"From Where I Sit" Video Series

Gloria B's Story — Video Transcript

At 5 years old I had spinal meningitis and the doctors had told my mom that it had affected my brain in a way that I would never be able to read or write, or do some of the things that normal children would do. I hated school. The most frustrating thing for me was to ask a question and they'd tell me, "Just read the book. You know its in Chapter 3." "Well I read Chapter 3 and I don't understand what its saying." It's just been hard for me to explain what I've learned.

I had no idea what I could do with my life because people would tell me that, "Well you're never gonna be able to do anything. You won't be anything." ... and my strengths were being able to talk and clearly articulate what I felt. My proudest accomplishment was actually being able to go from the welfare to be a prominent source in corporate America.

I was injured. I was physically injured and also experienced a lot of panic disorder. I knew I couldn't go back to my position because of my injuries. Not having any idea what to do with my life, I decided that it was time for me to face the ultimate fear and that was going back to school. The world will know everything it is that I didn't know... and that was a very fearful place for me.

It's extremely difficult for me to make associations based on looking at information and not having step-by-step instructions. Often times when I get home and I start to study, there's major gaps in, in my notes because I have a hard time listening and writing at the same time. I've learned to identify what works for me. I'd literally rather stand up and do a presentation an oral presentation, than to have to do a multiple-choice test with a Scantron.

Some of the things that I have to do for myself to advocate, is to talk with instructors, let them know what I'm dealing with and how I best learn. I sit in the class on the first day and I actually do an assessment of the instructor. If his teaching style is not conducive to my learning style, then it's not a match. It's not a match at all. And I will drop a class on the first day.

The type of teaching styles that have taken me away from a lot of classes is lecture, lecture, lecture with no instructions, no paper, no reference to the written material. We have a book but we never open it. When the professor is writing on the board, and I am trying copy what she's writing, she's writing fast, she's talking and I am trying to keep up, and then all of a sudden she erases. It's like, okay, there it goes.

Some professors have their lecture notes online - others don't. I think that when I'm able to pull the lecture notes down, that it's more effective for me. I think that would work good for all... all students, if they had an option.

When a professor comes in with a PowerPoint presentation, if they've lectured thoroughly on the information and the PowerPoint presentation is merely a review of the information, then that's okay.

I love online classes because you have a week or two to complete assignments and I can do the research and I can scan the information and I can listen to the information and then I can answer the questions and then I can hear what I've written as well.

So many things can be learned through experience and I know that it is my passion to work with young women because I see there is a definite need for it... the teaching of self-esteem and self worth... and sharing with them my story as a young woman.