Blind Accounting Student Succeeds

jbchan@mail.usf.edu

Tell us a little bit about your background.

• Born in the Phillipines
• Moved to Florida at the age of eight when he was diagnosed with Leukemia
• Was born with 20/20 vision and lost most of his vision when he was eight years old
• Currently an accounting student at the University of South Florida, working on his Master’s in Accounting (concentration in tax)

Tell us about one experience in your current position that just blew you away and that you were really excited about.

He has been Vice President in Beta Alpha Psi and is a teaching assistant and tutor at the University of South Florida. Justin loves working with people and loves the friends he has made. He values his ability to communicate the concepts of accounting to his tutors.

What was your biggest, or one of your biggest, failures in getting to where you are today?

When he first started in university he didn’t apply himself as much as he knew he could. After receiving a grade he wasn’t proud of on one of his first exams, he started to kick it into gear and has been able to maintain a strong GPA ever since.

Tell us a challenge you met and how you overcame it.

When he first lost his vision at the age of eight, he didn’t know what to do. But now he doesn’t see it as much of a problem. His parents and family wouldn’t allow him to use his blindness as an excuse. He still had to do his own laundry, along with everything else. The biggest challenge was learning to do things in a different way. Learning how to use a computer, operate a cell phone, and even use a washing machine were different at first.

What is your advice for someone out there who has experienced adversity in their life?

Whenever there is a challenge, he sees it as a situation. He doesn’t allow the situation to take control of him. His biggest piece of advice is to not let a situation take control of your goals and accomplishments.

What is a great resource you used along the way that helped you to get where you are today?

The people that have helped him along the way–members of Beta Alpha Psi, friends, and family have served as his greatest resource.