By Brie Nobis
Brianne (Brie) Nobis is a self-advocate who attends the Cllege of St. Rose.  She is also an Aim High Board Member.

March/April 2006
Volume 24, Number 2

   I’m a college student at The College of Saint Rose. On behalf of my disability, I’m very capable of doing things on my own. I am able to make my own decisions, earn a weekly salary and make a decent living. I can do the everyday things like laundry, homework and cooking, by myself.    

   Presently, I live in a three story apartment building with three other young ladies. In my apartment I have an apartment mate and an RA.  But I admit I did not pick the person I was going to live with. I got a letter in the mail from Living Resources.  Living Resources told me about my roommate as well as my RA. My RA’s name is Natalie and she is a graduate student at The College of Saint Rose. I really like her. She is outgoing, fun, and nice. My friend Kate, who lives in the downstairs apartment, has a nice RA, too.  Her name is Ressa. I really like her, too. My RAs and I have some good times together. I will never forget them.    

   I personally think that when you think about your future you need to know what you want. I knew that I wanted to go to college, take courses, meet lots of people and gain more independence.  I have learned many important things in college. I learned how to have more self-awareness and more self-respect for what I can do and what I know.     

   When I lived with my Mom and Dad, I had household chores that my parents gave to me such as taking out the trash, feeding my dogs, maintaining my downstairs apartment, paying bills, doing laundry and getting the mail.               

   Now that I have your attention, I want to tell you how I live a college life. Well, living at college is far more interesting than living at home, but on the other hand it’s comforting to live at home.  Before I left for college I loved living with my Mom and Dad.  But when I moved into my apartment at college I think I became more independent. I have chores and responsibilities that I chose to do because I want to and not because someone tells me to. I feel proud of my independence.      

   The first class I took was Portfolio 1. That class helped me set my goals for the semester as well as for my future. When I started to set my goals, I put them under these five areas:  functioning in the environment, integration into college life, learning, time management and self-advocacy.  To accomplish these goals, some of the things I learned are:  to use public transportation, where resources are in my neighborhood in relation to the apartment, to register for classes, discover the campus and everything it has to offer, join the college newspaper staff, and to get along with all kinds of people.               

   The hardest thing that I had to deal with in college is the act of criticism.  College is about individual independence and experiences. College is about learning that all people are not the same, but that all people deserve respect and courtesy.  I have learned to be a bigger person and to know that I will run into all types of people.   When I moved in I had no idea it was going to be like this. I had to deal with harassment as well.  I had to stand my ground and I had to raise my expectations about myself and my ability to deal with difficult people.      

   In the year of 2005 my life changed for these reasons.  I have more freedom to think about what I want in my future and how I want to get there.  I have a stronger voice to tell people, in a nice way, what I need and want.  This is my starting point.  I’m very eager to get my certificate in the year of 2007 and work towards continuing my independence.