Becoming a Warrior

Continue Reading Issue 42

Going to college is one of the biggest transitions people experience in their lives. You’re away from home for the first time, solely responsible for your academic and social life, with the pressure to become the person you want to be for the rest of your life. 

As daunting as that may be, now imagine also having a rare genetic condition and living — for the first time — without a caregiver. This was my reality when I came to Eastern as a first-year student last fall. 

I was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic condition that causes one’s muscles to deteriorate over time. Because of this disability, I use a power wheelchair and require daily assistance with basic tasks such as getting dressed in the morning. In preparing for college — even an accessible one like Eastern — I needed to figure out how to minimize the near-24/7 care I had grown up with and maximize my independence. 

My very first days at Eastern were a whirlwind, to say the least. Learning how to navigate my new environment — finding the door openers and elevators within buildings and figuring out how to use the bathroom on my own, all while balancing my schoolwork and clubs — was physically and mentally draining. For a time, it seemed that things might not work out, and I often found myself frustrated. There were days I felt trapped in my mind, just trying to juggle the logistics. 

Through it all, however, I found there was always something to pull me back to the present, whether it be a kind word from an RA or a new friend excited to see me. And that’s when I discovered something even more rare than accessibility: community. 

Growing up in Rhode Island and graduating in a high school class of approximately 120 kids, there weren’t many opportunities to meet new faces. Everyone in my grade had been together since elementary school, if not longer. As a result, the stereotypical tropes of who each person was “supposed” to be were firmly established. To my peers, I was known simply as “the girl in the wheelchair” (and maybe a bit of a nerd). 

At Eastern, it was a shock to meet people who were genuinely interested in getting to know me for all that I am. It was this welcoming community that truly made me feel not only like a Warrior, but a capable one, too.

Transitioning to college was certainly an eye-opening experience. 

I find it almost poetic that at this point in my life, where I’m more self-sufficient than ever, I’m also more supported than ever. For a long time, I never thought I’d be as independent as I am now, and I once believed that to be truly successful, one had to be completely independent. But now I see that independence and receiving support are not mutually exclusive. 

If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that success is not linear and doesn’t exist in isolation. There’s always something you can improve upon, and it doesn’t all have to do with getting good grades. Success can be measured from all angles. Often, improving in one area, such as being more social, can send waves through your life and help you thrive in other areas as well. 

Considering the challenges I’ve faced and conquered this year, I know there will be many more to come. As unpleasant as challenges may be, they are also opportunities to grow in multidimensional ways — ways you might never have thought possible. While it’s difficult, I encourage you to embrace life’s challenges. 

After all, we are Warriors.

Continue Reading Issue 42