The Freedom Scientific Student of the Month Program features K-12 students living in the U.S. who are blind or visually impaired and use Freedom Scientific technology to achieve educational goals. The Student of the Month for April 2024 is Mina, a tenth grader from California who we had the unique opportunity to interview in-person at the CSUN 2024 conference.
Mina began learning JAWS in elementary school around the same time she began reading braille. “Using the auditory format of JAWS and feeling the braille under my fingers helped me learn braille,” she told us.
Mina’s passion is science, a subject she previously thought was out of reach because of all its visual elements. “My sixth grade science teacher had tactile models of organs and the human skeleton, so I was able to access science for the first time the same way as my sighted peers. That sparked my love of science.”
JAWS enables Mina to keep up with her sighted peers both in and out of the classroom. “The Google Workspace suite and Microsoft Office apps help me create and organize information. In chemistry, I can create lab reports that are accessible to my lab partners and me.”
After high school, Mina plans to complete a bachelor’s degree in either biology or biochemistry, then go to medical school to complete an M.D.-Ph.D. in physics. “I want to pursue a career in studying how interstellar space travel affects the human body.”
Mina frequently works with visual content like complex charts and graphics. She uses the Convenient OCR feature in JAWS to read text within those graphics and the Picture Smart AI™ feature to obtain image descriptions. “I believe that without JAWS, I would have never been so successful academically. It really empowers me to be able to explore subjects that would not have otherwise been available to me.”
Mina competes on her high school swim team. She also loves to read, play the piano, bake, and spend time with friends. She is currently teaching herself Spanish and Mandarin.
Mina encourages others who are blind to learn and use JAWS. “All those little things you feel you can’t do or don’t know how you could do are answered for you.”
Learn more about Mina in this video.
Nominate a Student
Complete our nomination form to self-nominate or nominate a student. Visit the Freedom Scientific Student of the Month page for details and watch our blog in May for the next winner and that student’s story.
Winners receive a $300 Amazon gift card and a five-year license for JAWS, ZoomText, or Fusion. Their story will be featured by Freedom Scientific on our blog and social media—X, (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Mastodon, and Instagram.
In partnership with Computers for the Blind, each winner can also receive a free, refurbished computer along with a free one-year Home Annual license of JAWS or ZoomText, which is already installed. Learn more about Computers for the Blind and their partnership with Freedom Scientific on their order page.
Have questions? Send an email to training@vispero.com.