The full story

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Amy Champ, our September 2011 Role Model of the Month, lives an amazing life. Growing up poor and in a home with alcoholism and addiction inspired her to be independent and explore the world and her interests. Her story will inspire you.

Q:        Please tell me a little about your life growing up?

Amy:   My biological father left my mother and me when I was very young, so I never got to meet him. My mom married my stepfather when I was just a toddler. I have two half-sisters, Laura and Becky. We have always been very close. We were poor and we moved a lot—Sacramento, South Carolina, and Portland, Oregon. I went to five different schools in fifth grade alone.  My stepfather was an alcoholic who always lost his job, so I saw my mother keeping everything together and realized that I had to fend for myself. I always worked and had a job of some kind since I was about eight years old. Whether it was cutting grass, babysitting, or helping in my mom’s flower shop, I always found a way to support myself.  I learned that freedom is very important in life, but that a certain level of responsibility also goes with it.

Q:        It sounds like your stepfather’s alcoholism and drug addiction had a big impact on you.

Amy:   Yes, we had a lot of emotional and financial problems due to my stepdad’s alcoholism, but we also had a very tight-knit family. We relied on our extended family and they were my friends, confidants, and teachers about the world. My mother and stepfather separated a few times, but they would get back together. She ended up leaving when I went away to college, and he ended up homeless and started doing hard drugs. This was really hard to take for my sisters and me. When we would see him, he just wasn’t himself at all; he was so far gone. He died in a fire while camping on the river. It is really a story about addiction and total lack of recovery.

Q:        Growing up, who were some of the influential people in your life?

Amy:   Aside from my mother, it was teachers and preachers. I started going to church when I was seven and kept going twice a week until I was about 17 years old. I went to both winter and summer church camp and even when I went to the roller rink, it was with a preacher. I was also very academic, reading anything and everything I could get my hands on.  My parents were determined to teach us how to do things for ourselves. My mom would tell us about Grandpa Pop saying, “You are the one that needs to know how to build a fence. You have to learn. You have to be educated. You need to know how to milk a cow.” That’s how I was raised. We didn’t have brothers, so when we went camping, we pitched the tents, we hauled the wood for the fire, and we put the bait on our own fishing hook. My mom is very creative and very smart. She would set us up with projects. We had a TV, but it did not stay on, the radio was on and we were busy doing something. I sewed my little fingers off. I did needlepoint, cross-stitched, crocheted and made quilts. We didn’t have money, so we made everything by hand. I got my creativity and “know how” from my mother.

Q:        What were the defining moments in your life?

Amy:   When I turned 16, I started writing poetry and then went to the California State Summer School for the Arts to study writing. I watched Dead Poets’ Society, and then it was all over.

I went to a magnet school for gifted children in high school, the Humanities and International Studies Program. We studied the classics and read great works of literature and philosophy from all the continents. I took the city bus for two years from the poor part of town to the good school, then my parents moved closer so I could ride my bike to school. When my best friend went to a presentation about Claremont McKenna College, I went with her. I was dressed like a gypsy and the man there said, “I’m referring you to Pitzer College.” Pitzer was kind of a hippie school really interested in social activism. It was a perfect fit. I majored in Anthropology and Literary Studies.

Moving and traveling have also had a huge impact. Aside from living in many cities in the U.S, I’ve lived in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Amsterdam. I’ve also traveled extensively throughout India, Nepal, Africa, and Europe.

When I married a family friend who was a farmer, I learned all about living in the country. We had a daughter together, but as partners we were not compatible. It has been a journey for both of us to find our friendship again and become active parents together. We had to put the past behind us and learn to forgive. I don’t think you can understand the power of forgiveness until you go through something like that yourself. When I became a parent I started to understand the power of presence and asking myself, “What do I have to share? What do I have to learn?” I learn from her every day.

Q:        How would you describe your career path?

Amy:   It has been challenging. I think I have tried EVERYTHING! I’ve worked in cafés, worked in publishing, the music industry, non-profit, corporate, and for the past ten years I have taught Political Science and American History at local community colleges, Sacramento State University and University of Phoenix. Teaching for me has been a way to pull together what I have learned and believe and to give back to society. I really connect to the college age group in terms of understanding what they are going through, their dreams, and mentoring them.

After I graduated from college, I got a Fulbright Fellowship to go to Africa and work with a women’s theatre group. It was like, “Wake up at ten. Go for a drumming lesson. Go to rehearsal. Go see a reggae band. Late night jam session at my house.” Every day was like that for two years, and when I came back to the US, I had to make money and it was a little bit disconcerting. Ever since then, I have been on a mission to find my purpose—to draw all these skills and interests together, and make something of myself, and find a way to really be of service to the world.

I am currently working on my PhD in Performance Studies and Feminism at University of California, Davis and assistant teaching in Religious Studies. I became a Yoga teacher six years ago and now I’m writing my dissertation about how Yoga teachers engage in social service and become leaders in their communities. I always wanted to be able to represent my spirituality and my experiences as something that would help people liberate themselves from their struggles. I am also starting to help orphans with my own organization www.twiga-usa.org and that really feels like work that my heart wants to do—helping kids who are on their own.

Last summer I went to University of Cambridge to speak at a conference about the cycles of peace and violence in South Asia. It was a tough decision because I did not have the money to do it and I did not want to leave my daughter, but I decided to just go for it. I collected research about Yoga at libraries all over England. I spent a week in Oxford going to the library every day. For me, it was a dream come true.

Q:        Your life is amazing. You have had many obstacles to overcome and you have still thrived. What keeps you going?

Amy:   Every problem we have is multi-faceted. Even though I think of life as being simple, I think problems need to be approached in a variety of ways. I once heard Barack Obama say something like, “You will never see me simplify a problem. The solutions are complex.” That is so profound. I was used to struggling and fighting for my survival. I worked in high school, had a job every summer in college and all through college. I was strong and tough when I was young. I think people should do challenging things when they’re young, because you’re invincible in a lot of ways. My greatest challenge is to grab that kind of tenacity in my older years.

Q:        What would you say has been your greatest disappointment and what did you learn from it?

Amy:   I think life is very hard in a lot of ways and that is why self-inquiry is so important. I had some very serious issues to deal with. That my biological father left my mother and me when I was very young was very hard, but it taught me to accept it as his choice, or perhaps just his predicament, and not a reflection on us. Acceptance burned away my anger and made me more tolerant of people’s choices and complicated circumstances. I also learned that I could make my own choice in deciding not to find him, and not feel guilty about that.

My stepfather’s alcoholism, made me tough on the outside. But when you’re that tough, you are going to crack at some point. To be really whole and functioning, you have to allow that vulnerability to come through. I went to India when I was 22 years old and had a nervous breakdown in Varanasi. That’s when I realized healing myself and enjoying myself is my real job. Everything else became secondary to finding a way to love myself after all that, and figure out what it actually means to love other people. That’s when my journey really started. It’s been a healing journey.

Q:        Do you ever feel afraid? And if so, when and how do you keep moving forward even when you are afraid?

Amy:   I’ve never been a fearful person, but I have to say that certain things scare the heck out of me—caves, roller coasters, horror films. I had some pretty harrowing experiences when I was a kid, like riding in a car with someone who was drunk, and really feeling like I was going to die. I now feel the need to control things a little bit. I like quiet, peaceful environments, very positive and healthy settings. I read a lot of self-help books. The teachings are out there. Life is an exciting adventure if you are willing to open yourself up to change. I think middle class lifestyles, multimedia, and consumerism breed a kind of narcissism that makes this level of self-awareness almost antiquated, but us spiritual and intellectual folk still try to get our point across.

Q:        What advice would you have for someone who has a dream and wants to pursue that dream but is afraid?

Amy:   It’s been said about 20 million times before, but it’s true, you have to do the things that scare you. I do this intentionally. If I notice that I’m about to give up, I will absolutely force myself to do it, no matter how frightening or devastating the risks feel at the time. I look forward to seeing myself look back on an experience as being transcended. Whatever the thing is doesn’t really matter. I pride myself on leading a Socratic life [life of exploration and critical thinking]. It’s the idea of overcoming the fear that matters. That level of growth is where we can live and thrive more fully.

Congratulations to Amy, our Everyday Role Model. Amy, thank you for sharing your story. I am sure it will inspire many to live life freely and achieve their dreams.

Tim Stapleton portrait by: Owen Carey

Tim Stapleton, our eighth Everyday Role Model of 2011, thrives as a writer, and visual and performing artist.

Thank you, Tim, for agreeing to share your story. As an accomplished artist who has overcome bullying and abuse, I know that your story will be inspirational to many creative people wanting to launch the career of their dreams, but  who struggle to overcome their past and their fears.

Q:       Tim, will you start by telling us a little about yourself and your life growing up?

Tim:    I grew up in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, better known as Appalachia. I am the youngest of seven children. My father was a coal miner and although we were poor, we never felt it. My parents grew the food we ate. Looking back, growing up in the mountains was exceptional. I had nature at my fingertips daily. We wandered in the hills looking for fox. We swung on grape vines over mining breaks, picked wild berries, and gathered redbud blossoms in the spring. But not everything was perfect. From the time I entered school, I was bullied. I knew I was different, but I couldn’t understand why no one seemed to want to know me. It was the usual childhood cruelty. They called me sissy, queer, crybaby, and girly. What I found most disturbing was sometimes these remarks came from family members. When I was twelve, a 40-year-old man seduced me. As a child, I mistook this kind of affection for love; someone paid attention. I wanted more. And it came, from others in the community. Puberty hit and I went for it. All the while thinking they cared. I attended church regularly as a child, both Missionary Baptist and Freewill Baptist churches in the mining camp. Then I decided if I gave myself to Jesus, all would be forgiven. I wouldn’t be dirty…I wouldn’t have these desires, and if I did I would be forgiven. On the day of my baptism, with my mother and father in the congregation, the preacher who baptized me made sexual advances. Talk about confusion. I had to dress and walk back out into the church and sit down beside my mother. I never went back to church. My parents were hard working honest people that instilled in us a sense of pride and integrity. My father, although stern, showed love in silent ways. My parents realized life did not have to be the struggle they had endured, so they saw to it that all of us got an education and left the mountains. I left home at 17 years old to attend college.

Q:       Many people would have given up after being abused but you seem to have overcome it to thrive, where did you get your strength?

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Tim:    I never lost my ability to love. Love is a verb. It is what we do and what we must do. I also mined the depths of my unique gifts as an artist. That saved my life.

Q:         How did you make the decision to attend college and how did you decide which college you would attend?

Tim:    I knew I wanted to go to college from the time I was a child and my parents wanted that for me, as they did for all their children. I didn’t have guidance from any of my teachers. I followed the lead of, Betty Jo, a friend who eventually married to my brother and who inspired me as a child. She attended Morehead State Teacher’s College. By the time I graduated from high school it had become Morehead State University. I received a BA in Studio Art with a teaching certification. If I had the opportunity and the means, I would have attended Pratt or someplace like North Carolina School for the Arts. Yet, I know that the grass always seems greener on the other side, and I have no regrets. Life unfolds.

Q:        As a child, who were some of the most positive influences in your life?

Tim:    I have had very strong women in my life. My grandmother, Patsy Freeman worked with her hands. She made quilts, her own clothes, and grew the most incredible vegetable gardens. My mother, Della Stapleton saw beauty and always shared it with me. Betty Jo Phelps, acknowledged my artistic side as a child. The times spent drawing with her ignited a desire to create. Reba Kincer, my third grade teacher, taught me to read and write. She had a library upstairs in her home and The world opened up when I would slip off and bury myself in books there. Vivian Russell Fugate Webb, one of my high school teachers, had a way of finding what made her students tick by acknowledging the distinct gifts each of them possessed. She introduced me to Shakespeare and poetry. Then there was the artist Cezanne. I discovered his work in a book, most likely given to me by Mrs. Webb. I was drawn to the color, the freedom and fluidly of his brush strokes, the way he saw his world. I spent hours looking at his work. Later in college, I would spend nearly four months copying one of his paintings.

Patsy

Q:       What would you say were the defining moments in your life?

Tim:    There have been multiple defining moments in my life. I had an epiphany at eight years of age. Sitting on the front steps thumbing through an art book, I found a color reproduction of a Nicolas de Stael painting, it was a fiery red abstract depicting a man on horseback. I was stunned by the color and the image. I saw myself in the future, riding out of the mountains into the world. When I was sitting in a coffee shop in Lansing, Michigan, Richard Thomsen came over to my table, introduced himself and asked if he could sit down. He was the artistic director of Boarshead: Michigan Public Theatre. He had seen an article in the local paper about some very large batiks I had created for a concert version of Carmina Burana, the Carl Orff cantata. He hired me on the spot and I worked for him eight years. Later I was awarded a National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship through Theatre Communications Group, It took me to Kyoto, Japan to design a ballet. I remember sitting on a street corner in the rain eating steaming noodles at 5:00 am one morning and wondering how a boy from the mountains of Kentucky had ended up in Japan as an invited artist. Then in 2005, I made a phone call to Judy Grahn that changed my life. I went to meet her in California and started a two-year course with her as my mentor. A few years later, I walked into the rain forest in Monteverde, Costa Rica. It was like entering a holy place. That moment helped solidify my path.

Q:        How would you define your career path and has it changed during your career?

Just Visiting

Tim:    I am a painter, a writer and an actor. I taught high school in rural Kentucky for six years. I became a teacher, all the while exhibiting as a visual artist. My professional life as a scenic designer began at The Boarshead: Michigan public theatre. I received my MFA in 2007. It has been varied. It has not so much changed, more like the creative energy has taken some side roads. David Bowie once said, and I’m sure I paraphrase… essentially… “It’s all the same energy, just different tools.” Now I have spent nearly 30 years designing scenery and teaching theatre classes on the University level. I still create personal work. In 2005, I started writing. Last year I delved into acting.

Q:     It seems that once you were on your career path, things fell into place.   Have you had any significant obstacles to overcome in your career?

Tim:    Life as we all know certainly has its obstacles. However, I love the process of creating art, be it a painting or an environment for the stage. I believe in serendipity. If we stay in tune, we are shown choices. Obstacles come during the process. It’s always a challenge to find ways of jumping over the hurdles, landing on your feet and moving on. And of course, there is feast or famine.

Q:        Have you had any disappointments in your career? And, if so what did you learn from them?

Tim:    There is rejection, and it can make you stronger, it forces you to fight harder for what you know to be your truth. I have learned that what I have to say is all I have to say. Not everyone will listen. That doesn’t mean you stop. You must show that you have a lot of self-confidence.

Q:        Do you ever fear rejection? And if so, when and how do you keep moving forward even when you are afraid?

Tim:    I get up…I listen…I look up (there’s nothing down there)…I move forward…I think fear is false evidence.

Q:        What advice would you have for someone who has a dream and wants to pursue that dream but is afraid?

Tim:    Stand still. Stand strong in the knowledge that your dream is yours, and that everyone else also has a dream…do the best you can…practice kindness. If you have gifts, give them away and affect a life. My hope is, as with all art, that others will somehow see themselves. See they were not alone.

Visit Tim’s websites www.twstapleton.com, https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/LEANING-ON-THE-EVERLASTING-ARMS/116258491755725, and http://www.imfromdriftwood.com/2010/12/14/im-from-haymond-ky/

is our seventh Everyday Role Model of 2011

Rolando, thank you for agreeing to share your story. As a successful actor you have a career many people would love. Your journey will be inspirational to many.

Q:               You have been in a lot of films and television shows. How many would you say you have been in and did you have a favorite role?

Rolando:   I’ve estimated well over 100 projects over the past 20 years. IMDb (Internet Movie Database) has me as a working actor since 1992, but I started in 1991. One of the most memorable roles I’ve played was in the film CRAZY/BEAUTIFUL. One particular scene is when my younger brother, played by Jay Hernandez, comes into the kitchen while we’re having dinner and he yells at our mother. I then stand up and begin to talk some sense into him like an older brother would, and put him in his place. I related to that scene very well because I had gone through a similar situation like my character did. But I do have to say that working with iconic actors such as, William Shatner and John Larroquette has also been and honor amongst many more.

Q:               Will you start by telling us a little about yourself and about your life growing up?

Rolando:   Well, I’m from El Salvador and I came to the US when I was three along with my brother and mother. Times were tough as we moved around a lot but finally settled down in North Hollywood, CA. when my mother met my stepfather. I adopted his last name in 2000 when I became a citizen. I graduated from North Hollywood High school and became an actor at the age of 19. Growing up I had to struggle to stay out of trouble and being a band geek really helped me out. I had always had an artistic streak in me and was a class clown, and always had a knack for getting along with everyone.

Q:               As a child, who were some of the most influential people in your life?

Rolando:   My mother. She was a single mom for many years, until she met my stepfather who’s a great man, but that never stopped her from being a strong woman. She taught me how to be strong and to be a leader and not a follower.

Q:               How did your mother teach you to be strong?

Rolando:   My mother was the eldest of 7 children. At a very early age she was forced to help raise the rest of her siblings because my grandmother, couldn’t do it on her own. At age 9 she was taken out of school so she could work and help support the rest of the family. My grandmother was an abusive woman at times and she was very hard on my mother. At age 12 my mother and her younger brother were sent to orphanage because my grandmother could no longer afford to raise all 7 children on her own. There my mother suffered at the hands of the abusive nuns that ran the catholic orphanage. She was forced to sleep on a wire bed with no mattress. She said she just ended up sleeping on the floor most of the time because she couldn’t sleep on the bed. Very often the toilets would back up and she forced to clean up the overflow barefooted. She ended up with warts on her feet because of it. Also, when she came to the states, she came with nothing and often was ridiculed for being a single mother. But one thing my mother thought is to never ask for handouts. She always paid people back by doing odd jobs for them, like taking care of the kids where we were staying at or cleaning their homes, etc. This is how I have learned to be strong and never give up.

Q:               What were the defining moments in your life?

Rolando:   The day I decided to become an actor. I was about 12 years old and I was watching some kid on a TV show and I said, “I can do that! I can do it better than that kid!” I told my mom. And she said, “Then do it!” So here I am 20 years later.

Q:                   Have you had any significant obstacles to overcome?

Rolando:   Being a Latino character actor was my biggest obstacle.  Edward James Olmos gave me my start in Hollywood, but maintaining longevity in this business has been my biggest obstacle. Over the years there have been more and more Latino actors coming up in the industry and I’ve had to step up my game in order to keep a steady career. I feel very blessed to have had steady, consistent work over the past 20 years but I’ve also been told that it’s because God has blessed me with a talent.

Q:               How would you define your career path and has it changed during your career?

Rolando:   My career has been a struggle. As I mentioned, being a character Latino actor has had its disadvantages along with some advantages. The fact that not too many writers write for Latino actors has been tough, especially for us character actors. But over the years talent has over powered the Hollywood “machine” and writers have began to add more life to their scripts by adding real characters that are more realistic and have found that actors that have talent are better than just the pretty faces.

Q:               Did you go to school for acting or did you have other professional training?

Rolando:  I never had any professional training whatsoever. I have been called a natural. I like to say that my life and my surrounding were my training and my stage.

Q:              Were you in school plays or anything when you younger?

Rolando:  I was in a few plays in elementary but nothing worth mentioning. I did a play a few years ago called THE LAST ANGRY BROWN HAT in which I had the honor of playing the lead.

Q:               What are some of the disappointments you have had?

Rolando:   I have had many disappointments over the years. There have been several projects that I had wanted to be a part of, but because of the Hollywood “machine’s” lack of creativity in recent years, I was unable to be part of them. I’ve learned that you never know and when one door closes, ten more open. There are opportunities out there for actors like myself. I just have to go after them with full force! I’ve learned to go to an interview and have fun, and once I leave the room, I leave it there. Don’t look back, just move and look forward.

 Q:               You show a lot of self-confidence. Do you ever feel afraid?

Rolando:   It’s called acting my love!! Yes, I am human nonetheless, so I do feel fear. But I try to use it to my advantage when possible. My self-confidence comes from growing up and seeing my mother fight her way through life. I’m tearing up just thinking about what she went through her entire life and how she survived it all. But after all that she went through she’s still here. So whenever I am afraid, I just think about my mother and it fills me up with inner strength to keep me moving forward. And yes, I’m not afraid to admit that I’m a mommas boy!

Q:               What advice would you have for someone who has a dream and wants to pursue that dream but is afraid?

Rolando:   My advice is very simple. If you have a dream and are afraid to pursue it, then are you ready to live your entire life wondering “What if?” I knew that when I began this career that my chances of success were very slim. But I knew one thing, I didn’t want to go through life wondering “What If?” I told myself that if I didn’t make it in this business, that I at least tried and I would have no regrets. If you love something and have a passion for it, then it means that it’s your calling. I still can’t believe that it’s been 20 years. It feels so surreal to me. And one last thing, don’t measure success by fame and fortune. Instead measure it by how long you get to do what you love and have a passion for. I know I do.

Thank you Rolando Molina, our 7th Role Model for 2011.

Sarah Loranca

SARAH LORANCA our sixth Everyday Role Model of 2011

Sarah, Congratulations for being in the Everyday Role Model Winner’s Circle and thank you for agreeing to share your story. Your insights on succeeding as an artist will be informative to anyone seeking to make a profession using their artistic ability.

Q:       You just turned 25, and it seems like you have a dream job. You are traveling the western United States, supervising employees, and doing what you love. Tell us a little about what you do. 

Sarah: I am the photography supervisor for Picture People at PETCO. I manage different territories throughout the United States and run the stores. I train new photographers and even take some pictures myself. 

Q:       What is Picture People at PETCO? What do they do? 

Sarah: If you want a professional picture of your pet, you can go to a PETCO store on certain weekends and  have a picture taken. Each week a photographer goes out and shoots pictures of pets. I’m responsible for the marketing and training. I train new employees on photographic techniques as well as completing reports and paperwork. I do conference calls. I also head the marketing department for the whole nation. Every weekend I am out with a photographer and working with them.

Q:       You mention territory. What is your territory?

Sarah: My territory is Washington, Oregon, northern California, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Alaska. I travel about 33% of the time. 

Q:       You have a lot of responsibility for someone so young. How did you get the job?

Sarah: I went to Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California and received a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Photography with a concentration in digital media. I graduated in 2008 and took a job working for Picture People in the photography studios at a mall. I wasn’t making enough money to continue living in southern California, so I moved back to the bay area where my mom lives. When I moved, I put in for a transfer to northern California. Something got messed up and my transfer didn’t go through. I had to reapply for my job in northern California. My district manager said that I had to go back and start the hiring process again.  When I reapplied, they asked if I wanted to work at Petco and take pictures of pets. I am a nature photographer, so I would much rather take pictures of dogs and other pets than to take pictures of people. Then, the supervisor’s opened and because of my degree and my experience with picture people I was recommended for that job. 

Q:       How did you decide to make photography your profession? 

Sarah: In the eighth grade I realized that I was interested in photography. I took a journalism class and liked taking pictures to tell stories. I took photography in my sophomore year of high school and the teacher was great and very supportive. He gave really good feedback and encouraged me to enter some photography contests. He then suggested that I make a career of photography. Before that, I never thought I could make money with photography. My senior year in high school they created a photography class for me. In December of that year I applied to Brooks Institute of Photography and got accepted.

Q:       How did you decide to go to Brooks Institute?

Sarah: My photography teacher in my sophomore year, Mr. Dreyfus, said that there are two good schools if you want to get into photography: Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara and Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. To be honest, Rochester Institute is harder to get in and I didn’t think I had the grades or SAT scores to get in, so I didn’t even consider Rochester Institute. Brooks was the only place I applied.

Q:       You are in a very responsible job and one I can imagine many people would find appealing. Did you ever have any difficulties getting to where you are in your career?

Sarah: I grew up in an abusive home until I was about six years old. My mother left my dad at that time. Because my mom is a business woman we were never poor, but being in an abusive home did affect me. I think it had something to do with me not doing well in school in the early years. I don’t think coming from a single parent home was difficult because my mom always had a good job and was a good role model. But I was also diagnosed with dyslexia. Because of the dyslexia, I didn’t know if I would go to college. I wasn’t a bad student, but I thought it would be difficult for me to go to college with all of the reading and math required.

Q:       What recommendations would you have for someone interested in photography or another career in the arts?

Sarah: Start by taking a class or some workshops at an art school or even a recreation center. Be prepared for and open to constructive criticism. You are going to get criticism, but if you listen to it and take the advice you will get better. Photography always came easy to me, but going to Brooks was the hardest thing I have ever done. When I went to Brooks, I went from being the top dog in high school to where there were other kids who were really good and I was no longer #1. It’s a hard field to get into. My niche of nature photography is especially hard.

Q:       Aside from no longer being top dog, what was hard about going to art school?

Sarah: Like I said, the criticism. I remember calling my mom upset because of some of the critiques I received. She kept telling me that it is a part of the experience and that it would make me a better photographer. The first few critiques at school were really difficult to hear, but then I realized that what they were saying w right. There were a lot of times that I didn’t like what I heard and when I got into the more advanced classes, the criticism got harsher.

Q:        When were you most discouraged on your path to your career and what did you do to push through that discouragement?

Sarah: The second part of my first year at Brooks was the most difficult. I had done well in my first classes and I was getting A’s and high B’s. Then in my third session there was a lot of numbers and science and the dyslexia made it difficult. My grades were dropping. I was taking out a lot of loans and even though my mom was helping, I still took loans and would owe a lot of money at the end of school. It was really discouraging. I didn’t know if it was worth it.  I just kept reminding myself that I loved photography and if this is what I want to do for a living I have to do it. It also helped that I was involved with the school. I was a part of the orientation staff and they kept saying that it would get better; and it did.

Q:       What advice would you have for someone who has a passion for art and wants to make art a career?

Sarah: Be open to the fact that you might not get your perfect job immediately. I started in a studio taking pictures of people. Today I am taking pictures of animals and traveling places where I can take pictures of nature. I ultimately would like to be paid for traveling and taking pictures of nature like my mentor Ralph Clevenger. Also,be willing to take the criticism and realize that there is always more you can learn. Continue learning even when you finish school. You’ll never know everything. And know that art is a business. Brooks is a commercialized school and it teaches you how to sell your art as well as create it.

Q:       Who would you say were the most influential people in your life, in getting you started in your career?

Sarah: My mom definitely, she’s really smart. I always say, she is the smartest person I know. I go to her for all kinds of advice, work related and personal. Ralph Clevenger is someone I have always looked up to, even before I met him I loved his photographs and he has the kind of job I want. He taught at Brooks and told me that he thought I had the talent and ability to do what he does. He recommended me to do a book assignment as the photographer and I got the assignment but unfortunately the book hasn’t been published. I still send him questions. Of course, my partner Lindsay; she has also been very supportive and stands by me even when I am out in nature sitting for hours just waiting for the right shot. And my photography teacher in my sophomore year of high school, Mr. Dreyfus. He was the one who really encouraged me as a photographer.

Q:       What final words of wisdom do you have for anyone pursuing their dream?

Sarah  If you really love something, work hard, put everything you have into it, it will pay off. And, don’t let anyone tell you it’s not possible.

Congratulations to Sarah Loranca, our sixth everyday role model of 2011.

ISABEL CORTES our Role Model of the Month for May 2011

Isabel, I am so happy to have you in the Winner’s Circle. I want to thank you for agreeing to share your story.  I am sure it will be inspiring to everyone, especially young people.

Q:           Will you start by telling us a little about yourself?

Isabel:   I am 20 years old and a college student at Mills College. I have a double major, one in Political, Legal, and Economic Analysis and the other, Ethnic Studies. I am in a program where I will continue for one more year to get a Masters Degree in Public Policy (MPP).

Q:           Tell us a bit about your life growing up.

Isabel:   I was a triplet, but one of my sisters passed and I am now one of ten children; seven sisters and three brothers. I am the fourth oldest and the first woman in my family not to marry at the age of 18. This is a big accomplishment for me because my two older sisters did not attend college and my siblings now look up to me. I was born in Oaxaca, Mexico but came to the United States (U.S.) when I was nine years old. My family lives in Humboldt County, California. That is where I lived until moving to college three years ago. I do not remember much of my childhood in Mexico, but I do remember that my parents constantly struggled to provide the necessary for my siblings and me to survive. Moving to the U.S. when I was nine years old was difficult, but I learned English in one year. I believe education liberates people from struggles and once a person is educated, one can navigate the systems of oppression with more determination and drive. I constantly remind my siblings that receiving an education is the best investment they can do for themselves, for our family, and our community.

Q:           One of the reasons you were selected as the May role model of the month is because you are so committed to your education and getting the most out of it. Who were some of the most influential people in your life?

Isabel:   My mother is definitely my shero and the most influential woman I know. She is extremely determined to always accomplish her goals and the faith she has, transmits across people. Growing up, I always looked up to her because she was always positive and she did not let anything get in her way. She is a hard worker, strong, and loving woman. I also had a teacher, Maestra Rafaela—she was my 4^th grade teacher in Mexico and she always believed in my leadership potential and my ability to make a difference. She passed away a couple of years ago and although I never got to see her after I moved to the U.S. 11 years ago, I remember her all the time. Lastly, when I moved to the U.S. my 5^th grade teacher, Ms. Jepson was very supportive and encouraging. Although she had a strong personality and I did not know what she said half of the time, she helped me learn English and she knew I would excel in school.

Q:           What have been some of the defining moments in your life?

Isabel:   I believe that moments of transition and change in a child’s life are very important and I would have to say that moving to the U.S. at the age of nine was a defining moment in my life. I didn’t know where I was, what was going on, or why was I moving. All I remember was my mother’s courage to leave a life of poverty and start a new beginning of opportunities. Another defining moment in my life was the day I received a letter from the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation informing me that I had been selected as a finalist from the 90,000 high school applicants in 2008. The evening I opened my letter, all I did was cry because I knew my dream to go to college would be achieved, thanks to that scholarship. I will be forever thankful to the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation because they made a difference in my education. I would also have to define the first day of college as a defining moment in my life because I knew that this was what I always wanted, and I knew that the journey would be challenging, but I believed I was at Mills College for a reason.

Q:           You seem to be involved in so many things. What are some of the organizations and events in which you have participated? What motivated you to get so involved?

Isabel:   Some of the organizations I am currently involved with are: Resident Assistant for the Office of Residential Life at Mills College, the President of the Mills College Feminist Democrats (Fem Dems), Judicial Chair of the Associated Students of Mills College (ASMC), a member of Phi Alpha Delta- Pre Law fraternity, an ambassador for the Council of Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO), and I am also a member of the Mills College Presidential Transition Team. My motivation to be involved on campus and off campus is my willingness to make a different in the spaces I share with other people, to learn about different leadership styles and to enhance my own leadership. Also, to make sure that my voice and my concerns are heard and addressed, I must be part of what I believe needs to change.

Q:           When did you decide that you wanted to go to college?

Isabel:   Watching my mother wake up at 4:00am every morning to go to work and my father start the car at 6:00am were enough reasons for me to know that going to college was the best I could do for me and for my family. I applied to 15 colleges/universities and I did not know the process of selecting a college or what was the best college for me, but what I did know was that I could no longer see my parents work so hard. Also, the fact that my siblings did not have someone as a role model was also something that motivated me to attend college and make a difference in my community.

Q:           Being a role model for your brothers and sisters and making a difference in your community seems to be extremely important to you?

Isabel:   Yes, I will be finishing my third year of college in May and this summer I decided to return to my community and founded my first non-profit organization, Futuro Youth Institute (FYI). FYI is dedicated to better prepare Latino youth to go to college, to think about their future, to enhance their leadership potential, and finally to learn about the disparities of our communities through social justice.

Q:           Is your non-profit organization your career path after you finish college?

Isabel:   Although I hope to continue being involved with FYI, I hope other students become involved and I hope they continue to expand the organization. Therefore, I believe that FYI is not completely my career path. After completing my Masters in Public Policy at Mills College, I plan to attend law school and be a Human Rights attorney to advocate for the rights of abused women, children, and other disfranchised communities who are underrepresented in the legal system. My long-term goals are to be a U.S. Senator or U.S. Ambassador and to strengthen the relationship between the U.S. and Latin America. Lastly, I hope to travel the world and found three international non-profit organizations to assist women, disabled children, and youth through education.

Q:           You are only 20 years old, but have you had any disappointments or challenges that made you feel like quitting your pursuit toward achieving your goals?

Isabel:   Being able to stay at Mills is a constant financial struggle, but I have been blessed enough to pay for my education my means of scholarships and other financial programs. Also, due to the economic downturn and the housing crisis, my parents lost our house during my first year of college and this was a big challenge for us because we did not have a place to go and we lived with a family member for a while and then rented a two bedroom apartment. Currently, my parents are renting a house, but it is not the same. Nonetheless, I am confident that things always happen for a reason and that nothing good or bad happens without the will of God. I have learned that regardless of the challenges I face, I must always remain positive and confident because I know God has a plan for me.

Q:           What was the most difficult thing you have had to overcome to become who you are today?

Isabel:   The most difficult thing I have had to overcome to be who I am now, is probably leaving my home in Mexico. Although I was only 9 years old when I left Mexico and I don’t remember much, I still miss my friends and my life over there. I also think that growing up in a low-income family and with limited resources, I had to look for different alternatives and other ways to achieve my goals; this made me more perseverant, goal-oriented, and dedicated.

Q:           You are so courageous and seem fearless, do you ever feel afraid? And if so, how do you deal with that?

Isabel:   I think the worst fear I had was the fear of failure, but I got over that because if I never fail, I will never learn. I once got a message on a fortune cookie and it said the following, “experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.” This message has remained with me because from all the bad and good experiences I have had in the past, I am thankful for learning and blessed to know that I am becoming a better person every day. I am fearless because I do things with determination, perseverance, and faith.

Q:           What advice would you have for someone who wants to make a dramatic change in his/her life?

Isabel:   Never underestimate the potential you possess and always know that you will never know what it would be like to do “x” is you never try. Remember, if you fail you have learned. Be thankful for what you have, and focus on your short term goals, but plan for your future as well. Stay motivated regardless of the situations you face and remember that we all have a plan.

WE THANK AND CONGRATULATE, ISABEL CORTES OUR MAY EVERYDAY ROLE MODEL

Bertrand Batista, it is such a pleasure to have you in the Everyday Role Model Winner’s Circle. I want to thank you for agreeing to share your inspirational story.  Your strong work ethic and persistence are important for us all to hear.

Q:                   Will you start by telling us a little about your youth and how you experienced life as a child?

Bertrand: I was born in the Dominican Republic and lived there, in a small, rural village, until I was ten years old when I immigrated to the United States. My mom had entered the United States illegally and was able to get her permanent visa and ours (for me, an older sister and my younger brother) within a couple of years. Back then it was much easier to get a visa. My brother, sister, and I attended public schools in NYC where we had to walk streets riddled with violence and drugs. Where we lived, it was not a safe area. I never felt safe. I turned around every time I’d hear sound. One time my brother and I were coming back from school and there were a bunch of kids in a van and the van had the back door open. I told my brother not to look and the kids, but came up and put a knife to our necks and we struggled and luckily got away. Drugs were a part of daily life, you saw people using them and selling them. You saw people making money from it and it could be attractive if you are looking at it the wrong way. But we were protected by our parents, who instilled in us the value of an education and hard work.

Q:               You mention that your parents protected you and instilled the value of an education and hard work. What did your parents do?

Bertrand: My dad is a very patient man and worked the land for many years in the Dominican Republic. When he came to the U.S. he had to change careers and became a porter and he delivered pizza for a while. He taught me to work hard and have a good work ethic. My parents got divorced when I was 5 and then got together again when I was 13.  My mother was a seamstress. When the factory where she worked was closing down, my mother then took a home attendant course and started doing that. She instilled in us the value of an education and hard work.  When I received my first grade report card, my mother was elated and all she could do was talk about the good grades and how proud she was. I decided that day that I would seek to be at the top of my game with anything I did in life. Seeing my parents work so hard to make a living and support the family showed me the importance of education.

Q:               Who were some of the other influential people in your life growing up?

Bertrand: My parents were my main role models. They taught me that working hard to provide for my family was required. Some of my teachers were also influential, because in them I saw the opportunities to better myself and potentially my family’s future. I remember Mrs. Diaz, my 6^th grade Health Education teacher. She would talk to us about how students in class were supposed to dress and act. She said we had to do positive things. She wouldn’t let us wear our clothes in ways that she didn’t feel were appropriate. She talked about hygiene and said even if we didn’t have a lot of money, we could be clean. She would talk to us about drugs and hanging out in the park. It was important to me to do what was expected of me. I thrived on being recognized and she did that. I later found out that her husband was arrested for dealing drugs. I felt bad for her and wondered if that was why she was so committed to making sure we didn’t get in trouble.

Q:               What were some of the defining moments in your life?

Bertrand: Coming to America was a defining moment. I had heard from my family and others that in America anything was possible and I wanted to take advantage of the educational opportunities which I would not have had in my own country.  Getting involved in a Summer Youth Employment program was another defining moment. It led to my current career. I began to “volunteer” at the Community Medical Center via the Summer Youth Employment program and later through the high school’s after school job program. There I met professionals and skilled people in healthcare that were not afraid to teach me the tricks of the trade. They placed me on the professional path that has led me to be who I am professionally, today.   It was also a defining moment when after one semester of being away at college I had to return home because my family could not afford the expenses related to my being in school (books and additional cost of living). I decided to return home and take a part time job while going to school.  But the biggest defining moment in my life was starting a family of my own. When I was young I didn’t realize the sacrifices my parents made to give me opportunities and a better life, but having my own two children has made me appreciate greatly the immense sacrifices that my mother and father made for their children. I have been happily married for the last eighteen years and have two teenage children, Celena 16 and Gabriel 14.

Q:               What kind of work do you do now and how did the summer job lead to your current career?

Bertrand: Today, I am the Director of Patient Accounts for a network of hospitals in New York City under the umbrella of Continuum Health Partners, Inc. When I was growing up, I thought I wanted to be a computer programmer, but my career led to healthcare / patient accounts. When I was a teenager, I was in a program at the community medical center.  I learned the administrative part of providing healthcare. I learned registration, medical records keeping, insurance billing, and those kinds of things. Most importantly, I learned that I could make a difference in people’s lives. It was rewarding and gave my life meaning.

Q:               What has been the key to your success?

Bertrand: I have always done my best in every job I have had and that has been valued. The company I worked for has an open promoting policy so I was able to move up there and my current company also has an open promoting policy. To succeed, you are always dependent on other people, so you have to learn to be a team player and make sure your work benefits others as well as yourself. You have to learn to work with others well so that you can do what needs to be done.

Q:               Have you had any disappointments along the way and what were they?

Bertrand: I cannot say that I have had major disappointments, because if I learned something from the experience then it was a valuable one; but certainly I regret having to sacrifice my education in order to provide for my family.  I have completed my Associates Degree in Liberal Arts, and am five courses away from my Bachelors. I have also completed billing certification programs. However, I am still working on my dream of acquiring a Masters in Public Administration and hope to complete this within the next 3 – 5 years.  I absolutely love my family, but if I could do it over again, I would complete my education first and start the family after that, because there were financial struggles. There were days after my daughter was born that we had no money. We were not even making it paycheck to paycheck. I wanted to provide for my family but I couldn’t. My mother would show up with pampers or milk when we ran out of money. It was hard, but we had people who helped us and it made all the difference. Having a family made me realize I needed to get a higher income and succeed at what I was doing. I got married at 19 and had my first child at 22. Once I had a family there was no other priority. That was a lesson I learned from my parents.

Q:               What do you feel you learned or gained from your experiences?

Bertrand: I feel that having these experiences have equipped me with the ability and capability to advise others in similar situations, including my own children. I can help them prioritize certain life changing events.  I have also become a role model in the sense that they see that I have not abandoned my educational goal, but have opted for completion at a much slower pace.

Q:               What advice do you have for young people or someone who wants to make a dramatic change in his/her life?

Bertrand: I would advise them that the change is possible and rests only upon their shoulders because even if doors are closing, others are opening with greater opportunities. Do not get caught up with the negative aspects of any experience, but look for what has been learned and skills that can be applied to your next opportunity.  Also, in order to bring about change, you must be willing to sacrifice instant gratification and focus on the end result. You should not set your mind on a field without having an opportunity to work some in that field. Many people spend years studying and then decide that isn’t what they want to do. Focus on school and then you can focus on starting a family life, but first finish school so that you don’t have to struggle.

Q:               Thank you so much for this interview. Do you have any parting words of wisdom?

Bertrand: The theme that keeps repeating in my life is the idea of teaching others; and to realize when they make it, I make it too. If I am successful that makes the community successful too. If you are successful, that makes me successful. The minute I stop helping you, I am going to incur costs. Even if out of 100 people, 10 or 15 don’t make it or they get involved in crime, or they decide not to get an education, they may become a burden to society. If you are not educated you may not be able to get a job or change your career field. Factory work is phasing out because things are getting automated. Don’t complain that people are getting robbed and killed if you are not doing something to change that. Don’t complain that the youth are hanging out in the parks if you are not open to helping them get a job. Once you are doing well, it is your responsibility to give back.

WE THANK AND CONGRATULATE, BERTRAND BATISTA OUR APRIL EVERYDAY ROLE MODEL.

Q:        Dr. Lanier, it is such a pleasure to have you in the Everyday Role Model Winner’s Circle. I want to thank you for agreeing to share your important and motivational story.  I know that your insights and challenges will inspire others. Will you start by telling us a little about your youth and how you experienced life as a child?

Lanier: I grew up in a rural area outside of Snowhill, North Carolina. We had a farm with seventeen acres, but we were dirt poor. There were eleven of us, children, and I was the third oldest. At one point we lived in a four room house. That is thirteen people in four rooms. My father never finished elementary school and my mom didn’t finish high school, but our education was important to them. My dad was always independent and worked for himself. He did not believe in working for other people because he didn’t want them to have too much control over his or our family’s life. When you are poor, you don’t know anything else so it doesn’t seem bad. I remember, at one point when we had a TV that had sound but no picture; so for a while when friends were talking about TV shows, I could only talk about the parts of shows that I heard. Then we got a TV that had only a picture and no sound. My father stacked one on top of the other and we had both a picture and sound. We were happy and I had a good time as a kid.

Q:        With those humble beginnings how did you decide to go to college?

Lanier: I wasn’t a great student in high school. I passed everything, but never put much effort into studying. I even got suspended a couple times. I didn’t care about school and had no intention of going to college. I wanted to go into the Marines because we lived near a Marine base. My father had a stroke when I was still in high school, so I got a job at DuPont. I worked there for a couple of years doing a labor job. I talked to people there who had been there more than 20 years and I thought, “No way, this is not what I’m going to do for the next 20 years.” My older sister was in college at North Carolina Central University. She had me go there and stay with her a few days. When I got on the campus, I loved it. It was like a big party. So, that’s how I decided to go to college. It just seemed like it would be so much fun.

Q:        So, you applied and got accepted to North Carolina Central University. How was your college experience, was it fun?

Lanier: It was so much fun. Like I said, I was there to party, and at first that’s pretty much all I did. After my first semester, I was on academic probation. I didn’t take being put on probation seriously, but my sister did. When my sister found out that I was on probation and about to get kicked out of school, she came to talk to me and she started to cry. She said that we were supposed to be role models for our younger sisters and brothers. That really had an impact on me. It was the first time I realized my life affected other people so much. That is when I started paying attention and studying. There was this guy named Chris who would party with us, but then he’d leave and go study. He was getting straight A’s. I started hanging out with him and learned how to study. When I started getting A’s there was huge a sense of academic gratification. I loved that feeling and I started feeling really good about myself.

Q:        When did you decide to go to dental school?

Lanier: Dr. Vernon Clark, was one of my professors. He was the one that inspired me to become a doctor. He would talk to us about his former students who were now doctors, PhDs, MDs, and DDS. I remember one conversation he had with me when he said, “You know Lanier, you are pretty much a C student in my class. The energy and the attempt you are making right now, you are a C student. You’ve got to step up your game. I’m not going to just give you a good grade.” He then said, “Get on track and I will make you a doctor.” He wanted to help young black men and women become successful. He knew how to motivate students and bring out the best in them. At different times they would bring in professionals from different Allied Health fields and I decided on Dentistry. Every dentist I knew had their own business. A lot of other medical professionals work for someone else. I didn’t want to go back to punching anyone’s clock. I went to Maharry Medical College and got my DDS degree. I went to dental school on a Public Health Scholarship. After finishing school, I worked in New Orleans as a dentist in the housing projects. That was the way I paid off my student loans.

Q:        You now live in Los Angeles and you are a successful entrepreneur. Tell us about some of your business ventures.

Lanier: I have nine Kids Dental Kare dental offices in the Los Angeles area right now and hope to grow to eleven in the next few years. I also have a video advertising business that I am launching. It is called Circle7TV, an advertising business that is starting in car washes. People advertise their businesses digitally and there is entertaining TV between the ads. This is my focus right now. We are going to the digital expo in Las Vegas. I have a few other collateral businesses, but this is my big investment.

Q:        How did you become such an entrepreneur?

Lanier: During the summer between my undergraduate school and dental school, I went to work for this company selling books door-to-door. There are those companies out there now that have kids selling magazines. Most of them are just using the kids. The program I went to was a very good program. We had speakers like Zig Ziglar come and speak and we learned how to sell and how to accept rejection. They had something called the Rule of 22. That means you knock on doors and you get 22 rejections. If you were doing it right, you should get a sell by door 22. A lot of people who go to medical school have no idea how to run a business. I have a lot of offices and income. Achieving monetary success requires a lot of marketing and business experience. If you don’t know how to run a business you are pretty much someone else’s employee. That summer job was excellent training for me as a business person.

Q:        It sounds like you have had a charmed life. Have you had any significant challenges along the way?

Lanier: I don’t think about the challenges. I set goals and then do what needs to be done to succeed; but, yes, I have had some challenges.  Growing up was definitely hard and we were poor, but when you are poor you are used to being poor so at the time, it didn’t seem hard. I would say the hardest thing was when I decided to move from New Orleans to Los Angeles. I had to take the California board licensing exams to get licensed in California. There are two parts to the California board. There is a written part and a practical subjective part. I had been practicing dentistry for nine years, so I knew what I was doing. But California was different. I failed the practical part of the exam the first time. In fact, I failed it several times. I was about ready to pack my bags and go back to New Orleans when the Dean of a Bible School I was attending told me to take it one more time. Having him tell me to try again, gave me the confidence to take the exam one more time and I passed. I have also had a few other situations that were difficult. When I expanded to have multiple dental offices, at one of the offices, some of my employees were incorrectly reporting insurance. That created a lot of problems. I was under investigation. The practice was on probation. That was definitely a low point in my life. I maintained, followed their requests and the practice was cleared.

Q:        A lot of people would have given up in those situations. What kept you going?

Lanier: I guess I am stubborn. I’m determined and persistent. In my mind, I know I will overcome these things. I set goals for myself and follow them. I write my goals and I keep “to do” lists. I’ve always thought of myself as a patient person. But these experiences really tested me. I was between a rock and a hard place. They really humbled me. I wasn’t in control. I learned to lean on a Higher Power. I learned to listen to, as it says in the Bible, that “still small voice.” Whatever He says do, I do and I don’t get too worked up about things.

Q.        What advice would you have for someone trying to make a better life for himself or herself?

Lanier: Get some education and set goals. Write your goals. I read motivational books and listen to motivational tapes. Get up every day and outline what you are going to do and go at it harder than everyone else. I know for me to get to the point where I want to be I have to work harder than the average person. In school, there were a lot of people who had advantages over me. I think of those guys like Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics who just broke the record for making 3-point shots, and Colby Bryant. Those guys just do the same thing over and over and over again until they perfect it. Even though it comes naturally, they have to work hard to get to the level they reach. To achieve anything, you have to put your heart and soul into it. I believe you have to be competitive, and you have to think, “How am I going to compete against the person next to me?” Work hard. Plan it out. Be persistent. If you don’t eat your lunch, someone else will.” Take pride in what you do. Slow down, learn to do it right, get it right, then do it right. As they say, “If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, you definitely don’t have time to do it over again.” If you really want to be successful, study the successful people. Read books like Think and Grow Rich. Life is complicated and it is a continuous learning process. Forget about get rich quick schemes, they don’t work. It takes a lot of hard work and a long time. Be patient and be persistent.

WE THANK AND CONGRATULATE ,  DR. JERRY LANIER OUR MARCH EVERYDAY ROLE MODEL.

Steve with his friends at a football game

STEVE HELPHINSTINE

Steve Helphinstine is in the Everyday Role Model Winner’s Circle after a 40 foot fall that changed his life forever.

Q:           Hi Steve, thank you for agreeing to tell your inspiring story. Why don’t you start by telling us a bit about your family and your childhood?

Steve:    As kids, my three brothers and I played baseball. My dad was our coach. Dad worked at what was then Frigidaire Company all his life and retired from there.  He was from Kentucky and his dad was a sharecropper.  He served in WWII where he was wounded and received three Purple Hearts. He and my mom married before he enlisted. She was a coal miner’s daughter from Kentucky. Mom never had a driver’s license, or what we would call a job by today’s standards.  She was a stay at home wife who cooked and cleaned, sewed at least half of our clothes, peddled Avon, and was the neighborhood seamstress.  Unfortunately, she died of cancer when I was 20 years old.  My older brother died in a car accident because of a drunk driver when I was 18 years old.  

Q:           So what happened that changed your life?

Steve:    It was April 14, 1982 and I was 25 years old. I was at a Cincinnati Reds game with a friend from work.  I stopped on the way to the game and picked up a six-pack of beer.  At the game, I continued drinking beer and I don’t really remember what happened, but they tell me I jumped from the stadium parking garage, from 40 feet up, and fell onto the railroad tracks below.  As a result of the fall, I suffered a compression fracture of my 5^th and 6^th cervical vertebrae that left me a quadriplegic. I spent ten months in the hospital and after numerous infections and multiple surgeries; I got out of the hospital on February 14, 1983. I went home to live with my father.  My younger sister Robin took care of me for a while until we hired someone once I started college.

Q:           What kind of work were you doing at the time of your accident?

Steve:    I was working at Frigidaire, the manufacturer of refrigerators, in the warehouse. It was factory work.

Q:           After your accident you went to college? That seems like a big move. Why did you decide to go to college at that time?

Steve:    I was on Social Security Disability and I didn’t think about going to college but I was just sitting around the house not really doing much. In the fall of 1983, the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation said they would pay for me to go to college. So, I decided to go to Wright State University. I couldn’t do anything for myself at that time. I had an assistant who would come and help me get dressed. I couldn’t drive but Wright State University had a special bus equipped with a wheelchair lift. They would pick up the disabled students and drop us off at school. Once I got started in school, it kept me going and kept my mind on something other than myself. I majored in Accounting and Finance, studied hard and got straight A’s.

Q:           Were there other hardships you had, while in school?

Steve:    Dad had been suffering from emphysema for a long time. He was a smoker and never quit.  He committed suicide in our house one week before I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Wright State University.  I had learned to drive and purchased a wheelchair lift equipped van during my last quarter at school. But, I always felt that dad was ashamed of me – maybe it was because I was ashamed of myself – for what I had become, a quadriplegic. He, and I, never foresaw the possibilities of what my life could and would become.

Q:           What kind of work do you do now?

Steve:    I work at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in accounting and finance.

Q:           You had a lot to overcome to finish school and then your dad’s death. Did things go better from that point in your life?

Steve:    Even after I was paralyzed and graduated from college, I didn’t stop drinking right away. I had reached a level academically and financially where 97% of the people with my disability don’t reach, but I kept drinking and I was almost back at the same place I was before the injury. I was financially broke and $70,000 in debt. But, I’ve been sober for 16 years now.

Q:           What turned around for you and stopped you from drinking?

Steve:    I realized self-determination and rational thinking couldn’t get me out of debt. I was in trouble and I checked myself into rehab. I started going to AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] meetings.  I also spent 10 years volunteering at the VA Center in Dayton at CADAS, the Center for Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Services where my AA Sponsor and I took our message of experience, strength, and hope to the inpatients there.   I also got involved with the Dayton area Literacy Council and became a literacy tutor, teaching young adults how to read. I began attending church and realized there was a God and everybody has a purpose. After I got the spiritual connection, I became thankful for the opportunities I’ve had. I have had so many opportunities and financially I’ve done very well.

Q:           What advice would you give to someone who has suffered an injury or has a disability?

Steve:    It’s all about persistence and attitude. Get out of your comfort zone. Get out and do small things and build on that. When my injury first happened I was so depressed. I had people who loved and challenged me. I felt my life was over, but people in my life pushed me to get out of my comfort zone. The other day one of the guys in AA, Butch, said that he and his friend were out snowboarding and his friend fell and is now paralyzed. He asked if I would go to the hospital and talk to his friend. Right after my accident there were people who came in and talked to me. I didn’t want to hear it at that time, but it did make a difference. So, I feel that when I can talk to someone, it is a way of giving back. Today I visited Butch’s friend Greg in the hospital.  Greg and Butch wrecked a snowmobile on December 28, 2010. Butch survived intact, while Greg suffered a C-5 cervical fracture. He is currently unable to move his arms and he’s is on a ventilator. I shared my 28 plus years of being a quadriplegic. Hopefully, providing him some useful facts and pitfalls to avoid while at the same time giving him hope that his life is not over, it still has meaning, and he has gifts to give. After all, it’s not about what you get; it’s about what you give.

WE THANK AND CONGRATULATE ,  STEVE HELPHINSTINE OUR FEBRUARY EVERYDAY ROLE MODEL.