With
a mental disability I can't help but to isolate myself from society because
quite simply "I don't know how to act." Going back to college
has "forced" me to integrate with others because my love for art is
much stronger than my fears. Sitting in class and getting involved in the
discussions has tremendously affected my perspective of myself from a
miserably "sick" person to one of positive self esteem. I
have never read an entire book in my life and when taking History 151 I read 3
short novels instead of the required 2. My illness and confusion
contributed to this confusion, however, my instructor gladly accepted the
third book/paper and gave me extra credit. It was hard to pass the
midterms and finals but when all was over, I felt so proud of myself but more
importantly, I now understood world current events and had a heads up on
political situations throughout the world as we covered these civilizations
through their primitive times.
In
summation, attending Windward Community College was the "best
medicine" I've ever had so far in my mental health treatment. You
see, I was forced to "act normally in classroom situations" instead
of a disabled, sometimes troubled person who was withdrawn. I would
frequently drop by Trio to use the computers but more importantly to feel
like "one of the others" as I saw my neighbors and friends with
disabilities also attending college. Funny, college can be "madness"
and "stressful" and being at Trio during midterms and finals gave me
motivation as I realized that others were going through the same feelings and
that I was in the "REAL WORLD."
Attending
college is the real world and Trio was there to guide my path by simply opening
my eyes and making me realize that if my peers can do it, so can I. Trio
is a "humane society" for the mentally disabled like myself.
Respectfully
submitted,
Leonard Hoke
Leonard Hoke
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