{"id":5190,"date":"2023-10-16T23:59:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-16T23:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=5190"},"modified":"2025-03-21T09:59:21","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T13:59:21","slug":"with-hope-optimism-and-confidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/16\/with-hope-optimism-and-confidence\/","title":{"rendered":"With Hope, Optimism and Confidence"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column5190_b94407-72 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);}.kadence-column5190_b94407-72 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column5190_b94407-72 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column5190_b94407-72 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column5190_b94407-72 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column5190_b94407-72 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column5190_b94407-72 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column5190_b94407-72{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column5190_b94407-72 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column5190_b94407-72 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column5190_b94407-72 dynamic-main-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading5190_3ae818-d2, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading5190_3ae818-d2[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading5190_3ae818-d2\"]{font-size:1.5rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-family:proxima-nova;color:#808080;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading5190_3ae818-d2 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading5190_3ae818-d2[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading5190_3ae818-d2\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading5190_3ae818-d2 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading5190_3ae818-d2[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading5190_3ae818-d2\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading5190_3ae818-d2 wu-subheading wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading5190_3ae818-d2\">Recent graduate Jessica Davenport refuses to let her disability impact her success.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image5190_8fe5e5-af .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image5190_8fe5e5-af\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-medium_old_205x300\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"205\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Jessica-Davenport-web2-205x300.jpg\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-5195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Jessica-Davenport-web2-205x300.jpg 205w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Jessica-Davenport-web2-171x250.jpg 171w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Jessica-Davenport-web2-327x480.jpg 327w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Jessica-Davenport-web2-768x1126.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Jessica-Davenport-web2-698x1024.jpg 698w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Jessica-Davenport-web2.jpg 933w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 205px) 100vw, 205px\" \/><figcaption>Jessica Davenport uses a headpiece and a magnetic sticker that nurses place on her nose.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jessica Davenport <\/strong>thinks that society undervalues people with disabilities, and she\u2019s trying to change that. \u201cUnfortunately,\u201d she says, \u201cwe have to constantly prove society wrong.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At 19, Davenport suffered a massive stroke from a combination of birth control pills, smoking, a clotting disorder, and a hole in her heart. As a result, she suffers from paraplegia and has extremely limited use of her body. She is in a wheelchair and is unable to talk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite her disability, Davenport recently earned her B.S. in Health Sciences at WilmU, and will accept her diploma in June. During her college years, she published a book and interned with the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) in its Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDDS). The state allowed her to work with a team to help develop a curriculum for a Direct Support Professional Academy in Delaware \u2014 the first in the state \u2014 in partnership with RCM of Washington, Inc. The company has already developed similar academies in Washington, D.C., Tennessee and Ohio.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis was actually my second internship with Wilmington University,\u201d says Davenport, who replies via her speech-generating device. (Her first internship was at Resources for Independent Living, Inc., which provides services to individuals with severe disabilities, including unserved and underserved populations.) \u201cI hadn\u2019t worked for many years and wanted to get the most experience possible. Honestly, when DDDS contacted me, I cried. I was so excited. I joked with my boyfriend, \u2018They must really be desperate,\u2019 and he said, \u2018No, they see potential.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image5190_c322fb-45 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image5190_c322fb-45\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"190\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Angela-Herman-web-190x250.jpg\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-5193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Angela-Herman-web-190x250.jpg 190w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Angela-Herman-web-364x480.jpg 364w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Angela-Herman-web-227x300.jpg 227w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Angela-Herman-web.jpg 586w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px\" \/><figcaption>Angela Herman<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dr. Angela Herman<\/strong><strong>,<\/strong> WilmU\u2019s chair of Health Sciences in the College of Health Professions and Natural Sciences, saw the same potential. \u201cJessica was very motivated and never let her disability define her at all,\u201d she says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To which Davenport replies, \u201cI say that about myself, but it feels good knowing that somebody else sees it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Davenport\u2019s 2018 book, \u201cDetoured Destiny, One Woman\u2019s Road to Recovery,\u201d chronicles her physical challenges, bouts of self-doubt, and triumphs. But that\u2019s just one tool in her advocacy arsenal. She\u2019s a champion for people with disabilities and is committed to helping women learn more about birth control to avoid an issue that nearly killed her.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide wu-blockquote-row is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-ad2f72ca wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote wu-blockquote-simple is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cJessica was very motivated and never let her disability define her at all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<cite>\u2014 Dr. Angela Herman<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI wrote it because I didn\u2019t want anyone to go through what I did,\u201d she says, suspecting that while several factors contributed to her stroke, many women don\u2019t realize the dangers of smoking while on birth control.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jefferson Health\u2019s website reports that \u201cblood vessels in smokers can become hard and restricted. Oral contraceptives also affect blood flow as they alter hormone levels. That change in the body\u2019s hormonal makeup thickens the blood and can cause blood clots in the legs, lungs, and veins of the brain. The combination of restricted blood vessels from smoking and thicker blood from birth control increases the risk of cardiovascular issues like strokes or heart attacks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The stroke devastated Davenport, forcing her to question everything she knew about life \u2014 and where hers was headed. That is until she met a woman with a brain injury who had found a job working with other people with disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI remember telling my mom how cool that was,\u201d says Davenport. \u201cThis woman wasn\u2019t letting anyone tell her she couldn\u2019t do something. I knew disabled people could work, but I hadn\u2019t seen stroke survivors work. I didn\u2019t grow up around many people with disabilities and didn\u2019t become disabled until 19, so meeting her was truly inspiring. \u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then came college, a challenging venture for those who are able-bodied and often arduous for those who aren\u2019t. \u201cGoing back to school after a disability is extremely hard,\u201d says Davenport. \u201cThe first few classes I took, I cried to everybody around me, saying, \u2018I can\u2019t do this.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Assignments that some students did with relative ease were complex for her. \u201cWhen I hear able-bodied people complain about writing papers or doing homework, I chuckle and think, \u2018Really? Try writing a three-page paper in APA format in a week the way I do.\u2019\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Davenport used a headpiece and a magnetic sticker, which nurses placed on her nose. The sticker communicated with Davenport\u2019s iPad. That served as her speaking mechanism and enabled her to spell out words. Speech-generating devices like this address the needs of stroke victims, assisting them in communicating thoughts by electronic voice generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI honestly cannot imagine how she did all the papers this program requires,\u201d says Dr. Herman, \u201cbut it was inspirational to see just the same.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s unclear whether writing in APA (American Psychological Association) format was more challenging because of her disability. Davenport is not alone in her ambivalence toward APA. It\u2019s simply a writing style that college students must learn. And like writing in general, some become proficient while others struggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the Stroke Foundation, one in three stroke survivors experience communication struggles. Memory, thinking and judgment are affected, and it can be hard to understand or speak complex sentences.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-image5190_20c999-2a .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image5190_20c999-2a\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-medium_old_213x300\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"213\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Christyn-Rudolf-web-213x300.jpg\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-5194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Christyn-Rudolf-web-213x300.jpg 213w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Christyn-Rudolf-web-177x250.jpg 177w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Christyn-Rudolf-web-340x480.jpg 340w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Christyn-Rudolf-web-150x210.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Christyn-Rudolf-web.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 213px) 100vw, 213px\" \/><figcaption>Christyn Rudolf<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Davenport thrived, nonetheless. \u201cShe has so much perseverance and gumption,\u201d says <strong>Christyn Rudolf<\/strong>, who manages WilmU\u2019s Office of Student Accessibility Services. \u201cJessica found a way to educate herself. She found a way to share her story. She found a way to be an advocate. She found her independence.\u201d &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, Rudolf adds, Davenport is a member of Delta Alpha Pi, an international honor society established to distinguish students who have attained superior academic records while managing personal setbacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Davenport\u2019s academic success inspired her WilmU faculty, all of whom created an inclusive environment in which all students could succeed. That included Dr. Herman, who had brainstormed several other prospective roles with Davenport before she landed the DHSS internship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide wu-blockquote-row is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-ad2f72ca wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote wu-blockquote-simple is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cJessica found a way to educate herself. She found a way to share her story. She found a way to be an advocate. She found her independence.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<cite>\u2014 Christyn Rudolf<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe opportunities for people with disabilities are always increasing in health care,\u201d says Dr. Herman. \u201cThere is such a great need for so many hands to help others that we are finding ways to share the workload that did not exist in the past. For example, consider all the virtual health care that\u2019s available now. Someone with a physical disability could work from home easily as a patient navigator or virtual tech assistant. The opportunities are less, of course, but I think diligent students like Jessica, partnered with universities that are truly committed to helping them achieve their career goals, can ideally be effective in working together to find jobs for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Davenport had searched for a university that provided individual attention. \u201cMy experience was great, and the faculty cared that you learned and earned good grades. I always recommend WilmU to friends,\u201d she says, adding that the Office of Student Accessibility Services was incredible.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t think of anyone I know who has overcome so much to reach her goals and dreams,\u201d says Rudolf. \u201cAnd she does it all with such positive energy and a smile on her face. It makes my heart sing that Jessica has gotten to the place she has.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting On With It Davenport chose self-care instead of self-pity. She has her degree. She just wants to get on with it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cJessica has been invited for a second internship at DHSS to continue helping with the DSP Academy project, which is very exciting for Delaware,\u201d says Dr. Herman. \u201cShe can also gain exposure to other business units within the state. We are all so proud of her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As is <strong>C. Ren\u00e9e Settles-Bean<\/strong>, Davenport\u2019s site supervisor at DHSS. \u201cHad we been speaking about this 20 years ago, when technology wasn\u2019t as advanced, it may have been a different story,\u201d she says. \u201cBut given modern accommodations, along with who Jessica is as a person, her mind, humanities acumen, and values, I believe she can do anything she wants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide wu-blockquote-row is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-ad2f72ca wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote wu-blockquote-simple is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cMy experience was great, and the faculty cared that you learned and earned good grades. I always recommend WilmU to friends.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<cite>\u2014 Jessica Davenport<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If Davenport wants to support people with disabilities and help them find their voices, she can do that, too, adds Settles-Bean. \u201cIf we are to embrace an inclusive workspace, then absolutely she has what it takes to succeed. She has options, as we all do; it\u2019s just that her approach will be different.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>American author and educator <strong>Helen Keller<\/strong>, who was blind and deaf, dedicated her life to advocating for the rights of people with disabilities. She said, \u201cOptimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Davenport has both. It\u2019s about the message: Challenges can stop you or inspire you. In 10 years, she says, \u201cI want to be completely experienced in a career that has been a dream for years.\u201d &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Given her tenacity, it\u2019s more than a dream. It\u2019s a viable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u2014 Maria Hess<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Recent graduate Jessica Davenport refuses to let her disability impact her success.&nbsp; Jessica Davenport thinks that society undervalues people with disabilities, and she\u2019s trying 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