Several years ago, Carol, who was born with cerebral palsy, was working at Stanford and H&R Block and pursuing an accounting degree at San José State University . Despite success in many areas of her “outside” life, Carol was not content living at home with her family. Carol first became involved with Silicon Valley Independent Living Center (SVILC) when she contacted the agency for help with housing services. She enrolled in the Residential Training Program and later, with the help of the Housing Services Department, moved to an apartment in San Jose . Carol was more independent than ever and looking forward to graduation and a career in accounting.

The following year, Carol's life changed dramatically. As she was getting out of her van on the way to work, Carol had an accident in which her wheelchair fell on her. Doctors told her that she had a skull fracture, but Carol knew that something even more serious was wrong. After several difficult months, it was determined that Carol had suffered a traumatic brain injury during her accident.

A once confident, self-described “go-getter” with a busy work and college life, Carol now struggled with basic communication, information processing, and word finding skills. Carol's work with numbers and calculations suffered because she could no longer efficiently process this type of information. She recalls that her biggest challenge at the time was being forced to completely change the direction of her education and career.

It took Carol seven years of rehabilitation, hard work, and self-examination to decide on a new direction for her life. She enrolled in De Anza College and focused on relearning basic skills like reading, writing, and spelling. During this time, Carol discovered that she was passionate about sociology. She earned the President's Award for Outstanding Achievement and a scholarship.

After completing her classes at De Anza, Carol reenrolled at San José State . Carol studied intently and was eventually placed on the Dean's Honor Roll and awarded the CW Mills Community Service Award. In 2004, Carol graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology.

Throughout her journey, Carol used the programs and services at SVILC to help her reach both personal and professional goals. She worked with the Counseling Department on dealing with the emotional issues that surround adjusting to life after an accident. She also utilized SVILC's Vocational Services to eventually secure a job in her new field. Carol says, “SVILC is a great resource place for disabled people that is willing to go the extra mile.”

Today, Carol works for the Santa Clara County Department of Drug and Alcohol Services as a Data Analysis Research Assistant. She lives independently and is rebuilding her confidence and trying new things. According to Carol, “You can't always depend on other people. It is up to each individual to find strategies around their problems. If you don't try, you aren't going to go anywhere.”

Anyone, including those living with disabilities and/or adjusting to major life changes, can look to Carol for inspiration about what is possible. “Set your dreams and then make them come true. You need energy, willingness, and determination, but you come away with a better quality of life,” she says.