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Graduate Testimonies
Karen
Mike
Vicki
Danielle
Wade
Mary
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It is difficult for me to find words to express my appreciation and
gratitude for what this program has meant to me. A combination of
circumstances brought me here, and I am so grateful that Donka exists.
The doors that have been opened to me both personally and professionally
seem amazing. I am fond of the adage that if you give me a fish, I will be
fed for a day. However, if you teach me to fish, I will be fed for a
lifetime. Thank you, Donka, for teaching me to fish.
I trained
at Donka after rehab at Marian-Joy, which was after my doctors told me that
I's probably not be able to do much of anything after suffereing a brain
anuerysm. But I did a lot. I graduated from Donka and then returned to Bradley
University. I graduated from there, too. I worked for a while in development
for a not-for -profit and as a job coach. Then I went back to school and
in May of 2000 I graduated again, this time with a Masters in Rehabilitation
Counseling from the University of Illinois. I am now a Vocational Rehabilitation
Counselor for the IL Office of Rehabilitation Services. I know it was the
timely encouragement of special people in my life, like the people at Donka,
that made the difference for me. People who kept saying----Yes You Can.
Thank you for teaching me computer skills. I can't believe how much you
have helped improve my self-esteem and self-confidence. After my head
injury, I didn''t know what I would be able to learn. To my amazement, I
left Donka with a variety of computer skills. Thank you for helping me
advance my career.
I
completed Donka training and then took off for college---North Central College
in Naperville to major in History with minors in Communication, Writing
and Philosophy. I want to go on for a graduate degree and eventually teach
at a small, private college. My Donka training has really opened doors for
me as a college student. Learning to manage the assistive technology that
can help me has increased my mobility both academically and socially. My
AT has even eased some of my economic burdens. Now that I can use voice
activation software, I no longer have to pay for class lecture transcriptions
or paper-typing costs. I am on target to accomplish all of my goals.
It was another Donka graduate and fellow resident at the DuPage
Convalescent Center who told me to check out the computer training program.
I took training, went on to college, and then secured a part time job. I
guess you could say that I am an example of everything that the Donka
program can be. I hope that Donka will always have the funds it needs to
help people with education, giving them a chance to get out and live
independently.
I have the honor of being in Donka's first graduating class---the class of
1987, a class of 2. I am so glad I agreed to come and see what the computer
stuff that founder Don Van Haveren was bringing to the Convalescent Center
was all about. I use my computer skills to write letters to my family,
friends, and my pen pals around the US. But I am probably most famous for
the greeting cards I create on the computer using programs like Print Shop
and Microsoft Publisher. I am so thankful that Donka exists at
the Convalescent Center for the residents to use.