency dedicated to offering employment opportunities, rehabilitation and education to people with low vision or blindness. Burton told how he became successful even with his vision impairment. Having a goal, he said, was a key.
“Have a goal, do not let anyone else dictate what you can do,” he said.
It’s not easy, he said. “Did you ever think you might face discrimination?”
One student said that when she goes to public schools, she finds herself being treated differently from other students.
OSB librarian Barbara Collins said this year’s Future Shock focused more on such challenges than past sessions. The career day for younger students included activities with a limousine, farm equipment, the Muskogee Police Department, Muskogee Fire Department and the Muskogee trolley. Older students attended five break-out sessions featuring various speakers.
“This year, they’re focusing not just on jobs, but on challenges,” she said.
Planners looked for people who were within 20 years of the students’ age range, she said.
Collins said she’s been impressed with presenters’ honesty. Some admitted to making bad decisions and told how they corrected them, Collins said.
Justus said the sessions were fun and informative.
Some sessions did feature people talking about different careers.
Collins said Burton met with OSB seniors about possibilities through Envision.
OSB graduate Rosie Campbell told students about her challenges attending Northeastern State University, then getting her own apartment. She said the OSB independent living class helped her prepare for life on her own.
“But in the long run, it was good to be out on my own,” she said. “It teaches you to be responsible for your own things.”
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