Redefining What’s Possible

PABLO CONTRERAS

My Minneapolis College Story

I wasn’t originally planning on attending Minneapolis College. After graduating high school in the spring of 2019, I went to the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind, where I attended their transition program for two years. I decided I wanted to try something new and move away from home to gain more in dependence. I figured, if I don’t give myself that push, I’m not going to grow, and I wasn’t about to stay in my small hometown for my whole life. 

So, in the fall of 2021, I ended up going to get some more adjustment to blindness training at the Minnesota Center for the blind, (formally known as Blind Inc.) throughout my time there, I was trying to decide on whether I would be college, or workforce bound.

Towards the end of my program, I decided that I wanted to go to college, and pursue a degree in human services, which I later narrowed down to social work specifically. It was a big deal for me, as I am a first-generation college student, and not only that, but once I officially decided that I was going to be attending Minneapolis College, I realized that I was truly going to be on my own.

After graduating adjustment to blindness training in May of 2022, I went home for the summer and prepared for the journey that I am on now, and two semesters away from completing. I never considered myself to be academically gifted growing up, so I had no clue at the time how I was going to do in college. I was extremely shocked when I found out I passed all my classes after my first semester. I’m still quite shocked today, as a matter of fact. But now, six semesters in, with two more to go, I have a newfound confidence. It hasn’t been easy, but it also wasn’t as scary or hard as I thought.

I’m currently looking for four-year universities to transfer to, which is something that I never thought I would be doing in my life. I didn’t even think I would be attending any post-secondary institutions in general. But by the grace of God, here I am.

If there’s anything that I can say to any aspiring or incoming first-generation college students, it would be that there is a lot of truth to that saying that you can do anything you put your mind to. Your mind can sometimes be your worst enemy, once you learn to control it, it’s only forward from there.

Some People I Would Like to Thank

I’d like to start off by thanking my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it’s because of his grace and mercy that I am writing this today. I know that I can do anything through him who strengthens me. Second, I want to thank my mom, Maria Ortiz, who left everything she ever knew back in Mexico to give me a better life when I was little. I want to thank the rest of my family as well for taking care of me when my mom would work long hours. I want to thank my in-laws, Bruce and Michelle Kasal, without their help, I don’t know if I would’ve overcome certain obstacles throughout these last three years.

I want to thank my beautiful fiancé, Aviana Kasal, she has been my rock through all this as well. I want to thank former employee of the Accessibility Resource Center, Jill Moe, I couldn’t have asked for a better person to help me ease my way into college, and make it as smooth of a transition as possible.

I'd also like to thank the current accessibility team at the ARC for your support. Jessica, Aaron, Britt, Kayla, and any others I may be forgetting. I would also like to thank some former student workers at the Accessibility Resource Center that helped me through my first two years. Lina Howard, and Ellie Thompson.

Lastly, I’d like to thank some professors that I’ve had throughout the semesters. Starting with Debra Wertanen, who was my professor for three different communications courses; Chavonn Chen, my professor for college composition; Matt Helm, my professor for Engl 900; and Said Mohamed, my professor for three of my human services courses. Your efforts to make your classes accessible and inclusive definitely didn't go unnoticed, and they were very much appreciated.