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Q: Oscar, we’ve been so proud to call you a Tichenor graduate but we hear you have some exciting big news to share!
A: Yes! I am happy to say that on June 13, I graduated from Wilson High School! My mom, dad, brother, uncle, and aunt came to my graduation at Viking Stadium at LBCC!
Q: That is so exciting!! Congratulations!
A: Thank you. It has been a struggle but I have also had a lot of joyous and happy moments.
Q: Tell us about both if you wouldn’t mind.
A: Well, as you know, I have autism and an auditory processing disorder. I was scared to move on to high school because I would be taking all general education classes. I was in mostly special education classes in middle school and only started general ed fully in 8th grade. But I had good support from RSP (Resource Specialist Program) and my teachers. They really encouraged me to push myself, like with Spanish. I took 4 years of Spanish and earned my Seal of Biliteracy.
Q: Wow, Oscar, that’s a really big deal!
A: Thank you! My AVID* class was a big help too. The teacher was really supportive and fun. I learned how to organize myself, how to do college searches, FAFSA, Cal State Apply, a whole new world of words. And the career counselor helped with mock interviews and resumes.
Q: And where did your college search lead? Drum roll, please!
A: I will be going to Cal State Long Beach in the fall! It was a hard decision, but I know it is the right decision for me. I want to be close to my family.
Q: Oscar, that is SO exciting. And let me guess what you’ll be studying…
A: Well you know I love whales, dolphins, orcas… all animals. At first I was disappointed that CSULB did not have a zoology major but it turns out they have something called Organismal Biology! You can study zoology, ecology, AND botany! One day I want to educate people at zoos. And in our changing world, maybe I want to be involved in conservation. This was a good lesson to research more carefully because they actually had the major I love all along!
Q: Awesome! That sounds perfect for you.
A: Yes, I feel extremely blessed. I also want to thank Ms. Kim and Ms. Deaka from Tichenor’s Teen Support Group. I did not know if college would be for me but they encouraged me that I could go to a four-year university. They might not have the same disability as me but they have struggled and are now great advocates. They are my inspiration.
Q: And you are now the inspiration for so many others, Oscar. You came to Tichenor as a young child and now you’re going to college!
A: Yes. I’m glad that I get to stay close to not only my family but also my Tichenor family so I can help encourage other teens who have disabilities to be able to challenge themselves and pursue new experiences and get out of their comfort zone. I want to help people understand the beauty and wonder that Tichenor brings to kids and teens like me and helps us be able to reach the stars!
Q: You embody all that it means to strive and persevere, Oscar. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
A: Thank you!
* Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is an in-school academic support program for grades seven through twelve that helps prepare students for college eligibility and success.
Oscar was our guest speaker at our virtual concert in December 2020!
My Journey through Tichenor
Hello, My name is Oscar Lopez and I am in the 11th grade and I currently attend Woodrow Wilson High School. I am from a very hard-working family. My parents came to the US from Morelos Mexico for a better life.
I am very grateful for the invitation to talk about my journey at Tichenor Clinic for Children. But as a teenager with moderate autism and an auditory processing disorder, I would like to share that I don’t like speaking in front of people and I have trouble with change. So this was a very hard decision to write this speech, but Mrs. Kim, who works at the Clinic, showed me that I need to try risks and get out of my comfort zone so that is what I will do today and speak about my journey.
I first came to Tichenor for the swim program. My muscles were very weak and the orthopedist felt that swimming could be a way to make my muscles stronger. Being in the swim program really helped me and ultimately became my favorite sport.
When I became a teeanger, I joined the Teen Social Group at Tichenor. It really helped me improve my social skills. We did fun activities and learned strategies to help us be more comfortable in order to have conversations with people.
I still have a hard time talking to other kids my age but with the support from this group I have the tools and skills in order to be able to take action when being in social situations.
One of the most important aspects of my journey at Tichenor was becoming a student volunteer with the Life Skills Group after I graduated from the program. I learned skills I wasn’t so familiar with like how to make an omelet or milkshake and also reinforced things that my mother already showed me like folding clothes and cleaning.
And then as a volunteer I was able to help others learn the skills! This has helped me become an even better version of myself and help me feel more confident about myself and I know that with more hard work I can pursue even more challenging things in my life.
My mother has also benefited from being part of the parent support group. Tichenor was a real lifesaver for my mom. My mother used to say that she would go to IEP meetings and just listen and sign the IEP since she felt that the school and my teachers knew what was best for me. But lo and behold Mayra Jimenez brought TIGER classes to Tichenor for parents of students with IEPs. My mother learned that parents (like her) and students (like me) have a say when it comes to their education. And my mom passed on knowledge to me too. I learned what my accommodations are and how to advocate and ask questions to get me the support that I need to be successful in school.
Events that Tichenor puts on for families like the Beach Day and the Christmas Party at the Memorial Hospital have given me and my family memories that we can’t forget.
Tichenor has also supported our family through the pandemic this year with the food donations that they have given us. It is a big help since it has been hard to get food at the supermarket since people are panicking and taking as much as they can.
In conclusion, I would like to thank you all for hearing me talk about Tichenor Clinic for Children which is a second home for me and my family. And only at Tichenor could we access services that in other places would be way too expensive for my family to be able to pay. Tichenor to me is a safe haven for children with disabilities. I feel that I can act and be who I am as well as meet other children who are similar to me and different from me. But we all belong.
I give thanks to the people like Mrs. Kim and Mayra and the many speech, physical, social, therapists that I have had over the years. You have all shown me that what is impossible to me can be possible with a little bit of help and encouragement. Tichenor is the best and most incredible place on the planet so I really encourage you to donate to Tichenor to keep helping more children with disabilities just like me.
Thank you.
