It wasn’t hard for former Council Scholarship recipient Ashley Handrick to decide on where to go to school. Edgewood College in Madison was just a short drive from her hometown of Mount Horeb, and she had a few friends also going there with whom she could share a dorm suite. Having a friend who knew she was diagnosed with retinal dystrophy at a young age was useful, Ashley says, because they knew what to expect when they lived together. “I got my Council Scholarship my freshman year and used it for housing,” Ashely says. “Edgewood, being a private college, is a little pricey, so that scholarship helped a lot!”
Ashley started college as a Biology student, but switched her focus after her first year after realizing just how much schooling it would take. Not sure what to do, Ashley took a class in Elementary Education and soon discovered that teaching was her passion. After graduating in 2016, Ashley began her career as an elementary teacher. After traveling around and teaching in places from Baraboo to Madison and even South Korea for a year, she eventually settled in Barneveld, where she continues to teach first grade today.
“Barneveld is such a great fit for me,” Ashley says. “It’s a small school, which I like, and my family is just up the road in Mount Horeb. I’ve recently bought a house in town, and I’m really enjoying settling into Barneveld.”
Now in her fourth year teaching first grade in Barneveld, Ashley says it is a rewarding experience. “I love making connections with the kids,” she says. “And first graders still love to learn, so they come in with a smile on their face every day. When they have a smile on their face, I have a smile on my face.”
While her vision loss has not progressed as quickly as her doctors originally expected and she still has usable vision, Ashley nevertheless has to make a few adjustments for teaching in the classroom. In addition to using a screen magnifier on her computer, Ashley makes sure that her classroom has the correct lighting to allow her to see everything. While she was a bit hesitant at first, she began to realize that it was okay to ask for assistance when she needed it. “I work with a great group of people here who are always willing to help when I reach out,” Ashley says. “It was hard at first, but once I started opening up, my coworkers were very understanding.”
While Ashley’s current students are still a little ways away from thinking about college, she says that students with vision loss should not be discouraged from going to college. Going to school with vision loss has its challenges, she says, but it’s worth it. “It’s important to feel comfortable in your own skin and know when you need to reach out and ask for the help you need to succeed,” Ashley says. “There’s no reason why anyone couldn’t be a teacher or anything they want to be.”
You can learn more about the Council Scholarship program on our website at WCBlind.org/Events/Scholarships. Recipients of the 2025 Council Scholarships will be announced in the coming weeks. Watch for the announcement by subscribing to our On Sight e-newsletter and following us on social media.
