| September 2004 Missouri Regional Newsletter p8 |
| Special Recognition given to one of our own! Longview student works to make life easier for those with disabilities By KATE BEEM Special to The Star As a new academic year bears down upon him, John Meeks has an agenda. It's the same one he had last year and the year before, and he's always tweaking it, figuring ways to move it forward. Meeks, 43, wants to make the world an easier place to navigate for those with disabilities. He knows well the difficulties, for example, of opening a heavy glass door while using a wheelchair. He knows how hard it can be to fit a wheelchair through the door of some public restrooms. Meeks knows the utter aggravation that people with disabilities can feel when others assume they're not up to performing certain tasks. Meeks knows all this because he has experienced these things, too. With a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, he has faced the world with a mind raring to go and a body he has had to coax and cajole to cooperate. But, say Meeks' friends at Longview Community College in Lee's Summit, the Kansas City man never lets his disability keep him from his goals. Meeks has been a student at Longview for two years, working toward an associate's degree and his hope of a career in the music recording industry. He has been involved in many extracurricular activities on campus. �He is always getting involved with projects that help others,� said Jim McGraw, a Longview counselor and the faculty sponsor of the college's computer club, of which Meeks is the president. �He has big ideas, and he knows how to get involved and make them a reality.� Through Meeks' leadership, the Longview computer club has an ongoing practice of donating rebuilt computers to needy students. Using donated parts and money gleaned from fund-raisers, Meeks and the other computer club members have donated three or four computers over the last two years, McGraw said. Last fall, Meeks received an unusual recognition from the college's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society of two-year colleges. The Kappa Tau chapter inducted Meeks as an honorary member, citing him for service to the club even though his grade-point average fell short of full membership. For two years, Meeks helped at club events, fund-raisers and service projects, spurred by his former wife, Lois Robbins, a club officer. Meeks worked at club car washes and helped out during the United Way Day of Caring, said Margaret Berter, the club's adviser. Meeks even served as the disc jockey at the group's picnic, Berter said. �He does whatever he can whenever he can wherever he can,� Berter said. �Whatever we do, he finds a way to help, and he does it. He has to put more effort out to accomplish what he does.� This year, Meeks wants to improve life for Longview's students with disabilities. He is aiming to raise money for the college to purchase more electronically operated doors for restrooms across the campus. Although the Longview campus, with its accessible newer buildings and wheelchair-friendly layout, is particularly welcoming to students with disabilities, Meeks believes there is room for improvement. And the restroom doors are one area he thinks he can tackle. He didn't enroll in classes over the summer, instead spending his time figuring how best to confront the problem. Meeks' long-term goal is a career in the music recording industry. He's hoping to finish his Longview classes in 2006. continued on page 9 |
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| JENNIFER HACK/The Kansas City Star John Meeks has been a student at Longview Community College for two years, working toward an associate's degree and his hope of a career in the music recording industry |