This past summer Jason Lawrence, a Carpentry Junior at Kaynor Tech, attended The Connecticut Youth Leadership Project at UCONN in Storrs. This forum accepted forty students and was geared toward facilitating students’ positive attitudes about accomplishing their dreams in spite of their limitations and recognizing their abilities when it comes to future goals. Jason was so impressed and enthusiastic about the program that he wanted to share his experience with others at school. Here is what Jason had to say about his four day experience.

Qu: When you were approached by your teacher about this what did you think?

Jason: I thought it was a good opportunity. It would look good on my resume

Qu: Was the conference a positive experience?

Jason: Yes, most definitely.

Qu: What made it so positive?

Jason: It was much more than something good for my resume. It was great because it was an eye opener to see different people and different disabilities in a more positive way.

Qu: What was the purpose of this forum?

Jason: To show people with disabilities that they have the ability to accomplish whatever they dream. In one activity there were two teams and on each team were kids with blindness, wheelchairs, and other disabilities. They put us on this platform where we had to work as teams to balance it out. It is hard to explain but each team had to work together to complete the goal of balancing the platform. We had to help the kids in wheelchairs get to one side or the other, going back and forth until we balanced it. It was cool because at one point I just walked over to one side and it balanced out. It surprised all of us. It took a long time but we accomplished balancing it and it was fun.

Qu: Can you tell us how the forum changed the way you see yourself?

Jason: I was always pretty positive about myself but even so, this forum helped me see even more qualities about myself. What was really neat is that I think that I learned more about how I see others who are different. It’s like I have another way of understanding them. So in that way, I know I changed. I know some kids at school who seem different. Like this one kid who does not talk with anyone. Now that I met so many cool kids with special needs, I see him in a different way. He was in my study hall last year and I did not really talk much with him. I will try to see if I can get into the same study hall as him again. This time I will make more of an effort to get to know him.

Qu: What was your favorite part?

Jason: The free time, because I got to talk to and meet a lot of people. I met a new friend and we still call each other and talk.

Qu: Were you given any challenge to do after this forum?

Jason: They want us to be an example to others and know that we can do anything we want to do in spite of our limitations. We had to plan a project after the forum that would benefit others. The plan we were able to come up is one that would benefit the environment.

Qu: What is your plan?

Jason: I plan to get Kaynor to recycle paper. And then get as many schools as possible to do the same.