Podcast Summary:
In this Blind Abilities episode, listeners meet Ava, a fully blind high school junior and Peer Ambassador with State Services for the Blind of Minnesota. Ava shares what it’s like balancing a packed academic schedule filled with AP and college-in-the-schools classes, while staying involved in speech, music, and leadership. As captain of her school’s speech team and a member of choir and band, Ava talks about the importance of being well-rounded—not just academically strong. She opens up about how self-advocacy, supportive parents, and mentors have helped her grow more independent and confident. Ava also discusses her interest in clinical psychology, her use of assistive technology like NVDA, braille displays, and VoiceOver, and why asking questions is one of the most important skills blind teens can develop. Her story highlights independence, leadership, and how peer connection through SSB helps students prepare for college, careers, and life beyond high school.
This episode is part of a shared Peer Ambassador spotlight featuring two blind high school students who bring different experiences, strengths, and goals to the conversation. To hear another perspective on leadership, academics, and life as a blind teen in Minnesota, be sure to check out the companion episode. Together, these stories show how connection, self-advocacy, and community can shape your future.
To find out more about the services provided at State Services for the Blind, and what they can do for you, contact Shane DeSantis at shane.desantis@state.mn.us or call Shane at 651-385-5205.
Links of interests:
Full Transcript
Ava:
My parents have always been like number one supporters. They’ve kind of always operated under the assume she can until she proves that she can’t motto and it’s really made me more independent because nobody’s assuming that I’m unable and it kind of forces me to be able. I want to go into like clinical psychology so I want to do like kind of a mix of research and then like inpatient work.
As long as you can tell other people what you want, you’re a lot more likely to get it than just waiting for them to assume your needs so I think that’s kind of a big thing that I’ve been trying to kind of use a lot in my later high school years.
Jeff Thompson:
Welcome to Blind Abilities. I’m Jeff Thompson. Today in the studio we have a Peer Ambassador from State Services for the Blind in Minnesota. Ava, welcome to Blind Abilities.
Ava:
Thanks for having me, Jeff.
Jeff:
You bet and thanks for taking the time out of your busy day. I’m sure you got homework, all sorts of other things going on but you’re taking a little bit of time to come on here so we can share a little bit of who Ava is. And your new position as Peer Ambassador.
Why don’t you tell me about your academic journey, where you’re at and where you headed?
Ava:
Cool, so yeah, I’m Ava. I am fully blind and I have been since I was born. I am in 11th grade so I’m a junior so I’m still in high school and my academic journey has been kind of crazy. Actually all of my classes that I’m taking right now are like CIS college and the schools and like AP classes so honestly my academic journey has kind of made up my entire year
It’s been pretty busy but I really enjoy like my academics and value them a lot. I’m in the National Honor Society and so that’s been really cool. That’s been a new thing this year so I’ve been kind of able to connect a little bit more on like a community level rather than just on a school level because you know you kind of need to be well rounded. You can’t just only focus on academics so I’ve been kind of trying to be better at that and do a little bit more kind of networking with that.
But yeah, my academic journey has been kind of wild and like kind of hard but it’s definitely like a thing that I think a lot of blind people kind of have to prioritize because we have to be able to have things that we’re really able to do and I think a lot of times academics is like that for us.
Jeff:
What are some of your interests and hobbies?
Ava:
I’m in NHS. I am a captain of my school speech team. Speech is my life. I love it so much. I do like poetry and like creative writing and then I also am involved in our school’s choir and band and they tour or like the ones I’m in do so that also definitely takes up quite a bit of time but it’s so fun. I love music. It’s my favorite thing and I will probably always be part of music in some form.
Jeff:
I like that having a well-rounded education and involvement in other activities so it’s balanced like you said.
What made you decide to become a Peer Ambassador?
Ava:
I remember, I think I must have been a freshman so it was probably right after I started with SSB. I attended this technology conference that they had for kind of like transition and post-secondary stuff and that was the first time I had seen the Peer Ambassadors which were Amy and Maddie at the time kind of in action. They were speaking to the group and kind of just sharing their insights and I remember just thinking that they were really valuable.
I kind of already had known them before just from like the blind community but I just remember thinking that they were so like such valuable assets to us as peer voices for like our needs and for the things that were different for us than even like for maybe you guys as like a previous generation and so when Shane asked me at the beginning of junior year I remember just thinking like wow that’s really full circle to come around and then be able to be that for other students so that’s what I’m hoping for.
Jeff:
Oh that’s great. It’s great that you enjoy doing that stuff and now you’ll be able to lead in a leadership role in helping others round out their experience and their journey as they move forward. Who’s your biggest advocate? Who’s pushed you into doing what you do?
Ava:
Oh man I have so many honestly this is kind of cliche but I would say my parents have always been like number one supporters. They’ve kind of always operated under the assume she can until she proves that she can’t motto and it’s really made me more independent because nobody’s assuming that I’m unable and it kind of forces me to be able and so that’s always been like a big independence boost for me. And my braillist at my school she’s absolutely amazing she works really hard and just to get me everything I need and help with independence and I mean my best friend is really an amazing advocate she’s also works with people with disabilities and yeah I mean like I have a lot of really cool people and now that SSB is around it’s even more.
Jeff:
How did you decide on a major if you already have?
Ava:
I’ve dithered a little bit but I’ve since probably middle school really wanted to go into psychology so I’m kind of narrowing it down just now recently. I want to go into like clinical psychology so I want to do like kind of a mix of research and then like inpatient work and I don’t really remember how I decided I think it was just that I wanted to be like helpful other people as cliche as that sounds and I know that for me that usually means listening rather than like talking out with people and so I just remember thinking that would be like a good for me and I’ve always been interested in researching like different like types of psychology and like how our minds work and it’s always been fascinating to me.
Jeff:
That’s great. As a Peer Ambassador what events do you have coming up or planning for the future?
Ava:
Well I’m really glad you asked it’s a great shameless plug but we have a pizza party slash cookie decorating party coming up on December 29th at SSB offices. We have…
Sorry. We have a Google form that has been released for people to fill out. They can tell us what kind of pizza they want, if they’re going to come, and of course what songs are going to be on our playlist.
So please feel free to come. If you need transportation, just let us know. But yet, it should be really fun. We’re going to have pizza and cookie decorating and hopefully lots of music if people recommend it. So that’ll be really fun. That’s our like most updated like for sure event. But we’re hoping to maybe do some stuff in the spring as well.
Jeff:
That’s great. Where do you see yourself in five years?
Ava:
See so in five years I’ll be 21. So I guess I would see myself in college, hopefully living like independently or with people that maybe I know, maybe I’m friends with. And I would be hoping to be getting probably my bachelor’s degree in psychology. I’m not sure which college I want to go to yet, but I would be hoping to probably be getting ready to start graduating from undergrad and possibly trying to get a Master’s.
I don’t know five years is maybe not quite in five years, but that’s where I’m hoping to be.
Jeff:
Yeah. Well, we could have said seven, we could have said six, but you got a goal in mind.
Ava:
Five is a nice round number too. So that works.
Jeff:
Yeah. How has State Services for the Blind helped you on your journey?
Ava:
My gosh, so many ways. And I know there’s a lot of things that will be really helpful with post-secondary. Honestly, I think like the biggest thing right now has been, well, kind of two main things.
First of all, just easing us as blind teens and visually impaired teens into a post-secondary transition. I think SSB is really invaluable for that, whether it be having assistance with mobility on campuses or having people who can come help with living skills or even just kind of to my second point, like being able to network and talk with other blind and visually impaired students just about like their experiences.
I mean, like I’ve learned so much about like technology for visually impaired people, just from talking to other people in SSB and at the camps that we do, like summer transition program. I was part of last summer. I learned so much just from like talking to other teenagers as well as the counselors that were there.
Jeff:
Yeah. Is that someone you find someone that has a like t condition or using the same tools, how they’re doing it, what they’re doing it. It’s just like you’re emerged right into it.
Ava:
Yeah.
Jeff:
What kind of tools are you using today in high school? What assistive technology type of tools are you using in high school today?
Ava:
I’m kind of in the middle of a technology transition right now. I recently got my Windows laptop. So I’ve been really working on that with like NVDA and kind of getting that all to work. But that’s kind of my main like technology source. I also have a Braille note taker that’s refreshable.
So I use that a lot of the time for Google documents because our school is Google based, unfortunately. But and I use like a white cane for mobility. I use honestly, I use my phone for a lot because I think that voiceover is great, which is a very like not very technologically advanced thing to say. But I use my phone for a lot because it’s just really convenient. And I think not that this is like a physical tool, but I think that being able to advocate for that kind of thing, being able to advocate for the technology you need and for access to like Orientation and Mobility instruction is also just like a really good tool to have because as long as you can tell other people what you want, you’re a lot more likely to get it than just waiting for them to like assume your needs. So I think that’s kind of a big thing that I’ve been trying to kind of use a lot in my later high school years.
Jeff:
Oh, yeah, self-advocacy is a great skill to have. I’m glad to hear that you’re doing that. That’s awesome.
Ava:
It’s really not easy.
Jeff:
What advice would you give to another student who is thinking about their college and their future career?
Ava:
I would say ask a lot of questions. Don’t be afraid or don’t assume that you’re not going to get an answer or that people aren’t going to give you what you need. Not because everything is going to always be available or accessible, but because it’s not. I mean, like if you as a visually impaired student don’t or aren’t able to ask the hard questions about how transition is going to work for you, what’s going to be difficult, what are your challenges going to be, then you’re not going to be able to get all of the things that are going to be available to you.
You know, like when you go to college, you’re going to talk to the accessibility offices or if you don’t choose to go to college, like whatever workplace you’re going to be in, you’re going to have to find all of those accommodations. So I would just say like, don’t be afraid to ask questions of people because there are lots of people who want to help and don’t know how. And a lot of the times asking questions of other people and how they can, you know, kind of make your life as accessible as it can be in a world that’s not generally very accessible is kind of the best answer to the questions they might have.
Jeff:
That’s great. I’m sure you’re going to be answering a lot of questions to other peers as an ambassador for State Services for the Blind. So I’m glad that you took on this initiative and I wish you the best in your high school days here and your future.
So thank you for coming on The Blind Abilities.
Ava:
Thank you so much for having me. It’s an honor.
[Music]
Jeff:
To find out more about all the programs at State Services for the Blind, contact Shane.DeSantis at state.mn.us. That’s Shane dot d-e-s-a-n-t-i-s at state.mn .us.
Jeff Thompson:
Be sure to contact your State Services for the Blind, your Voc Rehab and find out what they can do for you.
Live, work, read, succeed.
[Music] [Transition noise] –
When we share-
What we see
-Through each other’s eyes…
[Multiple voices overlapping, in unison, to form a single sentence]
…We can then begin to bridge the gap between the limited expectations, and the realities of Blind Abilities