克服重重困难
杰森·希思一直专注于教育。 “I wanted to go to college my whole
life.” 他有很多兴趣，比如航空、计算机科学和太空。 His mother,
Megan, encouraged him to investigate and learn, but she worried. Jayson was born with
development disabilities and diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at seven years
old. 他很难阅读，也不会写字。
“我甚至怀疑他是否有可能上大学，”他的母亲分享道。
高中毕业后的四年里，杰森的大学梦似乎不太可能实现。 He
and his family researched Utah State’s Aggies Elevated program, but two surgeries
were in the way.
The first surgery in 2017, was to correct Scheuermann's kyphosis, a severe spinal
curvature that would have otherwise left him confined to a wheelchair by the time
he was 30. Thanks to two titanium rods, 26 screws, and a year of recovery, his spine
was finally straight.
他重新学会了走路，并于2019年在沃尔玛开始了一份工作。 But one day during
his shift, he called his mom to complain of a stabbing, blinding headache. It turned
out to be a golf ball-sized brain tumor. After an emergency craniotomy, the pain went
away, but something else magical happened. He was able to move his eyes for the first
time in his life, which allowed him to learn how to fluently read.
“我读过《幽灵的威胁》和哈利波特系列，”他说。
他康复了。 他为耶稣基督后期圣徒教会服务。
他学会了骑自行车，开始骑摩托车长途跋涉。 And then, he heard
about the 犹他谷大学’s 狼獾升高 program.
“Due to my disabilities, school has been a challenge for me, but my parents and I
did research and found 狼獾升高, and it has been very good to me,” he says.
In his first semester, he is taking courses on stress management, majors and careers,
self-determination, career development, and English. In addition to his core classes,
he is experiencing college life and loves the UVU culture.
“我在弗吉尼亚大学最喜欢的是有趣的活动，”他说。 “I went to go see the “Queen’s
Cartoonist” and I could not believe how talented the musicians were. Also, the Wendy’s
on campus is really good.”
For Megan, seeing her oldest child persevere and be able to attend college is a dream
come true.
“Everyone deserves the chance to learn if they want to, and no one puts more time
and effort into learning than Jayson,” she says. “For him to be enrolled in college
classes, learning skills – it is incredible to see as a parent. Just because he has
a difference in the way that he learns does not mean he can’t learn. 狼獾升高
has been the answer to our prayers. He is going to come away with so much because
of UVU.”
