1. Q Tell everyone about yourself (include your hobbies, what music you enjoy, favorite books, etc.).
A. I am a poker nut, not so much because of the gambling aspect, but more for the fun of the game. I also love sports. I pretty much like watching all sports. I played tennis and wrestled in high school/college. Enjoy mostly watching it now. I like all kinds of music except maybe the hard rock stuff. My favorite books are anything John Grisham writes.

2. Q  What or who inspired you to choose your profession?
A. Really, nobody did. I kind of fell into journalism on accident. I was doing very little extracurricular activities in college, wasn't going to plan on playing sports in college, but thought it might be cool to write about them. So I joined the newspaper staff at the college and loved it from there. I always liked reading newspapers and the business just grew on me.

3 Q. For the very first Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day you wrote an article. Describe in detail how it felt writing about such a familiar subject that so many know so little about.
A. Quite honestly, it felt weird. I don't normally talk about what I have. But I received a lot of positive feedback and I think it made people understand what it was that I had. I think the awareness day was a pretty big success and will get better in years to come.

4. Q. If you were in charge of the next Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day, what activities would you add to get people’s attention?
A. I think it would be cool to maybe do a get-together and get media there, maybe in a large city or something like that. But I think we did pretty good wearing purple and the other things that were done this year.

5. Q. In what ways has Moebius Syndrome enriched your life?
A. It's made me just be myself. At times, I feel insecure and self-conscious of my looks. But overall, I just let it fly. I just try to be me, and most times don't think about the fact that I have Moebius.

6. Q. Many individuals in the Moebius Syndrome community are talented writers. What advice would you give to high school seniors who are interested in pursuing journalism as a major?
A. Just go for it. Don't worry about what others think of you. Just be yourself and do your job.

7.  Q. How do you define the word “disabled?”
A. I don't think I would. Everyone has a disability. Some physical. Some mental. I would say that everyone is disabled in a way, so it's normal :)

8. Q. Athletes train extensively before every game to prepare for whatever challenges lie ahead. What can individuals with Moebius Syndrome learn from athletes in dealing with life’s challenges?
A. I would say athletes continue to try and try and try. And that's what Moebius folks need to do. Keep getting up on that horse. Be who you are and eventually people will look past you being Moebius and just being you.

9. Q. Name the sports you enjoy covering the most and why.
A. High School/college wrestling. Because it's one-on-one combat. The competitor has no one else to blame but themselves. And when they win, they did it themselves. It's a great sport!

10. Q. In what ways could the media improve upon its coverage of Moebius Syndrome and disabled individuals in general?
A. Just treat us as normal people. Maybe get the word out in awareness, but ultimately, I like to just be treated on my merits and not because I'm "disabled" or "special" or anything like that. I don't see myself that way and I hope people don't see me like that!



click on image to join us on facebook

click on image to follow us on twitter

(