Wednesday, November 23, 2011

A Noble Life

The following is a speech given by Self Advocate and Down Syndrome Indiana board member, Jessica Green during a recent school presentation. She brought the teachers to tears and was encouraged to give her speech to more educators and students. If you are interested in having Jessica or a self advocate speak at your school, please contact the DSI office and we can help arrange it for you!

Good morning everyone!!

As you know, my name is Jessica Green.

I chose to title my speech today a noble life………..

I was born here in Indianapolis 28 years ago.

I am the first child of my parents, Steve and Lana Green.

I have a younger sister, Casey, and a younger brother, Michael, and my dog named Sofie.

When I was born, my parents were not only new to being parents but certainly new to know how to support a child who had Down syndrome.

Little did they know that raising me and loving me would be a piece of cake!

They took me home and followed the advise of my pediatrician which was….to treat me like they would any new baby and enjoy every moment.

My parents brought me home and then got busy researching and learning as much as they could about Down syndrome and what would be best for me.

They met some wonderful people at Noble of Indiana who gave them encouragement and strength.

They started realizing what a happy and full life I could have.

Boy were they right!

I am glad they didn’t listen to the professionals that were telling them not to set their expectations too high….

They learned terms like inclusion and normalization.

Inclusion means that every person, regardless of their challenges should be offered the same opportunities as their peers.

My parents thought being in the real world would be the best way for me to learn and make new friends.

So from preschool on, I was in typical classrooms with other children my age.

I attended my neighborhood school with my brother and sister and neighborhood friends.

This was a very new idea back in the 1980’s so it took quite a few meetings and discussions before it happened.

It also took some work by my mom and some very good teachers to adapt and modify some things so that my classes would be meaningful to me.

This not only helped me but quite a few other children in the classroom.

There were times when it was pretty hard but as my grandma smith says…”you can’t give up……if you fall or stumble you just have to keep getting back up and try again….

All of the experiences that I have had—good and bad—have made me the person that I am today.

We all deserve the dignity of being allowed to try!!
Sometimes I succeed and sometimes I don’t—just like anyone else.

I had a very busy time during my school years, not only taking classes, but attending extracurricular activities like dancing and performing with the theatre of inclusion, volunteering for the Humane Society, and eventually working for Barnes & Noble, Eddie Bauer, and two different advertising agencies.

After I graduated, I was able to fulfill one of my dreams……..to go to college….
I attended Marian University here in Indianapolis, and it was great!!

I hung out on campus and went to dances and sporting events and oh!! yes!! I took classes too… ha ha ha…

I took dance, choir, stage production, volleyball and nutrition.

After college I started working for a company…..Advantage Medical in Carmel, Indiana. I was there for 8 years. They were recently bought by a larger company and my position was outsourced, so I had to look for a new job. I am now working at Petco in Carmel as a grooming assistant. I love dogs and really wanted to work with them, so I am very happy.

One of the things that I am most proud of is being a self advocate. I am on the board of Down Syndrome Indiana and also in the National Down Syndrome Congress. I am so proud of representing people who have Down syndrome. I love meeting families of younger children and giving them hope and encouragement for their child’s future. I encourage them to think out of the box and push the envelope.
You really don’t know what a person can do until you give them a chance to try!!

I have testified and spoken on behalf of the issues that individuals who have challenges face. I have done this here in Indianapolis and also in Washington D.C.

It is important that the people who are in charge of making the laws know firsthand what is important to us and that we feel we deserve the same rights and privileges as everyone else.

After all…..

I pay taxes, I pay rent, I vote and believe I deserve a voice like anyone else.

I even wrote the governor a few years ago to ask if crosswalk signs could be put up at the intersection where I live. I wanted to be able to safely walk across the street to my neighborhood stores and bank. I couldn’t believe that he read my letter and they were actually installed. I am proud of this because I know it not only helped me be more independent, but I know it helped other people as well.

In August 2010, I achieved another lifelong goal!! I moved into my first apartment!!

I am still learning what it means to be our on my own and making my own decisions. I am learning about making healthy and safe choices, about budget, cooking and everything that comes with living independently. I think this has been harder for my mom and dad than me.

I am really enjoying the freedom and the experience so far.

Well, I will close by reminding all of you that at the end of every rainbow there is a pot of gold. That is the message I would like to leave you with today.

Never give up!!

Teachers and administrators please allow all of your students to fulfill their dreams. Offer them a supportive and positive environment so that they will have an opportunity to reach their full potential.

Somewhere over the rainbow dreams can come true and everyone should be allowed to try to reach their pot of gold.

Thank you so much for having me here today. Go out and make it a wonderful day!!

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