Winning First Prise in the FPS Community Problem Solving Project

The Term "service" brings a different meaning to each individual's
heart. For just as we all are individual people/souls, so are we
unique and contain our OWN perspectives.

To me, service contains 3 concepts: love, consideration, and creating
foundations. If I were to twist these with Global Explorers' terms, I
would say love and consideration concur with respect and relate.

Winning first place at the Future Problem Solvers (FPS, visit
www.ohiofps.org for website) Community Problem Solving (cmps)
individual senior division was not easy in any way. I also received
5th place in the scenario writing division of FPS, representing my
High School. A shock goes through me when I think of this
accomplishment -- as I did not expect to win FIRST prise for CMPS in
the ENTIRE state. Yet I am glad as this brings me a step closer
towards recognition of limitlessness.

But let us explore for a moment why I even worked with others in doing
what I do. What lead me to it?

While I lived in Hungary, I noticed how much life "sucked". How I was
frowned upon not just by the sighted society, but also because of my
own peers at boarding school. So I came to the United States with the
expectations of seeing a difference. And a difference I did see!
Instead of being treated with jealous feelings from others, I was
almost COMPLETELY ignored. I am saying almost here for the few
exceptions of students who did become a "closer" friend - like Steve.
But generally, I was treated like a curtain -- and in many ways this
stands today in the regard that I cannot hold a complete conversation
with a student without it turning very awkward.

But in 9th grade I made 2 promises to myself:
"Tomi, I do not want to ever see ANY OTHER HUNGARIAN BLIND person grow
up the way you grew up in poverty and with the lack of required
technologies,"
and "Tomi, the next blind person who passes through your community
will NEVER EVER experience the isolation you have felt!"

and so that established my love. My love for the world, my love for
the people in this world who I just want to see happy and content. The
unconditional love which flows from the heart is the purest form in
existence - and I have it. The reason why I wanted to accomplish these
2 things is because I want to see people smile and feel the love
within them which I now express. Many in society sadly do not
understand and cannot comprehend that term. Unconditional love.
So I accomplished goal 1 by translating the free NVDA (non-visual -
desktop access) software program into Hungarian. A complete screen
reader which is free and open source for anyone to use. Although I
have given most of the project to the Hungarian blind friends I know
(as my focus has shifted), I still keep an eye on what is happening to
NVDA. It is becoming a popular assistive software of choice back In
Hungary, with many blind organizations installing it on computers as a
free alternative to commercial $1800 costing screen readers.

Goal #2 was harder to accomplish, and this is where my other skills
were tested. Consideration. How will some people view me and what
image do I display to others, as well as "what do I need to consider
in order to make my impacts last long?". Oh trust me, I've had even
blind people come up to me and tell to my face, "I hate you for
demanding equality and thinking you're limitless, you blindie! " (not
those words of course but I could comprehend their point).
Consideration of course required my open mind, which I possess
greatly. I do not want to exclude mentally challenged, deaf, and
mobility impaired people from my impacts, for example. This is why I
say in a lot of speeches that ANY disability has no limits if you view
it so. By being blind I demonstrate ONE such disability, but there are
an array of others out there.
So, it took a while to consider and think. To create my mottos, "I
give you free will" and "Live life the way you want it lived!". Oh yes
and my latest new slogan, "disability=less sighted guidance, more
freedom and independence". And I wish to make this clear: Anything and
anyone in this world, regardless of their disability, has the ability
to overcome any limit or obstacle IF and only IF they have the proper
belief in themselves and having an open mind for new ideas helps a lot
too.

Now for the foundations part. This is where it all connects. All of my
accomplishments connect with each other. My middle school speeches
directly prepare the students for their assignments for next year
(analysing how my Grand Canyon trip went). . My blog serves as a place
of discussion for every person in contact with me as well as my way of
keeping a "journal" of how I truly am limitless. Again, my Grand
Canyon trip is in the foundation and an integral portion of what I do,
and so are my speeches since they also show limitlessness.
My radio show (The World's Perspective show) helps anyone with gaining
an open mind and understand THEIR perspective on a selected topic. It
also demonstrates directly how a disabled (enabled?) person can reach
anything.
There are other minor things which I have done, but I think this
suffices my point. Do you see the foundation? It's only one word:
limitlessness. And even the farthest of accomplishments (like my Radio
show which does not "directly" talk about blindness) shows that
concept. Now you know what I mean by foundations! All change has a
foundation. :)

So last but not least. What did the 6 page research paper I wrote for
CMPS (the Community Problem Solving Project) do?
Dear reader, it bound the foundations with a trophy. I mean this
directly. By writing that paper, I summarized in 6 pages, with the
help of a few proof readers, of what I want accomplished and have done
so far. "To show the world the capabilities of students with
disabilities." Notice that my underlying problem there did NOT
specifically say "capabilities of blind students." but "students with
DISABILITIES." Aha. Click!

So there it is. Now you know how I work. I create a foundation and
build my web of change around that. I created my foundation last year
when I realized my own confidence and no limits. What was the
foundation for that? Those 2 quotes I wrote at the beginning of this
message. Ah. Yes. It is all encased in one common shell: Change.

And with that, I finish writing this long post. I want to close by
thanking all those who helped me weave my soft web of change, for
providing me opportunities to network with a variety of minds and
hearts. Without connections, it is difficult to start building your
foundations. Being 17, I do not have that many connections. But the
ones I have, those few people, were enough to start me off. Mom by
taking me out to this nation ; MRS. Gaspar by writing a press release
; MRs. Frazier for contacting the middle school as well as taking time out from her after school schedule in helping edit rough drafts of both the scenario and the CMPS write up; Lucy for proofreading and giving feedback on my various works ; Shannon for providing me the opportunity to apply to the Grand Canyon trip and my
scholarship ; MR. Senge for giving me that scholarship and thus
connecting me with others ; DR. Wingenbach, for allowing me to present
to the board and the local Kiwanis club ; Brenda who worked briefly
with me on fundraising (and helped build confidence) ; and a lot of
others who are not mentioned here but are loved the same, my local
church included. And I suppose you can't forget my girlfriend Amelia
whom I've known for over one and a half years and who gave me the
confidence to move forward during those low times of depression and
her support can never truly be understood by anyone but myself.

I hope everyone's well. Be safe, and live life the way YOU want it lived!

With love, consideration, and a foundation:
Tomi
p.s: If anyone wishes to read the 6 page report, feel free to ask me
and I would be more than happy to send you a copy electronically! :)