FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Rehab Master's Students Win Scholarships, Describe Experiences
Kathy Dickerson, second from left, and Carolyn Jackson, center, both of Fort Smith, recently won scholarships from the Arkansas Rehabilitation Association. They are graduate students in the rehabilitation education and research program at the University of Arkansas. Faculty members, from left, are Richard T. Roessler, Lynn Koch and Brent Williams.
Twenty-two years ago, Kathy Dickerson and her infant son were in a car that was struck by a train. Dickerson and her 6-month-old baby both suffered traumatic brain injuries, his more severe than hers, but each has far surpassed the predictions of health professionals in their recovery.
Carolyn Jackson seriously injured her back in a car accident about a year ago. Her physician referred her to a physical therapist to deal with her injuries. The staff was so caring and concerned with her getting better that the impression they made on Jackson inspired her to learn more about the field of rehabilitation.
Each woman enrolled in the master's program in rehabilitation counseling at the University of Arkansas, and they were recently awarded $1,500 scholarships from the Arkansas Rehabilitation Association. Both are Fort Smith residents, although Dickerson lives in Fayetteville part of the week to attend classes.
Jackson won the Vincent H. Bond Scholarship named for a former deputy commissioner of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services and designated for a UA-Fayetteville student. Dickerson won the ARS Commissioner's Scholarship designated for any student studying rehabilitation counseling or a related field in Arkansas.
Faculty in the College of Education and Health Professions praised the students. "Kathy and Carolyn are most deserving of these special scholarships from Arkansas Rehabilitation Services," said Richard T. Roessler, University Professor of rehabilitation education and research. "This financial assistance makes it possible for them to pursue their graduate training, which complements their life experiences with disabilities, making them even more effective as rehabilitation counselors."
"Kathy and Carolyn are perfect examples of the type of scholars Arkansas Rehabilitation Services seeks to encourage and reward," said Brent T. Williams, assistant professor of rehabilitation education and research. "As committed and highly skilled rehabilitation counselors, Kathy and Carolyn will be the type of professionals sought after by ARS as well as a broad array of public and private entities in the field of rehabilitation."
Lynn Koch, associate professor of rehabilitation education and research, came to the university last fall and serves as program coordinator.
"As a new member of the rehabilitation counseling faculty here at the University of Arkansas, it is exciting to work with students like Kathy and Carolyn, who are so enthusiastic about learning and dedicated to the mission of improving the quality of life of people with disabilities," Koch said.
The graduate program was recently named No. 15 in the country by U.S. News & World Report in its 2008 edition of "Best Graduate Schools."
Kathy Dickerson
When Dickerson's son was hurt, she was told he would not graduate from high school or live independently, but he has achieved both. A stay-at-home mom at the time, she worked with him to the extent that his school would ask her for guidance or information on how to help other children with disabilities.
"The school would literally call me and ask for advice," she said. "They would ask me to recommend agencies or talk with me about coping and loving people with disabilities. I worked with the teachers. Unofficially, I was doing rehabilitation counseling."
Immediately following the accident, Dickerson had to relearn how to handle everyday activities and her short- and long-term memory still is affected by her brain injury. She earned an associate of general studies and later a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Arkansas in Fort Smith. She is interested in working in the private sector when she completes her master's and would like to pursue a doctoral degree.
"The main area I'm interested in is forensic work where you testify as an expert witness in court cases that involve people with disabilities," she explained. "I'm also interested in working in private practice from home. The field has a wide array of choices and the variety appeals to me."
Dickerson and her husband, Earl Dickerson Jr., have two other children, Ebony and Juanika. Dickerson has volunteered at a homeless shelter and for a hospice.
"I think I have been blessed with empathy," she said. "I have a passion for people who are disadvantaged and people with disabilities, and sometimes being disadvantaged can be a disability."
Whatever she does, Dickerson wants to infuse optimism into her work with people with disabilities.
"The brain's reaction to impairment is often unpredictable. I want to take a different route working with people with disabilities," she said. "Don't be so quick to tell people what they can't do because of a disability; focus on their abilities rather than disabilities. If I had listened to the professionals at the time, neither my son nor myself would be where we are today."
Carolyn Jackson
Out of work because of her accident and pondering what to do, Jackson decided she wanted to pursue a career in which she could help others who had suffered as she had. In doing research on her back injury, she learned about the UA rehabilitation education and research program.
Jackson's experience in recovering from the accident opened her eyes to the challenges faced by the disabled.
"I look at people differently now, especially people society labels as not normal," she said. "I have a whole new outlook on people with disabilities. I don't just pass them by. I think about what their lives are like and the challenges they face and how someday I will be able to assist people with disabilities in obtaining a better quality of life."
Jackson continues to have pain and suffer from fatigue, a challenge when class assignments require late nights and weekend work.
Jackson grew up in Fort Smith, one of five children her father, a disabled veteran, raised alone after her mother died when she was 7. He was a carpenter by trade, and Jackson doesn't remember him ever seeking or receiving assistance.
"He would have been proud of me," she said softly.
Jackson has a daughter who graduated from the surgical technology program at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and lives in Northwest Arkansas, where she works as a surgical technician.
Jackson has learned that a rehabilitation counselor must take into account the whole family of a person with disabilities. The counselor must be knowledgeable about community resources that can help family members as part of the rehabilitation process and must understand the short- and long-term prognosis of patients and such details as to how their medication could affect their ability to work.
"There is a wide array of knowledge the rehabilitation counselor must have," Jackson explained. "The ultimate goal is to help people with disabilities go to work and maintain that work. With the war in Iraq, many veterans will be coming back home with traumatic brain injuries and other disabilities."
Helping them is an area that is appealing to Jackson.
"People with disabilities need support from family members, friends and their counselor," she said. "Sometimes, when a person is having a bad day, just an encouraging word from a counselor can make a world of difference."
The students will be recognized at the Arkansas Rehabilitation Association award banquet May 24 in Hot Springs.
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Contact:
Heidi Stambuck, director of communications
College of Education and Health Professions
stambuck@uark.edu, (479) 575-3138