We spend so much time navigating through the obstacle course life puts in front of us. We remember how difficult things were – or still are, but don’t always embrace our struggles.
We sometimes look at them as a dreaded curse or something was rigged so we would fall flat on our faces. Or maybe someone didn’t want us to get as far as they’ve gotten. There are countless reasons why we stray from our path – whether it’s our own doing or a situation that’s out of our control. It’s only when we take a few steps back we realize how fortunate we truly are.
My senior year at Penn State Altoona was a reminder of all the times I had fallen short – and what I chose to do every time my back was against the wall. I realized why everything I did to get to this point, as well everything I’d do after graduation, had to be so difficult. It wasn’t simply because I was used to being knocked down and having to dust myself off. Nor was it because I wanted to be the hero in my own story.
I had to find out what the world truly had to offer me. Most importantly, I had to learn there were other struggles beyond my cerebral palsy. I knew my disability would always be the unavoidable ball and chain attached to me. I also knew it was always going to be its own challenge altogether. I came to terms with that on a much deeper level as my college career was coming to a close.
Now, however, my English professor was not only encouraging me to utilize my disability in a positive way. He was also willing to help me brilliantly put it on display in a full theater production for my senior project – which we would exchange many detailed, thought-provoking e-mails about in the months that followed. Little did I know, he wasn’t the only one who wanted to see how bright I could shine.
I made my way down the hall to my next class – a news writing class – after finishing an enlightening conversation with my professor. This particular class was taught by Mr. Ray Eckenrode, the General Manager at The Altoona Mirror, the local newspaper in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It had been a place where I secretly wanted to work, but I didn’t tell anyone because most people thought my passion for writing was a phase that would fade away. I hoped I was making some kind of positive impression in his class, being absolutely certain what I wanted to do with my life. I wasn’t prepared for what he would ask me on a chilly night in Fall of 2009.
“So Erin, what’s your plan? What do you want to do after you graduate?”
I knew the answer before he even finished asking this question, but I patiently waited until he was done talking. If I didn’t say anything but the truth now, I thought my chances of realizing a big part of my dream as a writer might be gone.
I wasn’t going to experience a moment like this again, so I paused, took a deep breath and said, “I want to work for you!”
“Well, I think we’ll be reading a lot more of your work at The Mirror sooner than later.”
All the while, my mom was listening as this unfolded while she waited to pick me up that night. It was now approximately 9 p.m. and I was exhausted from a full day of classes. I was still sitting in my spot when Mr. Eckenrode walked into the hallway and started talking to my mom.
“I asked Erin what she wants to do after she graduates. She said she wants to work for me,” he nervously told her. “Is she serious?”
My mom looked him square in the eye and calmly replied, “Erin isn’t kidding. When she puts her mind to something, there’s no stopping her. This is the best interview you’re going to have right now!”
Mr. Eckenrode was understandably apprehensive about how I’d do this job, instead of doubting my abilities. He approached my longtime adviser for the student newspaper on campus, Margaret Moses, who also worked at The Altoona Mirror at the time. He asked her what I was going to need, thinking he’d have to make major accommodations due to my cerebral palsy.
Margaret smiled and said, “A computer.”
That was literally all I needed, along with Margaret’s unwavering faith in my ability to write. I was hired as a columnist shortly thereafter, and have been writing for The Mirror ever since. I was still finishing my senior year at Penn State Altoona when I got the news. With my senior project now on the horizon, I had my work cut out for me. but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
You never know when someone is scouting you. Or why they want to pick you out of the crowd. You never know when your next “interview” will be. When that moment arrives, however, be humble and earn respect along the way.
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