Each year Easter Seals Ontario provides funding to assist youth with physical disabilities in achieving their dreams of post-secondary education. This year, our Board of Directors Scholarship was awarded to Logan Pickells who is heading into the second year of his undergrad studies at the University of Toronto. After receiving his scholarship, Logan composed the letter below to share both his gratitude and his experience as a university student with a disability during the pandemic. Keep reading to learn how supports like Easter Seals have helped Logan continue following his dreams:
I am Logan and I have both autism and cerebral palsy. I have just completed my first year of full-time post-secondary studies at the University of Toronto. I am majoring in history and minoring in Political Science and Anthropology. I am immensely proud of my academic achievements this year, which were earned under exceedingly difficult circumstances.
This year did not go as planned due to COVID. Everything has been impacted. My classes have all been online. I was unable to forge the kinds of friendships I was longing for because I was unable to meet up with any other students. The relationships with my professors were developed completely over email, telephone and the like. I was looking forward to immersing myself in the full university experience but had to settle for making the best of a less-than-ideal situation.
It has been a challenging year but extremely rewarding in many ways. I have learned to overcome difficulties I never thought I would ever face. I have also learned how to advocate for myself and obtain the accommodation I need due to my disabilities in order to be successful. Many people assume that when you enter post-secondary, that support is automatically provided. That is not always the case. The ability to advocate is incredibly important and I, like many others, will continue to develop these skills in the years to come.
I anticipated increased academic demands and have risen to the challenge. I have enjoyed the opportunity to discuss the course material with people of various backgrounds and beliefs and am all the better for it. My professors have pushed me to do better and in group situations, I have motivated my fellow students.
I still have several years of university ahead of me and I am looking forward to every one of them. I certainly hope to never stop learning. My dream is to be invited to participate in archeological excavations of historical significance. I would like to become a published author and eventually, a professor. I want to excite the minds of others and pass on my passions. I want to encourage, inspire and mentor future students. I want them to know that they can overcome whatever struggles they experience in their own lives. They can even overcome the fear and anxiety that a worldwide virus brings to the fore and how it changes your life. Our life experiences are what make us into the people we want and are destined to be.
What sets students like me up for success is having the backing of a strong support system. That system includes organizations like Easter Seals. If not for the generosity of Easter Seals donors, I would not be in university right now, following my dreams. If a student cannot afford the cost of education, they cannot get past the front door. Families of disabled students incur a lot of expenses over their lifetime. It makes it difficult to send the student on to post-secondary. There are many disabled students like me that have goals and have the motivation to attain them, but who need financial help in order to do it. I am so blessed, humbled and grateful to the donors. I want you to know that you DO make a difference in the lives of everyone you touch.
I did not let you down this year – even though there were times when it was all overwhelming and giving up might have been an option. But giving up is not an option for me. If disability has taught me anything, it is that we are built extra tough. I might not always know how to deal with a certain hurdle at first, but I always know that I will.
I want to send a hearty thank you to everyone for supporting our dreams and helping to ensure a brighter future for us all.
Warm Regards,
Logan Pickells
You can help kids like Logan by contributing to an Easter Seals scholarship. For example, for $500 we can create a scholarship in your name. For more information, please contact Alison Morse at amorse@easterseals.org or 416-510-5070.