My Name is Sarah Lever and I am twenty-four years old. I live in Charlotte, North Carolina and attend Central Piedmont Community College. Computer Programming is my major because I have a strong interest in technology, especially assistive technology for people with special needs.
I have one sister and two brothers who love me to pieces. I was the baby and got everything.
Whenever I have down time I like to write, listen to music, be with my nephew and nieces, and enjoy the outside; but I don't get much down time between being a college student and an ambassador.
I am a hard worker. I like everything to be right. If I am doing something I might work into the night. I don't know if that is a strength or weakness, because I don't relax a lot. It might be strength because it shows people that I keep my word.
The biggest challenge I had in my life was finishing high school and earning a diploma, because the school's staff wasn't preparing me to finish with a diploma. I had to pass an exam before graduating. But, it all worked out because I had an excellent teacher who saw that light in me. She pushed me to work hard. So, in three months I was taught six years of schooling, even though my health wasn't in the greatest state. I passed the state's exam under that teacher.
My educational goal is to get my computer programming degree or something in that line of work. I would love to work in an assistive technology center helping people with AAC. I am going to Central Piedmont Community College to accomplish that goal.
My Liberator and all other big equipment came from The Children's Services of North Carolina. Any other parts or upgrades for my Liberator were obtained by CAP (Medicaid).
I would like to do something with augmentative communication because I love getting the word out about people who are non-verbal so they can have a way to communicate. I have seen many people who are non-verbal without AAC. Also, I have experienced not having a device to communicate to others.
I don't know how I measure my success because I do so many different things. When I finish a course in school I feel extremely successful. When I can give some hope to a parent of an augmentative communication user I feel good. Hope can keep a person trying, even when things are moving slowly such as getting funding for a device or a speech therapist that is skilled in teaching AAC.
The most interesting thing I have done in the past three years was to take a class in using the computer program "Office." I began using "Office" a lot for school and other things. Like I use "Word" everyday for a lot of things.
Being a hard worker is how I get things done. I work extremely hard on my augmentative communication needs and school. I am very successful, most of the time, at both of these.
I want to say thank you to the Prentke Romich Company for making the Liberator and all the equipment I have gotten from them. The Liberator has changed my life for the better.