I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at a very early age, and at the time, there was very little known about the disease. My parents were told by experts in the field that I would gradually go blind and there was no cure. My parents left the office without any supportive resources. Their faith was the only thing that gave them hope for my future.

After graduating college with a Finance degree, I got a high profile job in New York City and after nine years of secretly struggling with spreadsheets and computer screens that were becoming more and more difficult to read, I felt that I had no other choice but to resign. I know now that the resources existed for a blind person to succeed in my profession, but I did not know then how to ask for that help.

I finally came to the realization that I did not want to hide my blindness anymore! I then registered with my state Department of Rehabilitation for white cane and access technology training. Being aware that I was illiterate I knew that I needed to learn Braille. I have subsequently immersed myself into the blindness community and served in various leadership roles and participated actively in legislative work to help change the lives of blind people.

My blindness skills also gave me the confidence to go back to college and get a degree in Counseling, which had become a passion of mine throughout the years. Since then, I have worked as a Counseling Assistant for an addiction treatment center and a Caseload Assistant for the Department of Rehabilitation.

Through a series of very fortunate events, I now have landed my dream job as Community Outreach Specialist for LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco. I now have the privilege of making connections throughout the Bay Area to spread the word to the blind community about the programs and services that LightHouse has to offer. The new mantra that I share is, “Where has LightHouse been all my life?”