Living like any other person who can see

This story is featured in Episode 69

Marta Hanyżkiewicz, born in Poland, is a student of business and psychology at New York University and Baruch College in New York City. She is blind but has decided to live her life like any other person her age who can see.

This is what she says about herself:

I’m Marta. I like yoga, kickboxing and Caesar salad. I’m studying business and psychology at New York University and Baruch College. And I am blind. I’ve lost my scholarship and without your help I won’t get my graduation diploma.

Międzychód is a small Polish town surrounded by the forests. This is where I am from. I went to a well-known institution for the blind and visually impaired in Laski. As part of a student exchange program for the gifted, I attended the prestigious international Red Cross Nordic United World College near Bergen in Norway. A scholarship to a college in Ohio in the United States followed. Unfortunately, after a year I had to leave because I didn’t have enough skills to live by myself and study. Luckily, another scholarship made it possible for me to attend the Center for the Blind in Louisiana. The Center teaches blind people how to cope with their condition and function in society. It also made me ready to go to school. And ready for living my live. I can apply make-up and make dinner for 40 people. I am a yoga instructor. I teach older people English.

Being a student normally means work opportunities. It is more challenging for a blind student like myself though. Additionally, since I am not a citizen or a green card holder, I do not qualify for the assistance programs available here for the blind. $32,860.00 separates me from graduation and a life filled with work with disabled people.

Please help me remove this separation. No donation is too small.

With gratitude
Marta

Here you can donate to Marta’s gofundme page: