For Jessica, language represents more than words—it's a bridge that connects us despite our differences. Language is a real difference that people can learn to overcome through understanding and education. This is why Jessica loves teaching reading.
Adapting to Challenges
Jessica has cerebral palsy and borderline hip dysplasia. She's undergone more than 36 surgeries, including a hip replacement, back fusion, and hip fusion. Over the last decade, as her mobility decreased, she's had to, as she says, "learn how to be a disabled person," adapting to new limitations while refusing to let them define her future.
Finding the Right Path
When Jessica first connected with ERI employment specialist Heather Schintgen, she wasn't sure what career path to pursue. What she did know was that she wanted to make a meaningful difference.
Heather helped Jessica explore various options, taking note of her background in communication classes and her love of reading. But finding the right position wasn't just about matching Jessica's interests—it also required navigating the complex intersection of employment and benefits.
Balancing Work and Benefits
Early in her adult life, Jessica was unfairly held accountable for a bureaucratic error. This experience made her particularly cautious about how employment might affect her financial stability. This is where ERI's expertise proved invaluable. Heather helped her understand how different employment options would impact Jessica's benefits, allowing her to make informed decisions about her future.
Together, they discovered a reading tutor position through the Americorps ReadingCorps program that seemed perfect. The position not only aligned with Jessica's passion for language and helping others, but also offered a unique arrangement where her income wouldn't immediately affect her benefits. This allowed her to continue her education at Chippewa Valley Tech while gaining valuable work experience—a crucial balance that supported both her immediate needs and long-term goals.
Making a Difference
Jessica's experience volunteering with Red Cross blood drives and Salvation Army food pantries demonstrated her commitment to community service. The reading tutor position aligned perfectly with these values while also providing practical benefits as she pursues her degree in Professional Communications.
Now in her second year as a tutor, Jessica finds deep satisfaction in witnessing her students' progress. "You can visually see that you're making a difference throughout the year," Jessica says. "You see the students changing from the beginning of the year to the end." For Jessica, this transformation in her students provides tangible evidence of her impact, reinforcing her belief in the power of language to change lives.
Becoming the Representation She Never Had
Beyond teaching reading, Jessica has another mission: providing representation that she never had growing up.
She deliberately chose to work in schools to change that narrative. "I was hoping if I come into the schools, it won't be so jarring for students, because they'll be like, 'Oh yeah, I had a disabled person when I was going through schooling, they're just like us.'"
Looking to the Future
Jessica is focused on building skills that will ensure her independence and self-sufficiency. Her experiences have taught her the importance of planning ahead.
"I'm trying to think like five steps ahead of what I actually need," she explains. After completing her current degree program, she plans to pursue additional certifications to expand her career options.
Jessica's ultimate dream is to teach English in Japan. For the past two years, she's been studying Japanese with a tutor. "It really is the goal of mine to go over there and try to teach the language," she says. "So I'm doing all that I can do on my end."
Heather has been amazed by Jessica's transformation and ambition. "She's grown so much," Heather shares. Though the formal support period has ended, Jessica and Heather continue to stay in touch.
Through her work as a reading tutor, Jessica is not only helping children discover new worlds through language—she's also showing them, through her presence and example, that disability doesn't define a person's potential or worth. And with every book she helps a child read, she moves one step closer to her own dream of bridging cultures through language education.
Jessica's journey from uncertainty to finding meaningful employment demonstrates the importance of personalized employment support and benefits counseling. At ERI, we're committed to helping individuals like Jessica navigate the complexities of the workforce while honoring their unique talents and circumstances.
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