News

Carmen Grove Suminski died Wednesday, July 5, 2023, at her daughter’s home in Cashton, WI, of congestive heart failure. Carmen was a long-time employee of the School for the Blind, from 1969-1973 and then again from 1991 until she retired as superintendent in 2013. Carmen’s impact on the School is still felt today. She was at the helm during its transition from a residential school to one serving students and clients through outreach and short-term programming, when its name changed to North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind, and during its centennial celebration in 2008 when she compiled a book, Recollections of 100 Years of Excellence. She is fondly remembered by current staff and former employees, former students and clients, fellow Lions, and the many other vision professionals she worked with around the nation. We are so grateful for her leadership and her caring professionalism.

At her mother’s funeral, Amanda Schultz Garcia eulogized, “To know my mom was to know me, and to know me was to know my mom.” Even though she held many titles throughout her life – teacher, Director of Education, Superintendent, President of COSB – Amanda’s mom, Carmen Suminski, was, first and foremost, mom. While growing up in Arizona and then North Dakota, Amanda remembers her mom taking “an extreme interest in me,” Amanda laughs. “If I was a part of it, she volunteered, whether it was soccer, theater, music, or school.” 

Carmen is remembered as someone who was extremely dedicated to her job and “always working,” Amanda remembers. “Even before you could check your email on your phone, she would be writing letters and notes in the evening.” But family always came first. “She was very family-oriented,” remembers Ken Dockter, a longtime employee of the School for the Blind. “She loved her parents, loved Amanda and her grandson Carter. She always talked about her cousins.” Amanda concurs, “There was always someone she was taking care of.” 

Click Here for Full Article

In 1995, Heather Whitestone McCallum of Alabama, who is deaf, became the first Miss America with a disability. Since then, other women who have a disability have competed, but we’ve never seen a woman with a visual impairment compete for the crown. We will someday, and she may be representing North Dakota. That is, if Cylee Walton from Cavalier has her way. Cylee, who graduated from Cavalier Public School in May, recently competed for the Miss North Dakota crown in Williston. Cylee’s platform was “Embrace, Inspire, Normalize all,” which was inspired by her experience with a learning disability and her visual impairment. Cylee has nystagmus, which causes uncontrolled repetitive movements of the eyes. She was diagnosed with this condition at two months old, and while it greatly impacts her daily life, such as not being able to see the board at school or not being able to read a menu in a restaurant, she has begun to see how the struggles she has faced in life have enriched her life.

Click Here for Full Article

NDVS/SB Maintenance
Husband & Father, Vintage Minibike Restorer, Newly Minted World Traveler 

For 37 ½ years, Jody Lembke drove to work at Simplot, just off Gateway Drive in Grand Forks. For the past 1 ½ years, his commute has been about 3 blocks longer, since he started working in the maintenance department at NDVS/SB. Three blocks but a world of difference lay between his past job and his current one. Jody, who grew up in Grand Forks and graduated from Grand Forks Central High School, appreciates that he gets to do important work here – and have his weekends and evenings free. And this time of year, he even gets to spend his days in the great outdoors. “I love that I get to be outside,” Jody says. “And I like working with a great group of people here.”

Click Here for Full Article

NDVS/SB Braillist
Artist, New Homeowner, World Traveler

Her title is Braillist, but Leslie Pederson doesn’t just work with braille. She produces large print materials, including textbooks and workbooks that are needed by students for their classes. She also prints 3-D models of objects and tools that students and clients need to learn or perform a task. These plastic models allow people to tactually learn about things that they’d otherwise not be able to touch, such as the Empire State Building, parts of a cell, or a rocket ship. You could say she is a master of accessible materials, opening the world to those who are visually impaired by providing them with the materials they need to learn, do their job, or engage in hobbies or activities.

Leslie’s work is done behind the scenes, so it is often taken for granted. Superintendent Paul Olson, however, knows just how lucky NDVS/SB is to have her. “She is one of our greatest assets at NDVS/SB,” he says. “It takes a very dedicated and detail-oriented individual to become an expert braille transcriber. Not only does one need to be a master of the code itself, it requires a deep understanding of how people who are blind can best use braille materials. Leslie has been all of these things and more. She takes great pride in the materials she produces for individuals and organizations and is just such a pleasant person all around.” Find out more about Leslie by reading on.

Click Here for Full Article

by Lanna Slaby
Region 6 Outreach Coordinator

When you go to Louisville, Kentucky, good luck saying it correctly. LoooVul, LooeyVille, LuhVul, LooaVille, and being from North Dakota, I’m sure I said it wrong. I had the privilege to go to Louisville in April to visit the American Printing House for the Blind as a 2022 APH Scholar. Over 150 years old, the American Printing House for the Blind began publishing raised letter books in 1858 and continues today by making accessible products for the blind. I was asked to attend their annual Trustee Advisory Committee Meetings along with 10 committee members, two co-chairs, and two other APH Scholars. 

Click Here for Full Article

NDVS/SB Houseparent
Future TSVI, O&M Specialist, and Northern Illinois Husky

In her own words, Lead Houseparent Gretchen Ivers explains how she learned about NDVS/SB and how it set her on her future path.

Hi! My name is Gretchen Ivers and I'm originally from a small hobby farm west of Thompson, ND. I just graduated from UND with a Bachelor's in Elementary Education and a minor in Special Education. The teachers at North Dakota Vision Services encouraged me to look into a career in education, and I am so glad they did! 

Click Here for Full Article

We periodically profile a young adult living with vision loss in North Dakota. Candace Rivinius has been blind since she was two years old due to Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, one of the most common causes of childhood blindness. Blindness has not stopped Candace from reaching her goals, and today she is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor at Corner Post Counseling PLLC. Find out how those goals took shape and her dreams for the future by reading on.

Candace Rivinius is used to making people turn their heads – though she can’t see them do that. By doing unexpected things – shooting a gun, waterskiing, paddleboarding, jumping at a trampoline park, running a 5K – she is turning blindness on its head while turning heads. And at her day job as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Candace is helping people clear their heads and find hope and wellness after experiencing trauma or while suffering from anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other life stressors. “I like working with people to help them reach their goals,” she says. “It is fun to see people make the changes to improve their mental health, relationships, and overall well-being.” 

Click Here for Full Article

NDVS/SB Administrative Assistant
Caretaker of animals, the earth, her family, and her work family

When you call NDVS/SB, chances are Nedra Hoberg will answer. Nedra spent much of her career working in a variety of educational settings that fed her love of nature. In her current position at NDVS/SB, she shares her passions with students, clients, and coworkers whenever she can, making their days a little brighter and reminding them of what’s important. Here, Nedra shares the story of how she ended up at NDVS/SB and the lessons she learned (and taught) along the way.

Click Here for Full Article

We periodically profile a young adult living with vision loss in North Dakota. Elias Youngblom lost his vision at the age of 23 from an accident caused by a drunk driver. Since then, he has learned to live a full life without his sense of sight and with a sixth sense of humor. Being able to laugh along to his vision loss is not always easy, but he has found it helps him as much as his family, friends, and the strangers he encounters.

If I poke you in the eye, will it hurt?
Do you want to touch my face?
Is that thing [the white cane] cool?
How do you do stuff?
How do you put on clothes?
How do you spend money?

These are just a few of the questions that Elias Youngblom has been asked over the last 8 years, since he lost his vision. The 31-year-old from Fargo, ND, was hit head-on by a drunk driver who was driving the wrong way down the interstate. Blood flow to both of his optic nerves was lost, which means that while his eyes and brain still function as they should, the connection between them has been lost. One thing that wasn’t lost? His sense of humor. While there is nothing funny about his accident – then or now –Elias quickly realized that he needed a positive attitude and laughter in order to survive. He started collecting comments and questions that people asked him that made him scratch his head – or laugh out loud.

There is plenty of humor in the blind and visually impaired community, and like many, Elias has found that having a sense of humor helps others as much as it helps him. “I find that people are more comfortable around blindness if they know that I can laugh about it,” Elias explains. “I often try to break the ice with people by making light of my white cane or joking about running into things.” Through his humor and can-do attitude, Elias is changing people’s ideas about vision loss. “There is very little realistic representation of blindness in media, so we have to be that representation,” Elias says. “The more people see blind folks living real lives, the more it will become normal.”

Click Here for Full Article

NDVS/SB Superintendent
Runner, O&M Specialist, Staff Cheerleader

Superintendents have a long to-do list each day. They deal with budgets, schedules, and staff conflicts. They answer to stakeholders, including parents, families, and legislators. If staff members are out, they may find themselves teaching, driving bus, or serving lunch. But perhaps the most important task, at least for NDVS/SB Superintendent Paul Olson, is staff cheerleader. “I have had the pleasure of getting to know people at many specialized schools for the blind and amazing teachers of the visually impaired in public schools across the country,” Paul says. “I firmly believe we have the most dedicated and talented staff. We are a little stretched at times, but the NDVS/SB staff do an amazing job for our citizens. They are top notch.” 

This is a typical quote from Paul as it shifts the focus off of him and gives all credit and accolades to his staff. But behind every great employee is a great boss. The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “The wicked leader is he who the people despise. The good leader is he who the people revere. The great leader is he who the people say, ‘We did it ourselves.’” Staff have spoken and Paul is, indeed, a great leader. Find out why by reading below.

Click Here for Full Article