Former SWIC student writes motivational book
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[College can be difficult. It's even more difficult when you're a legally blind, single mother of four children battling a bitter divorce. Former SWIC student Diane Wylde knows this all too well. Her new book; "The Working Miracle of God", an inspirational story of triumph, perseverance and faith; hit stores in November.
The book details Wylde's struggle to overcome physical and emotional obstacles while working toward a college degree and fighting to keep her family together.
As a student at Southwestern Illinois College, then Belleville Area College in 1994, Wylde noticed she was having trouble seeing the board, or anything else, clearly. Her teacher referred her to the Special Services Center, now called the Disability & Access Center, where she spoke with a staff member about how her eyesight was affecting her academic performance.
The conversation began with her eyesight and the need to access adaptable equipment to help her complete assignments. The Special Services Center also set her up with a Department of Rehabilitation counselor to discuss possible treatments for her condition, Macular Corneal Dystrophy, going so far as to schedule her an appointment at what was then the Anhueser-Busch Eye Institute. However, as the conversation progressed it was clear that she would need more assistance than merely adaptable equipment.
Her divorce came late in 1993, leaving her to raise three of her four children on her own.
Wylde's ex-husband was awarded custody of their youngest daughter. The strain on her life and schoolwork was obvious, so the Special Services Center referred her to an agency which provides financial assistance for child care. At a time when her ability to provide adequate care for her children was under constant scrutiny, the Special Services Center helped Wylde find a way to provide for her family and her education simultaneously.
"God told me back in 1993, 'You have three children that need you. Finish school, graduate, get a job and someday soon you will get your little girl back,'" Wylde said.
Wylde graduated from Southwestern Illinois College in May of 1998 with an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Office Administration & Technology and an Office Technology Specialist Certificate.
"The day I graduated, everyone that knew me stood up and gave me a standing ovation. I had tears in my eyes...That was a day I will never forget", says Wylde.
"The Disability & Access Center helps students with disabilities at SWIC by coordinating accommodations to ensure equal access. It is great to see a student persevere and conquer the obstacles between them and their education," says Disability & Access Center Director Kelly Atkins.
The Working Miracle of God is being published by Xulon Press and is available at xulonpress.com/bookstore, Barnes & Noble and amazon.com.
For more information about services for students with disabilities, contact the Disability & Access Center at 618-235-2700, ext. 5368; or TDD at 618-234-3347, or toll free at 866-942-SWIC (7942), ext. 5368.