Q&A: Osvaldo Lozano does not let setbacks stop him
Contributed by Jennifer Nease, education major.
UPDATE: 5/20/18 – The question and response regarding friends outside of immediate family was added.
Osvaldo Lozano, sophomore, was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at birth but that does not stop him from pursuing his education.
Q: At what age were you evaluated for a disability and who evaluated or assessed you?
A: Ever since I was born. When I was born, I was not breathing. So, that was when they kind of knew that, “your son wasn’t going to be right.” [I started breathing] maybe a few hours [later, I don’t really know.]
Q: Would you tell me briefly what it is that you have been diagnosed with?
A: Cerebral Palsy. Something that affects your body movements, your muscles and your speech.
Q: Do you have at least one person whom you consider to be a friend outside of your immediate family?
Yes a few.
Q: Do you feel that others around you, including family, fully understand your exceptionality?
A: Yes, [family] does. So, [others] maybe not at the beginning, but when they get to meet me, they know better who I am.
Q: Are you aware of employment statistics involving persons of disability?
A: Um, kind of. But I know that I have more opportunities here in the U.S. than in my home country. My parents said that [in Mexico] I would probably not be in a normal class setting, but here I would have that opportunity.
Q: What would you say has been a guiding light to your success in school?
A: My family and people who support me, like friends and my old teachers. They treat me like everybody else.
Q: If there was a networking group of persons who shared similar experiences would
you be interested?
A: Yeah. My parents don’t speak English, so I am my own advocate.
Q: Is there anything you would like to add?
A: I guess I could say that before you make a judgment about someone, first get to meet them because they might surprise you. A real quote that I like is [by C Kan] “When a door shuts, get in through the window.”
Also published on Medium.
