Education has been one of the most powerful forces in my life. It has been part of my life for as long as I could remember. My first teacher, my mother, always encouraged me to dream at an early age. My mother, like any other mother, always helped me to believe that I could do anything I set my mind on. As a child I dreamed of being many things; my mind would change about "what I wanted to be when I was all grown up" every other month, like any other child. However, there was one aspiration that never changed. I always wanted to attend college. The importance of education was embedded in me constantly by my mother. From my mother’s point of view, education was important because it was the essential tool to progress in life. I recall her saying in Spanish to my three brothers and me, that education was the key to getting a "good" job.

Goal: college
I kept my mother’s advice in mind. However, college meant to me way more than a gateway to getting a "good" job. To me there was an element of prestige and respect in going to college. Therefore, after I graduated from high school, where I was mainstreamed with non-disabled students, I went on to a community college. I majored in Liberal Arts and graduated with honors. I then continued on to Rutgers University and earned a BA in Psychology and English.

My disability wasn’t ever a factor in my dream of being a college educated individual. The mere fact that I have Cerebral Palsy did not compute in the time line of my dream becoming a reality. I thought I was on my way. I was going to be college educated and be respected as such. Yet, for other people my only reality was Cerebral Palsy. Despite the fact that I did meet my goal of going to college, I was still stigmatized due to my disability. Yes, I got the usual double looks when I would walk in the hallways at college.

I describe my walk very simply. My left foot turns inward as if it is always trying making friends with my right foot. On the other had, my right is never interested in making friends with my left foot and it remains straight. My right foot never turns inward. I’ve tripped and fallen over my left and right foot not being friends. Therefore, I sincerely understand why people stare.

Defining incident of discrimination
However, I do not understand what became obvious discrimination in my junior year of college. I experienced an incident that made me believe that there is a stigma between people with disabilities and higher education. As a courtesy to my professor I would disclose my disability and welcomed any questions that they may have had pertaining to my disability. For the most part, my professors were open-minded and were willing to help me with anything they could, within reason of course.

Yet, one of my English instructors wasn’t as welcoming and accommodating. After I explained that I had Cerebral Palsy she in turn told me that she could not understand my speech. Therefore, she said she would " nod" her head and move on to the next student whenever I spoke in class. I asked her why she couldn’t just ask me to repeat myself, keeping in mind that my speech isn’t that hard to understand when I’m keynoting at a conference. She tried to explain that she couldn’t ask me to repeat myself because it would take too long and she had to keep the "momentum" going. I must admit I was taken back by my professor’s reaction. I even considered dropping out of the class. But, I learned very early on my educational career to be an advocate for myself. Furthermore, I explained to my professor that I did not expect any special treatment but I did expect the same level of respect by her, as she would give any other student. From that day forward she understood every word that I spoke.

This particular event in my life has stayed with me. It was defining in terms of realizing that despite the fact that did achieve my goal of going to college I was still stigmatized due to my disability.

Universities and diversity – a still evolving relationship
I was at Rutgers University, known as one of the best schools in the state of New Jersey and praised for its diversity. Being the subject of the common idea that a person with a disability should not be a part of the higher educational system, and if that person should be in a college setting, he or she should be seen but not heard, made me question just how accepting of diversity they really were. I’ve observed how some people raised their eyebrows high when they learned that I went to Rutgers. I venture to say that people with disabilities do fit the educated and intellectual role that our country promotes so much. However, the equation where the scholar plus the college degree does not equal a college graduate with a disability in many people's minds.

I also found further clues to this misconception when I was searching for employment after college. Potential employers would review my resume and ask me if I "really" went Rutgers University with a tone of doubt, at least that is what I felt. I eventually became a full time employee with the state but did encounter my fair share of people who stigmatized me and discriminated against me in college and in the workforce.

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