I have a student that I have worked with for a year named Cody Laplante. He is a junior in high school and is visually impaired. Last year he worked at the Connecticut chapter of Camp Abilities as the senior counselor-in-training and did an AMAZING job! He has been observing the field of vision impairment education for awhile now and has decided that this is the career he would like to pursue.
Cody is one talented young man. I work with him as an intern at several of my programs and in a group called Student Advisory Council (a group for teens who have vision impairments). I am constantly impressed at his maturity, kindness and natural ability to be a teacher. At Camp Abilities Connecticut, he was a CIT for a group of students who had multiple impairments. Every time I observed Cody he was acting and teaching as I would. He is a natural teacher and his personal empathy for others who have vision impairments is inspiring to me as one of his teachers. I wish I could clone Cody and put him all over the state! He is always one of the first students I turn to to help me help another student with a vision impairment feel welcomed or supported.
Cody is one rock star student and he has taken it upon himself to fundraise money to go to the Alaska Camp Abilities. He has done all the work for this himself; relying only on myself, Justin and his parents for guidance.
Cody created his own webpage for fundraising. Here's the link: http://tryingtogettocampabilities.weebly.com/index.html
Please donate! Camp Abilities Alaska is co-directed by Justin Haegele (who you have read articles from right here on The Bee). They do great things at the Alaska chapter. Again, please donate! Every little bit helps :)
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