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Participants of the Lighthouse of Broward’s transition program
experienced their ultimate abilities, as they balanced on logs, climbed
walls and scaled ropes and poles high in the air. As part of the
six-week summer program, a dozen blind and visually impaired young
adults, age 14 to 21, completed the challenging Ropes Course at Broward
College’s Tigertail Lake facility. The one-day adventure is designed to
facilitate person growth, team work and fun.
The year-round Lighthouse Transition Program helps the youth plan for
post-high school life through an intensive summer program as well as
weekends and after school activities during the year.
College preparation and/or job readiness skills are emphasized in both
group classes and field trips. They learn to develop important life
skills through their activities, including safe outdoor travel skills,
cooking and self-care techniques, Braille or use of magnifiers and other
low vision devices to read and write efficiently, use of computers and
other high-tech assistive devices, polite social interaction and
self-advocacy, resume-writing, networking and interviewing, guidance in
understanding vocational interests and values, and actual on-the-job
experiences. Adults who are blind or visually impaired also serve as
role models.
Jeanette “Jen” Contant-Galitello, a British Trinidadian, is European
educated and trained to teach both English and French. She spent part of
her career at the British Broadcasting Company in the United Kingdom
before launching a career in the music business. Through pure grit and a
positive attitude, her steel drum band rose to become one of the most
popular musical acts in the U.K.
Most recently, she, her husband and 8-year old son moved to Coconut
Creek to grow her music business in the United States. Self-dubbed as “Kiskadee,”
Jen also recently enrolled in computer classes at the Lighthouse of
Broward, as she was born with very little eyesight.
“Learning JAWS and studying at the Lighthouse has opened up a whole new
world for me,” she said. “I’m learning about the Internet and Excel,
both extraordinary tools to help me with my business.”
Kiskadee spoke recently to teens attending the summer transition program
at the Lighthouse. Her talk focused on advice for forming businesses and
pursuing a dream career.
“When running your own business,” she told the teens, “you need to know
how to sell yourself, set goals and prepare a business plan, and be
positive.”
While in the U.K., Kiskadee, who learned to play the piano and sing by
age 2, was able to set herself apart by using formal contracts, building
a reputation for reliability, and finding creative ways to market
herself.
She recalled one story when she begged the marketing department of the
largest mall in the U.K. to let her band play for free. They were stuck
at the far end of the mall under an escalator. However, their music soon
drew large crowds and many people bought their CDs. That reaction
prompted the mall management to hire Kiskadee for pay on a regular
basis, including at the holidays, when they sold more than 900 CDs.
“Be cheerful on the phone, be confident even if you have to fake it, and
be efficient and customer-focused,” said Kiskadee. “It’s not all about
glitz and glamour and success doesn’t come easily.”
The hard work pays off, she continued, encouraging the teens to move
beyond whatever challenges they face to follow their dreams.
For more information about Kiskadee, visit
www.kiskadee.net
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