No Doesn’t stop me

My name is Taylor Thomas-Harris. I was born prematurely, weighing only 2lbs 12 oz. and as a result, I have Cerebral Palsy. When I was born the doctor had to resuscitate me (4) times. It was clear that I was going to be a fighter. Today, I am still a fighter, as I work very hard on not letting my disability define me. I have done some things in my life that have amazed my friends, family, and my doctors. When I was about 4 years old, I was a cheerleading mascot for my local association. I later became a regular cheerleader with them. I defied the odds, and I was taken out of special education classes in high school, and was placed in regular education classes. It was a risk as some people thought I was not going to be successful in regular classes, but I ended up graduating number 32 out of approximately 300 students after remaining on the honor roll the entire time I was removed from special education classes. I then went on to college, to major in Social Work. In my sophomore year of college, I made the Dean’s List. This past summer, I got the opportunity to experience my first internship job at the Virginia Department of Education. My life is very busy, as I continue to volunteer when possible. I sing in the choir at my church, and I am also on the praise dance team. Above all, I love helping people, because people have helped me along my journey, and some people have been very kind and generous to me. Most recently, I have been selected to participate in the CHAT Trainer Program, which is a program for people with disabilities. My ultimate goal in life is to make a difference in some way by continuing to advocate for people disabilities, and write a book about my challenges with Cerebral Palsy. Through everything that I have been through, I must say that God has been there for me every step of the way, and I could not have done it without His grace and glory.