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One of the biggest decisions in a high schooler’s life is deciding where to attend college. Location, cost, degree programs, and so many other factors affect college choice. And for high schoolers who are low vision or blind, there are additional questions to consider. Will I be able to easily get around campus or around the community? Will the disability support services office accommodate me? Will I even know what accommodations to ask for? High school senior Faith Norby of Killdeer, ND, recently made her decision; she’ll be attending the University of Mary in Bismarck in the fall. “When I went on a tour with my mom of UMary, I knew for certain that it was the college for me,” Faith explains. 

Now that that big decision is out of the way, there are other questions to consider, some of which revolve around her visual impairment. Faith has cone dystrophy, a genetic disease that renders her colorblind and very light sensitive. But her low vision didn’t stop her from having a “wonderful high school experience,” she says. “I participated in numerous activities throughout high school including four years of cross country, two years of basketball, FFA, speech, science Olympiad, choir, one-act play, and our high school musical. I enjoyed high school because I was able to participate in activities that I was passionate about.” By participating in these activities, Faith was able to gain self-confidence and begin to know her own strengths. “By participating in FFA I learned that some of my strengths are public speaking and organization. I also gained many leadership skills in FFA and cross country,” she explains. 

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Regional Coordinator, Region 5 
TVI, Gardener, Mom, Voice for Her Families

It’s easy to see the passion that all NDVS/SB employees have for their job, for their clients and students, and for the families they serve. But for Erin Storhoff, who serves as a Regional Coordinator in Region 5 and assists with in-house short-term programs (STP) in Grand Forks, it’s personal. Her grandma, who was a third-grade teacher, was a real inspiration to her while she was growing up, and so were her own TVIs. Erin, who has a visual impairment, remembers that “the TVIs that I had in school really showed their love for their students.” And after her first child was born with a visual impairment, and the family began receiving services from NDVS/SB, she knew she needed to return to school so that she too could help other children and families. “I have always been grateful for my son’s TVI and wanted to follow in her footsteps,” she says.

Over the years, there have been many employees at NDVS/SB who have a visual impairment, and students and clients benefit from that first-hand knowledge of the special skills of blindness, as do their sighted colleagues. Superintendent Paul Olson says that “it’s helpful to hear directly from professionals who are visually impaired because they will share their frustrations and even failures.” For people who are new to sight loss or who are still adjusting to their child’s visual impairment, knowing that their teacher has been through the same thing “is powerful,” says Paul. 

It was so powerful for Erin, in fact, that it changed her career path and goals. And now her own challenges have a meaning and purpose. “Advocating for my families and students is a priority of mine due to personal experiences,” she says. “Sometimes we are the voices of our families when others aren’t listening.” Read on to learn more about Erin’s path to NDVS/SB.

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Periodically, we share a transition student’s story of success. In this profile, meet Paxton Franke from Fargo. He attended NDVS/SB’s short-term programs as an elementary and high school student and graduated from Fargo’s Davies High School in 2016. Read his story and find out what advice he has for students and TVIs.

Paxton Franke has some advice for teachers of the visually impaired. “As students mature, I think TVIs should do as little as possible to help their students,” he says. This statement, he admits, is a bit controversial, but “learning to be independent is crucial for success. A student must learn to advocate, navigate, and acclimate for and within their new position in life. This lesson is a difficult one, and, in real life, can have substantial consequences, so it is best learned early and within a forgiving environment such as school. Increasing the amount of these tasks until the student is fully independent is excellent practice and will prepare them well for life.” 

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Regional Coordinator, Regions 1 & 2
Daughter, Teacher, Mom, Ed Sheeran fan

“For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a teacher,” Erika Moulton, the NDVS/SB Regional Coordinator for regions 1 & 2 in northwest North Dakota, says. “When I was younger, I wanted to be an elementary education teacher because I had some great teachers that made a lasting impression on me. When I was in high school, my mom, who was a special education teacher at a small, rural school, began working with a student who was visually impaired. Seeing her work with this student and how rewarding it was for her was inspiring to me. I attended a Family Weekend with her while I was in high school, and the experience that I had there was really special.” 

Not only did Erika follow her mom’s footsteps into education, she also followed them to NDVS/SB. “My mom held this position [in regions 1 & 2] before I did, and when she decided that she was moving out of state, I decided that I would go for it and see what happens.” Six years later, Erika is still excited to come to work each day. “There is always so much to learn!” she says. “Each child that I work with is so different so that keeps things exciting as you try to determine what works best for each child.” Read on to learn more about Erika.

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Like many vision professionals, Melissa Snyder’s path to NDVS/SB was not a straight one. “I started college at North Dakota State College of Science in Computer Programming and Web Design. After a year of school, I decided to look into other career areas, and education seemed to be a better fit for me.” It certainly has been. Melissa has gone on to obtain two master’s degrees in education (Early Childhood Special Education from Minot State and Special Education of the Visually Impaired from UND), as well as her Orientation and Mobility certification from the University of Northern Colorado. “I love to learn new things, and this job provides me with learning opportunities often,” she said. Find out how Melissa’s path led to NDVS/SB – and how to track her favorite restaurants – by reading on.   

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Mary Verlinde, the NDVS/SB Regional Coordinator for western North Dakota, loves her job and loves her colleagues. “NDVS/SB is a great place to work. I love having the support and understanding of my colleagues, both at work and outside of work. We are all striving for the same thing, which is to help individuals with vision loss. We all learn together!” 

Mary’s colleagues feel the same way about her. Mary is “compassionate,” said one colleague. “Fun to be around and dedicated to her students,” said another. “Helper and thinks outside the box.” The list goes on:

“Talented, modest, kind.” 

“An awesome Irish woman who is very knowledgeable in all areas of vision and always willing to lend an ear.” 

“A spitfire Irish mother with a wonderful and warm spirit of energy. You just admire her for all the hard work and care she uses when working with students and parents.”

“A seasoned TVI who always goes over and above for her students.”

“Always willing to help, whether it is to share ideas from her wealth of knowledge or jump into work on a project.”

Indeed, Mary is beloved at NDVS/SB and in the schools, homes, and communities in which she serves individuals with vision loss. Read on to find out how she stumbled into the vision field and why she is the queen of Queen.

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Abby Wilhelmi, a pre-optometry student at UND, remembers the first time her optometrist placed a pair of glasses over her eyes. “He led me to a huge window in the clinic, and everything outside looked bigger and brighter,” she says. Abby, who was in third grade at the time, says that moment is why she decided to become an optometrist. “I will never forget what it was like to have my sight restored to full clarity, and I want to provide that for others.” 

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158,760. That is the number of miles that Kathy Grzadzielewski has driven over the 11 years she has worked for North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind. As a Regional Coordinator, Kathy serves the children aged birth to 21 in Region 3, the north-central area of the state, which includes the counties of Benson, Cavalier, Eddy, Foster, Nelson, Pierce, Ramsey, Rolette, Sheridan, Towner, and Wells. 

If you see her driving down the highway, she may be on her way to a child’s home, a student’s school, or another agency to serve a client. She may be traveling to assess the functional vision of a baby, to provide recommendations to schools to ensure a student has access to educational material, or to train other educators on how to adapt materials to make a classroom more conducive for learning. During short-term program weeks, Kathy drives to Grand Forks to assist with the classes and activities that are happening there. “This allows me to observe some of my students in a different setting and gives me a better understanding of the skills they have that we can build on.” 

Kathy also sometimes just picks up the phone and lends an ear. “All parents want the best for their child, and parents need to be a strong advocate for their child with a visual impairment. As they learn about their child’s visual impairment, there may be struggles along the way when teaching their child skills to become more independent.” Whether she’s driving or not, Kathy has made a difference in the lives of her students and colleagues over the years, and they in turn have had a big impact on hers. “I love the people I work with inside and outside of NDVS/SB, and every day seems to be a journey.”

“It has come to my attention that there is an increasing amount of information that I know nothing about!” This is a mantra that NDVS/SB Regional Coordinator Lanna Slaby has held for some time, according to her friend and former colleague Linda Kraft. “It’s a very true statement in the world of visual impairments and education of the visually impaired,” Linda explained, and it fits Lanna’s personality perfectly. “When a new client comes to NDVS/SB, there is much to learn about the individual and their unique set of circumstances. Lanna is always willing to put in the time, learning all she needs to know, to customize a program for her clients that is perfectly suited just for them. NDVS/SB is lucky to have her, and I am so proud to call her my friend!” 

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Sara Czapiewski, 21, graduated from Minto High School in the spring of 2019 and started college at the University of Jamestown that fall. Like many young adults, Sara wasn’t sure what career she wanted to pursue, and that looming question, plus the uncertainty of the COVID pandemic, caused her to drop out of college in April 2020. A year later, after feeling cooped up on her family farm while waiting out the pandemic, she decided she didn’t want to wait until fall to start something new. “I realized that life isn’t going to look like you want it to right away. You have to work for it, and even after working for it, there will be waiting. I was ready to take those baby steps to get my life started.” The first step Sara decided to take: pursuing a summer job in Medora.

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