PEOPLE

Students: Stories of Triumph

Meet Miriam Krieger


I was born completely blind, but had corneal transplants as a baby, so I have some vision. I can read large print, but my eyes get tired easily because I only use one eye to read. As I got older, I knew I wanted to be independent. I knew I needed to get out into the world and see if I could do things for myself.

As soon as I heard about The Hatlen Center for the Blind, I decided to come, because at the Center, we have no choice, we have to do everything by ourselves. I thought that would be the perfect opportunity for me to try being independent. I was very nervous when I first got here because I didn’t know anybody, and I was wondering how I was going to get things done. Really, I didn’t know what I was doing. I needed a lot of guidance when I first came. My confidence about everything was just so low. I was very, very afraid of the stovetop. I was really afraid to get on a bus. I was very, very self-conscious about using a cane. I didn’t know how to pay my bills.

Now, because of Hatlen, I can cook anything I want on the stove. Now I have absolutely no problem going to and from San Francisco on BART or to Berkeley on the bus. And I’ve learned that the cane is really a protection for me. I have learned how to keep a budget, so I know what I spend each month and can determine if I have a little extra money to go to Starbucks with friends or not. It’s a big responsibility, but I feel very good about what I can do.

The other reason I got over being nervous is because I made friends almost instantly. A lot of people in my high school didn’t know how to deal with my visual impairment. They thought it was weird or whatever, so I didn’t really have that many close friends. But from the first day I came to The Hatlen Center, I was making friends left and right — it was amazing! I couldn’t believe what was happening. And I don’t think there was one person at The Hatlen Center that I truly did not get along with. I made a lot, and I mean a lot, of new friends. My social life has definitely changed for the better.

My parents can’t believe all the things I’m doing now, and it’s all because of The Hatlen Center. Now I’m moving to an apartment in El Cerrito, and I’m going to attend Berkeley City College. After that, my dream is to attend UC Berkeley. I also have a volunteer job with TeleCare. It’s a program for seniors who are homebound. I call and check up on them to see if they need anything. I would encourage any young adult who wants to live independently to look into The Hatlen Center. I’m certain that if I were still in San Diego, where I’m from, things would be just the way they were before. That was fine when I was younger, but now I want to live my own life, and that is exactly the opportunity that is available at The Hatlen Center. It was a great experience for me.