Ohio State Final Program Reflections

During my two years in my Ohio State Masters program, I have been deeply impacted as an academic researcher, museum educator, and blind visual artist. I began this journey somewhat uncertain concerning the specifics of working in a museum setting, writing and expressing myself academically, and also how to incorporate my numerous passions into my career. My passion for Disability justice, and researching accessibility trends, and also using my blindness experiences to showcase the positive philosophy of disability. Through these interesting passions, the most profound experiences of the program began when I was able to research and create my own topics of interest. For example, during the program, I read various academic articles, nonfiction works, and watched documentaries that specifically related to my interests. The Country of the Blind by Andrew Lealand, Going Blind by Joseph Lovett, and Vision Portraits by Rodney Evans were three of the most significant sources that I explored during my time in the program. I learned the significance of multiple perspectives concerning blindness, how it is possible for blind individuals to become artists, and even how a blind art teacher can positively impact both blind and sighted students alike.

Through this program, I have been able to push the boundaries of what is possible as a museum educator. I have embraced the perspectives of multiple lenses and interpretations within the community concerning disabled and nondisabled individuals alike. I have also stretched the possibilities of using multiple senses for research, art making, video creation, and much more. All of my professors and program cohort have been extremely supportive and encouraging along my journey. I have combined technology, my own skills, embracing a positive community and learning from each other, and also yearning to create and publish future academic research. The depth of subjects covered within this program and receiving the opportunity to flourish in our own areas of interest was definitely liberating and empowering. Being an Ohio State Buckeye has offered me the chance to combine my passions and field of interests for the betterment of our local community and beyond The Butler. I am forever grateful to the extraordinary Ohio State community for providing me an unforgettable, rigorous, memorable experiences, and projects within this program! My takeaways are profound, and due to my enrollment in this second Master's program, my intersectionalities as a blind visual artist, academic researcher, technologist, Aira explorer, and Ohio State Buckeye have allowed me to thrive and spread my wings even farther than ever before!!!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/3bb0d3_96698a3570c94b7fb32865f576063a91/1080p/mp4/file.mp4