We had a successful day at the San Andreas Regional Center's Holiday Craft Fair on November 19, 2022
Dena and Becky at the CalTASH conference in Sacramento
on March 6th and 7th.
Thank you to Parents Helping Parents for allowing us to
be a vendor at their Adult Transition
& Services Fair in San Jose on March 5th 2020.
Becky and Micah Fowler, the star of the TV show
Speechless, at the Abilities Expo in San Mateo on
October 26.
We had a successful experience at the Supported Life
conference in Sacramento on October 10th. On October 19,
we will be at the conference for families of children
with special needs in Watsonville.
We had a table and gave a presentation at the TASH
conference in Portland Oregon.
——————————————————————————————- BECKY SPOKE TO A FIFTH GRADE CLASS IN WALNUT CREEK, AND
GOT THIS LETTER, We have worked with Becky as a presenter
to our fifth grade students for over five years now.
Graciously, she offers her story of the hardships and
challenges she faced as a special needs student in regular
education classes. In a thirty minute presentation,
followed by fifteen minutes of question and answer time,
the students are mesmerized by Becky’s tenacity to
overcome extreme physical and emotional challenges to
accomplish so much, including earning a degree from UC
Santa Cruz. After reading the book, Out of My Mind, her
testimony also really hits home as students connect a
character in the book to Becky’s very real life.
Needless to say, Becky is an incredible role model to all
of us, as she embodies the spirit of perseverance,
endurance, and grit-never giving up despite the obstacles
that come her way. When asked how she finds her inner
strength, Becky shares that, “she has no other choice, but
that her eye is always on the goal of getting to the next
level.”
In addition to unfolding her life and book in a heartfelt
way, Becky has faithfully arrived on time every year,
communicating clearly about her availability, and
answering students’ questions thoroughly. She is a people
person through and through, committed to sharing her story
for the benefit of others. Gratefully, Becky’s testimony
will have an impact on all our lives, as we see the world
with new eyes.
——————————————————————————————- A third grade teacher wrote this after Becky spoke in
her classroom in February of 2018. She read a chapter
from the book, to the class.
Becky,
Thank you so much for your presentation. For me, this was
a great highlight of this year. This is what school is
about. I wish you could have been here for the discussion
that took place after you left. I asked the students what
they learned and what they thought the purpose of the
presentation was. They told me that they learned so much.
They learned that it’s important to be kind to others
because our actions can have lasting effects on others.
They learned that differences make others unique and we
need to take time to get to know people regardless because
we all have the same human heart. They leaned that
everyone has their unique talents, passions and struggles.
And really in a nut shell, it was a huge lesson in
compassion. A very important lesson indeed!
I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to present. A
few other teachers were asking if you would be willing to
do it again in their rooms. I hope you continue to meet
students.
Thank you!
——————————————————————————————-
Our first reading was at Bookshop Santa Cruz, in our
hometown, and we had 120 people, and sold 80 books!
Becky and Dena at Books Inc. in Berkeley on March 28, 2016
Becky, Dena, and our publisher Kate Hitt at our !st
reading at Bookshop Santa Cruz. It was great success!