College and Cerebral Palsy: An Interview with Evan Monod
I’m excited to share the first in a series of monthly interviews with college students in their transitions to college. This month I interviewed Evan Monod, a recent graduate of Georgetown University, about his preparation for college. Feel free to share suggestions of other questions you would like me to ask future interviewees. We can learn so much from the experiences of students who have gone through it. Many thanks to Evan for sharing.
Introduction:
My name is Evan Monod, I’m 25 years old, and a recent-ish graduate of Georgetown University. I have cerebral palsy and walk on forearm crutches, and I currently work at a nonprofit technology vendor in Washington, DC.
Think back to when you were considering college. What were your concerns?
I remember looking into the disability/ADA/academic support center at every college I looked at. I had a lot of concerns surrounding accessibility and accommodations. I grew up around Middlebury College in Vermont, so I was keenly aware that topography and climate would be a big factor in whether I could get around campus and fully participate in student events. I also knew that I required some testing accommodations, so I needed to know that the college or university had the systems in place to meet my needs.
Who supported you in your college search?
A lot of it came to my parents, and I was incredibly fortunate to have such a pair of wonderful advocates. Both of them had attended college and graduate school, and I remember that they helped me to eliminate schools where the campus setting just would not physically work for me. For example, while the state of Minnesota is generally flat, the cold and depth of the winters there seemed prohibitive. This was going to be my first time living away from home, and I think they wanted to make sure that I had the right support network in place, while also allowing me to achieve a greater level of independence than I had previously.
What things were you looking for in a college? Were those things related to your disability? If so, what were they?
Generally speaking, I was looking for the same things in college as most prospective students. I wanted to live in a brand new place, and to be challenged socially and academically. I also wanted to attend a college that was widely recognized, which could help me get a job after graduation. But my disability did play a larger role as a limiting factor. I could not move to California for instance, even though the weather would have been so much better! I still needed to stay within a reasonable drive of my parent’s home in Vermont, in case the worst happened. I also needed to avoid hilly or snowy campuses for obvious reasons (which ruled out Brown, for instance). On a deeper level, I suppose my CP meant that I was looking for a different kind of social and academic experience than the typical student. I could not stay out and party every night, so I wanted to find a school that supported other “nerdier” folks who might not want to partake in the party scene. And I also wanted to find a place that was big enough not to stand out in, but small enough that I felt connected to the broader campus community. In these and so many other ways, Georgetown really did fit the bill.
If you had to do it again, or have done it since (masters/phd) what would you look for in a college, what questions would you ask?
I am currently working on MA and law school applications for fall 2018, and I am asking myself many of the same questions I had when I was 17 and looking at colleges. I would want to know about accessibility, both physically and academically. Knowing what I do now about the challenges of finding good housing in a major city, I would want to inquire about housing opportunities on campus, and whether they could accommodate someone with cerebral palsy. And lastly I would want to ask about the quality of resources for disabled students at the institution.
What specific issues related to your disability/needs did you have to navigate once you got to college?
I remember in my first day as a new student, I got a hand-drawn map of Georgetown’s campus with all of the accessible entrances in every building. Just the physical act of getting to my classes proved to be a challenge, particularly on a relatively older campus like Georgetown’s. I needed to schedule my time appropriately to make sure I could get everywhere I needed to go in a reasonable time frame. I also needed to become a good self-advocate when something was wrong. Occasionally I would have to fight to get a class moved because the one elevator was out of service, or I would have to work with my dorm’s RA to make sure I got the grab bar fixed in my shower. Beyond the challenges of living on campus, I also had to manage my testing accommodations, and be a good advocate for what I needed in the classroom. Looking back, I feel that a lot of my personal growth as an adult over those four years would not necessarily have happened if I had not been forced to grow up because of my CP.
Were there key people/places on campus that you were able to connect with to get support? If yes, who/where?
Generally speaking my professors were fine with any accommodations I needed in class. But the major resource I had on campus was the Georgetown ARC [Disability Support Services]. Even though I did not need as much direct assistance as some other disabled folks on campus, I always liked knowing that they were there as a safety net.
What suggestions would you have for someone with a disability who is applying to college?
The biggest piece of advice that I would give is to know yourself, and confront your challenges honestly as you make your college decisions. Do not unnecessarily limit yourself in the universe of schools that you can go to, while recognizing that some schools might be better than others due to sheer geography. If possible, visit as many schools that you are applying to as you can, and schedule interviews with each of their academic resource/disability support centers. Ask them tough questions, and try to get them to see you as a person, not just as another prospective student. One of the reasons I fell in love with Georgetown was the honest conversation I had with the Disability Support Personnel at the ARC the summer before I applied. I would also encourage students with disabilities to try and assert themselves and begin to self-advocate before they get to school. I would say that it took me about a year for me to get fully acclimated to getting around campus and asking for what I needed.
If you have questions about transitioning to college with a physical disability, Contact us!