My experience with people with disabilities began my sophomore year of high school. To allow you to truly dive into my experience and feel it as it was your own, please take a look at the following stories of my own life:

After a long day of constant droning from the teachers, who seemed to have no regard for my emotional well-being or any sympathy for my jam packed schedule, I began my journey down the familiar long hall, packed as a can of sardines with the new freshman “fish.” Managing to push my way through the sea of shoulders and backpacks, I could finally see a glimmering sliver of light pierce the dim hallway. The doors to the school parking lot were opened and the periodic scent of late summer swarmed me like an old friend. Just as I was about to push my way out the double doors and into freedom, I felt a clumsy hand pat me on my shoulder; a pat I hadn’t felt in the long three months from school we all had spent for our summer vacation; a pat that brought me to drop my resentful attitude toward school in it’s entirety. It came from an average sized teenager, physically the same age as me, yet somewhat mentally aloof. His shadowed upper lip and his matted brown hair announced his unconcern with today’s fashion, but his warm care-free smile pulled at your heart ensnaring all sense of humility, compassion, and acceptance. His name, for now, is unimportant; his significance is far beyond something as trivial as a name. His significance—is innocence in its purest form.

I’d like you all to get to know and understand this young man as I have. To understand and appreciate him is to fully comprehend the importance of acceptance. This young man has no restraint on his love for others. He, unlike most, can be in a school of 2,400 students and have the desire to get to know each and every one of them regardless of who they are, where they come from, or even what they think of him. He befriends everyone he meets with ignorance to how he is; we all could only be so lucky to be so comfortable with who we are. Most compassionate people would say they make it a habit to seek him out through the day, to say hi and ask about his activities. But I have found that now it is most natural to see him in the halls and without any thought or restraint I can walk up and give the guy a hug, a uh, man hug of course. Because of his open acceptance of others, it is easy to see the insignificant boundaries of his understanding and think of him as not an “average” human-being, but an above average human-being that will care about me under any circumstance.

This friend-to-all contains unconditional love, a Christ-like love that everyone should strive to attain. If we could only accept others as he does, we could only improve ourselves and enrich the lives of so many others. This young man, with his constant beaming smile and his vocal unrestraint in the halls to get your attention, this role-model’s name, is Richie, a not-so-average junior from my high school.

My journey with those with disabilities however didn’t end here. My next story is about a young woman that is the embodiment of optimism , and it is for her strength I am dedicating my ride to her. Her name is Betsy Helbing.

Betsy is one of the most incredible girls I know; she shines everyday with her infectious smile. This, with all my emphasis however, has never been unusual for her. Before her disability, I met Betsy during the beginning of our freshman year of college, I could tell she wasn’t your average person, but I had no idea how strong she was. During the 2nd week of our freshman year Betsy lost the use of both her legs in a terrible accident. After over a year and a half of treatment, Betsy is still the same wonderful girl I knew my first year, even more beaming than I can remember. She simply gets around in a wheelchair. Even during my own college struggles, Betsy was there on a late night outside my apartment, taking my trivial sob stories in stride and reciprocating nothing but encouraging words and a kind heart. Her optimism astounded me. How could she stay there and listen to my stories, stories which pale in comparison to her trials? Why did she not remind me ‘Worse things can happen’? It is because she exudes strength from God given to her to be a light to many others. Because good things come from the bad if you have the insight to understand and endure. Yes, like everyone, I must assume she has good days and bad days, but I must say, I can’t recall her during a single bad day. I am taking part in this Pi Kappa Phi event because of Betsy’s strength to overcome such a disability and live the same, likely much more gracious, college life my fellow Aggies and I have. If she can live every day triumphing over her disability, should we not use what we have now, something that can be taken away in an instant, to do something absolutely incredible? It is the opportunity to spread strength and contagious happiness like Betsy’s that I desire to be involved in Push America. It is for your belief that I am embarking on this Journey; your belief that every person has the strength deep down inside to overcome any obstacle. Whether it is the economy, an unstable job, a rift in a friendship, getting up to go to that 8am class, or a physical or mental disability, there are too many good things in life to be down. And there is amazing strength created with human friendship. It is for our common beliefs that I am riding the Journey of Hope.