On a typical Tuesday morning, San Antonio Lighthouse Reception Specialist Melissa Chavira is busy answering phone calls and replying to emails. She's completely blind and only a few weeks on the job, but you wouldn’t know it.
Melissa was diagnosed with Juvenile Open Angle Glaucoma at 15 years old and lost her vision in 2017. That’s the same year she received assistive technology training at the San Antonio Lighthouse.
“When I started training, it gave me a whole new way of thinking and living,” Melissa said. “I had just lost my sight and I was thinking I wouldn’t be able to navigate the world, but once I came to the Lighthouse and trained, I got a positive outlook and a can-do attitude. I’m not going to let any barriers come between me and my goals.”
In addition to working full-time at the San Antonio Lighthouse, Melissa is a full-time student. She’s earning her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Texas A&M San Antonio. Her first master’s degree is in English and her bachelor’s degree is in History.
Melissa’s goal is to work with vision impaired and blind people who are struggling with their mental health. She also hopes to offer couples therapy on the side.