-Physically Challenged Graduand Narrates Her Journey At The University of Liberia
By Jerromie S. Walters
It’s a wet day in Monrovia and I’ve covered several kilometers from Central Town to Yamah Town, Fandell, Montserrado County, Liberia, to execute an interview. I arrived at Fandell junction excited that I had finally reached my terminus. A call is placed to the interviewee and I’m asked to allow her to speak with a motorcyclist.
The motorcyclist gets the address and he takes me there directly. Even though residents acknowledged that the actual fare is $LD50, he (Motorcyclist) charged me $LD100. Because I saw that as a distraction, I departed his sight. I’m now at the interviewee’s residence but pondering how she succeeded in achieving what I have been hearing about, considering the distance from the University’s campus to her residence and her condition as a person with disability.
I received whelmed greetings from the interviewee and I subsequently reminded her about the intrinsic points of the interview. I asked if I could start and she consented. Two questions down and I’m enraged with emotions as she narrates the complexities of her journey, something many will consider impossible. Prematurely attacked by physical disability that affects her mobility, Beatrice Snyder is now on the cusp of graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Liberia on September 16, 2024, at 27 years old.
Beatrice Snyder does her gown fitting
Physically Challenged refer specifically to individuals who have physical disabilities, which can include conditions that affect mobility, dexterity, or physical functioning. Like many of them, Beatrice’s journey has not been without its trials. She says the most devastating moment came during her sophomore year, just after she completed her Biology 102 exam on March 17, 2019. Her mother, who had been battling illness, passed away that very night.
“My worst experience when it comes to both the university and my personal level life is the death of my mother. I was in school [Sophomore first semester], right after my exam on March 17, 2019, after my biology 102 exam. She was sick but since she found out that I was in school, she encouraged me [Ma B I really want you to learn. She always encouraged me to move on but she was sick. Due to the illness, right after my test while waiting for my grades, she passed off right in the house during the night hour,” Beatrice recalls, as her voice trembled with emotion.
But in the depths of her despair, she found an unexpected source of strength. “It really broke me down. I felt discouraged, I felt broken, and I felt that I was the only one living in the world. She never had it but at least, she used to try one way or the other to provide for me so when she passed off in my presence and the presence of my little siblings, it broke me down actually. In fact, I said to myself that I was not going to school again. I felt that there was no hope and I couldn’t make it. I cried bitterly for weeks and months thinking that I couldn’t make it anymore but one time I went to bed, I just felt that courage. When I got up I felt that strength and I began to ask God for direction to take the pain away and put me on the right path. After praying, I started to gain strength along the way. I never stopped at the university for a year, I only felt broken.”
Breaking the chain:
Beatrice Snyder is not just a student; she is a trailblazer in her family. Among her six siblings, she is the only one to reach university. “She had six children, and among every one of them, I’m the only person that is coming out of university. The majority stopped in high school. One of my elderly sisters graduated from high school but she never reached university,” she tells this paper.
What does the achievement mean:
Overwhelmed and motivated, Beatrice shares the emotions and joy that came along with the achievement. According to her, it is not just a personal victory; but it is a testimony to her mother’s dreams and sacrifices.
“It brings me joy. Seriously, it brings me tears of joy. Yesterday when I got my Clearance, I felt so emotional, reflecting on all I have been through. Going under the rain, and sun. Many days I got sick but I had to fight it and go on campus. Many days I used to be sick, but I just used to gather courage and say I could make it because if I sit back and take medicine, it would help but I would be lacking something. It has been a real challenge for me so when I got my clearance, I felt so emotional. I felt that I can do more,” she stated.
Beatrice Snyder at Fandell upon receiving her clearance
She further narrated: “When I received my clearance, I said to myself that Beatrice, this is just the beginning. If you can pass through the walls of university and get out, you can do anything and be successful. You can go for anything and be successful so don’t quit now. Make sure that this clearance be a starting point and a new beginning. I felt so emotional,” she recalled the memory.”
Physical Barriers:
Commenting on her challenges with the physical structure of the facility, Beatrice Snyder noted that her journey through the University of Liberia has also been fraught with physical obstacles. The campus is not designed to accommodate students with disabilities, and this made it a daily battle to navigate the terrain.
“My stay at the University of Liberia has been a challenging one. Looking at the structure of the University of Liberia, it is not disable-friendly. So, me being a disable there and other disables that are there currently, we find it difficult to get from one class to another. Especially when your class is upstairs and if there is only one section created for that class,” she explained.
In some cases, she reached out to her department heads to address some of these concerns. She praised her junior brother for helping her throughout her days at the University, while he also attended school. “I always planned my classes in a way that I would find myself in the classroom or I would find myself on the campus early. I planned my courses in the morning then my little brother will go to school in the afternoon or some semesters he will go in the morning while I go in the afternoon.”
Beatrice Snyder and her junior brother at Fandell
Discouragement from colleagues:
Throughout her time at university, Beatrice has encountered both kindness and misunderstanding from her peers. “On many occasions, I have met a lot of nice people so sometimes they will take me up but sometimes when you get on campus [every day can’t be good] I will ask comrade please help me and some of them will misunderstand me like I’m begging them for money so many occasions when I’m asking them to help me up the stairs they will take money from their pocket and give me. It hurts me a lot. It really breaks me down. I will have to tell them that I’m not asking for money, I need you to please help my little brother to put me upstairs.”
She acknowledged her colleagues’ commitment to aiding her maneuver her way through the huge building, even though there were some terrible days. “Sometimes they will say funny remarks like your friends are on the streets what you came to do here [you are giving people hard time]. But I’m everything, once you are determined, you will go for it. Once you want something and you put your mind to it, you will definitely get it,” she reflects on the motivation.
She said: “One thing that always comes to my mind is that nobody talk will break me down, especially when it is not necessary. So when I hear some remarks if such, I tell myself Beatrice, you can make it, don’t be distracted.”
Looking ahead:
As she prepares to graduate, Beatrice’s ambitions extend beyond her bachelor’s degree. She tells WomenVoices, “My arms are open to any opportunity that will come forth. Education or job but mainly I want to forward my education. I want to obtain my master’s in English.”
Encouragement to Disables:
As a member of the disabled community, Beatrice Snyder admonishes other disabled across the country. “To the disabled community out there, my advice to everyone is that we should add value to ourselves. Don’t sit down and wait for someone to come help you before you take one step. You can push your wheelchair. Do something. Go to school. Being in a wheelchair doesn’t mean everything is over, no! You still have hope, As long the life is in your, make a move.”
Beatrice Snydervat Fandell on a regular school day
She emphasized, “As long you have that breath breathing through you every morning you get up and you know that God gives you another chance to live again, do something. Make use of the life in you. Let’s add value to ourselves, let’s make a move. If you make a move, God will definitely send a destiny helper to you. God just wants to see that effort and how well you are seeking his direction.”
