36-year-old Alanka Babb has bagged a Ph.D. at Liberty University despite going through education challenges because of her disability.
Alanka Babby, a native of Guyana, South America said in a post by Insider that she was born with blindness and lived with her Grandmother growing up in one of the poorest countries in Guyana where education was not prioritized.
After the death of her Grandmother, She had to move in with her other relatives and had the opportunity to attend a neighborhood school where her teachers were underqualified.
Not having a standard education was challenging but her eye condition was more challenging for Babb. She noted that she had to sit in front of the class but still did not prefer a solution for her as her school did not make provisions for students with disability.
Join any of these WhatsApp Groups to receive more good news on WhatsApp
However, despite her eye challenges and not being able to see what her teachers wrote on the blackboard, Babb advanced grade levels. She recalled feeling embarrassed when a teacher found out that she could not read.
She mentioned the embarrassment was a major turning point for her. Babb said she became more determined to learn how to read well and also borrowed books from the school’s library and struggled through reading them.
“I soon realized I loved reading, although I couldn’t pronounce many words. As I got older, I kept reading and pushing myself academically despite my vision limitations. I attended college in Guyana without support for my eye condition, but I still graduated,” she said.`
Babb said she relocated to America at the age of 28 to further her education, though she was skeptical about her decision, due to her worsening eyesight. However, she later discovered that America has a Disabilities Act which stipulates that universities need to provide disability-support services to students.
“At the school, I was given extra time for testing and access to my professors’ presentations before my classes. With these added accommodations, I started to thrive,” she said.
Babb obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology at the University of Guyana and moved on to bag her master’s degree in counseling education. Now she has a doctorate degree. in education from Liberty University, United States at the young age of 36 despite her disability and growing up in an economically challenging environment.
Receive Scholarship Updates through our Social Media Channels:
- WhatsApp: Scholarship Region WhatsApp
- Facebook: Scholars Region
- Twitter: @scholarsregion
- Telegram: Scholarship Region
