Adrienne Tse presents to students on Pink Shirt Day Feb. 24.
Pink Shirt Day got personal for third-year Culinary Innovation and Food Technology student Adrienne Tse.
Tse shared her story with students at the NOTL Campus on Feb. 24. Her mission: to educate students on what a learning disability is and how a person with it may feel.
Tse knows firsthand. She grew up challenged by learning disabilities which she overcame prior to enrolling at the College. Growing up in Toronto, she attended a school for students with learning disabilities for two years and benefitted from the results.
“I finally could comprehend what I read, do mental math equations, read the hands on analog clocks, listen and remember a series of instructions that were given to me, and read people’s expressions,” she recalled. “I still had a bit of my learning disabilities like having motor coordination problems, and being slow at taking notes and doing things.”
While she was very shy when arrived at NC, Tse found she was able to successfully navigate through college life. Attending a Get Set for Success program through the College’s Centre for Students with Disabilities helped her become familiar with the services and technology available to students at the College. She had accesses to tools such as a livescribe pen that records her notes and class lectures. A note taker provided notes she missed in class. She was also able to book tests at the College test centre to allow for more time.
“Sometimes I still had difficulty comprehending things I read so I had to re-read paragraphs. What helped was highlighting main words and keeping organized,” she said. “I would also ask teachers questions when I had them and continually did practice questions for math. I know where my weaknesses are and my strengths.”
Volunteer opportunities at the college helped Tse gain leadership skills and confidence. She noted that participating in the College’s LEAD program helped her learn about what it means to be a leader, and she would apply what she learned in the classroom or at work. She would help classmates with questions they had and began tutoring for some subjects.
“My learning disabilities made me feel left out, shy, anxious, and nervous. By talking to a college counselor and volunteering and getting involved, this would help ease my anxiousness and nervousness,” she said. “Volunteering also helped me overcome my shyness. I realized that I liked meeting new people and helping others. Volunteering helped me relieve some of my stress.”
Tse said she hoped students with learning disabilities will realize that they are not on their own; that they have people who are willing to help whenever they need them.
“I want students with a learning disability to understand that they are not a hopeless case,” she said.
She encouraged students to talk to their parents, friends, mentors and teachers about difficulties they are having in school or life; ask for help when they need it; get to know new people; as well as learn from new experiences by volunteering and getting involved.
While this is the second year that Tse has presented to students at the College, this was her first involvement in Pink Shirt Day.
“I feel Pink Shirt day gives a positive message to prevent bullying,” she said. “In this day and age, people can also get bullied over the internet, not just in school. People should realize that whenever they bully someone they are hurting that person.”
