Collin

I would like a GPS because I believe it can help me a lot. I have done a lot of independent traveling, and I still am. I'm a very good traveler. I also have a lot of experience with technology. I've used a trekker before, and I like it. I can use this GPS in college to locate certain things on campus. A GPS would allow me to know what's around me. I usually like to know what's around me when I'm traveling in unfamiliar areas.

I'm currently going on mobility every Friday. My mobility instructor is currently teaching me how to travel in unfamiliar territory. I'm also learning how to use the bus systems. I would say that my traveling skills >e pretty good, but a GPS would help me with where I'm at.

I have traveled alone before, and had great experiences. Traveling alone is not that bad. I like it because it teaches me how to be independent. My experiences as an independent traveler were pretty cool.

The reasons for hoping to win this GPS are not that it sounds like a great thing to have. I want this GPS so that I can even be more independent. This GPS can help me in the future. I have used a GPS before.

The first time I’ve used a GPS was when I was in Minnesota. My mobility instructor, Mrs. Laurose, and I, along with some other visually impaired people went to Minnesota. We were there for the Closing The Gap conference in 2005. All of the technology was so cool to look at. My favorite piece of technology was the Braille note m-power. It was cool to mess with. One of the cool things about the Braille note m-power was that it can support GPS software.

Not only did I get to play with technology, but I also got to meet people that either made the technology, or advertised it. the people were very cool to talk. A lot of the time they knew the answers to my questions that I had for them. These people were in Minnesota for two days. That was how long the conference was. Minnesota wasn't my only travel experience. I also went to Colorado too.

Traveling to Colorado was the first time that I have ever traveled on a plane by myself. I have learned a lot from this experience because I've never traveled on an airplane before. Lots of people helped me get from gate to gate, but I wasn't with my parents. I was in Colorado for a camping trip that I wanted to go to. That is not the point. The point is, I went to Colorado & back alone, and that's what counts. I also have goals too.

Graduating from Grand Ledge High School is my main goal right now. I want to keep my grades up and graduate with a good GPA. I'm currently a junior this year, and hope to move on to senior year. Working towards this goal is not an easy path. I know what I want to do after high school. I'm planning to go to a four-year college after I graduate. The top two colleges that I want to go to are Michigan State University and Western University. I heard that these colleges have a very good disabilities program. What lead me to these conclusions was another experience that I went through.

In the mean time I was doing some research on what I wanted to do for a career, and I also volunteered at the Michigan Library for The Blind. I also thought about being a techy geek. I had ideas, but didn't know how to expand on those ideas. I have talked to some teachers in my school and they told me that I should do what I'm interested in. So I did some more research on line. A lot of the computer jobs are very difficult to get in to, but not impossible. What really made me think was when I started to talk to Mrs. Laurose.

I told her that I wanted to do something with computers. She told me that was cool, but she said that I should do something that involves working with people. I told her that I like to hang out with people a lot. she said that I should get in to a career that involves working with people. I didn't know what to think. then she was telling me about the VA and what people do. The VA is a system of hospitals where veterans go after the war. A lot of these veterans are blind. I told Mrs. Laurose that I was interested and wanted to know more about this field. She told me that she knows people that work in the VA. She also asked if I wanted to go to Chicago and visit a VA hospital. I told her I wanted to go, and that is where another great experience came in.

Chicago was a great place to go. I got a lot of traveling practice, but I knew why I was there. Mrs. Laurose told me that her friends and the head of Hines VA hospital wanted to meet me. I was looking forward to visiting Hines.

When I got to Hines the first thing that I did was meet the head of staff. Everybody calls him the chief. He was cool because he spent an hour of his time giving Mrs. Laurose and me a general tour of the hospital. The layout of the hospital was pretty easy to remember. the tiles were rough in the hallways. Those rough spots told the veterans that they were in a different part of the hospital. Most of the veterans that were there either fought in World War II or the Vietnam War. Then the chief had to go and gave me a schedule.

After the tour I talked to the head of the computer department. We talked about how to apply for working at Hines. This person told me that I should minor in computers and major in a skill that involved working with people. I told him that I would remember that.

I would be observing a computer lesson for two hours. I met two very nice veterans who fought in World War II. In this computer lesson the veterans had to edit documents using jaws with Microsoft word. These veterans were very fast learners. I was surprised how fast they learned. It must have been the instructors that they had. The instructors were very nice people. The first thing I asked them was why don't they teach window-eyes to the veterans. They told me that window-eyes was new, and that they wanted to stick with jaws. I sure learned a lot from that computer lesson. Things were covered that I didn't even know how to do. I thanked everybody for letting me observe the lesson. Everybody in that room told me that they wanted me back. I told them that I would come back sometime.

After the lesson I went on another tour of Hines. The next thing that I saw was the living skills part of Hines. That part was pretty cool too. I didn't get to see a lesson, but I got to see all of the equipment that the veterans used. My favorite piece of equipment was the money reader. It was cool, but it costs too much. This department of Hines is where the veterans learn basic skills.

I really enjoyed my stay at Hines. I got a lot of information out of my one day visit. Before I left I got to play with a trekker. Playing with the trekker was probably the most colliest thing that I ever did. That is why I want one so badly.

I hope I get a GPS because a GPS can tell me more information about my surroundings. I will use this GPS a lot and hope to learn a lot from using one. I've us$ one in the past, but not long enough to get to know all of the features of it. I really like technology a lot because technology has opened a lot of doors for me. I like technology because it enables me to get information so that I can function just like any other person.