I noticed this little item in an article:
"Her nickname is "Lee."
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office says a woman who was reported missing but may have moved out of the area years ago has been located.
www.ksby.com
So follow me when I say JMO MOO I think she made this public comment at a Cuesta College Board of Trustees (San Luis Obispo County Community College District) meeting back in April 2013 (she mentions she is 50 in her story at that time, so would be 59 now as in the missing person notice).
I'm only bringing it because JMO MOO there is an interesting mention about her history within it:
(Note I tried to break it up into easier to read portions, but you can read the original starting at the end of page 7 at the link below)
"Lee Laviano read the following written statement and urged the Board to not approve the layoff resolution:
Hello. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today about a subject of great concern and passion to me. My name is Lee Laviano. I have been a resident of San Luis Obispo County for 31 years. I have attended Cuesta College at different times throughout these years. I am speaking today at this meeting of the Cuesta College Board of Trustees to raise my voice in concern.
I am concerned with the latest position cut in the Disabled Students Programs and Services. The position of Instructional Associate is being cut. There is only one position with this description. There is only one person filling this one position. There are hundreds of qualified deserving learning disabled students who will no longer have the accommodation that they need to succeed in achieving their education. Without a tutor who understands the learning disabled and methods and models of teaching them, these students will have no one to help them overcome their disability; no one who speaks their language; no one who holds the keys to help them unlock the knowledge they so deeply desire and need in order to succeed at Cuesta and in the work world.
These students are frustrated and frightened and worried and losing hope. They feel unheard, uncared about, taken advantage of, pushed away, and deeply frustrated. They are a vulnerable population on campus. They are a struggling population in the educational system. They are a very determined population, overcoming mountains of difficulties, some within themselves and some outside themselves. Adversity is everywhere. These students have difficulty interpreting the very learning materials that they are required to understand and build upon. Not for lack of effort or desire or ability, but for lack of functional ability.
If this position is cut, who will understand how to illuminate the material in ways these students can comprehend? Who will teach these students about themselves and how their brains function so they can learn how to learn? For most people, the learning process takes place unconsciously. One reads the material, performs the work, practices, studies, and the brain comprehends and files the info.
For the learning disabled, the process is different. For some reason, their brain does not process information the same as the rest of the population. The reasons are many and varied, sometimes it is a vision problem, so we access programs for visually impaired. Sometimes the problem is hearing, so we access programs for Deaf People. Sometimes the problem is brain function, so we access methods that have been developed to address the different learning difficulties these people suffer from.
This population does not lack the ability to learn, they learn differently. They need to be taught how they learn and how to work around how their brain works. I am one of these students. When I was growing up, I was identified as Mentally Gifted. I was very bright, very intelligent; I thrived in school and did well. I helped and tutored many classmates who struggled. I learned to apply myself and use my intellectual gifts and I learned to help my classmates and help them be successful too.
When I was growing up, I never understood how gifted I was, although I did understand that everyone is gifted differently and we all help each other. I acquired my difficulties as an adult, early in my 30"s. I acquired a brain injury. The details of how this injury occurred aren't pertinent to this discussion. What is pertinent is that after many years of struggle and healing, I am finally at a point where I am well enough to come back to college and I am well enough to succeed. I am here; I have come back. I want to learn, I need to learn, I want to find myself and my strengths and my weaknesses and my abilities. I want to discover my interests and passions and my next direction in my life. I want to discover my path whether it be educational or vocational. I want to define my goals. I want to define my role and my place in my society and reintegrate successfully and take my place again. But I cannot succeed alone. I need help.
I have much to learn about myself yet, much to learn about how my brain functions now and how to learn within these new parameters. I am frustrated and struggling. I am discouraged and scared. I am on the verge of giving up daily. I am tired of the roadblocks and difficulties. And yet, I know, I cannot give up. I must not give up. The only way to succeed again is to move forward in school. I have not lost my intelligence. I have lost full access to my intellect. I am reconstructing the pathways into and out from my intellect. Education is my key. I am not young anymore; I am 50. What hope do I have for my future if I do not have Cuesta College and the DSPS program? I can't learn how to learn and how to cope without the DSPS staff members. The department is already just a skeleton crew and yet, they somehow manage to continue to provide for all of us.
If you cut the Instructional Assistant position, you will mortally wound all of us. Louie is dedicated to the students; he is very busy all day long, every day. He helps all of us with all of our learning needs. If you cut this position, how will you meet these specialized needs? Please do not cut this position. Please do not cut any more in the DSPS department. We cannot afford to lose any more help. Please do not take my Community out of my Community College".
keyt.com
