My name is Brady Smith. I was born with a rare genetic syndrome called Jacobsen’s Syndrome. There are 250 people in the world with Jacobsen’s and only 5 people in Houston. Having Jacobsen’s Syndrome has come with many challenges for me both medically and in school. I have to work hard, and it takes me longer to understand things that my friends understand quickly. I am in special education classes to help me with me work.
Last year in the spring I began to take digital media classes with Mr. Boucher. I began to feel like I could keep up with my peers and help them where before they were always having to help me. Mr. Boucher showed me how to use many programs on the computer that I could use to make slideshows and presentations. I started to see that I was capable of more than I thought.
This year I was able to take his class again. Instead of focusing on presentations on the computer we are focusing on photography and editing pictures. I had not ever thought about photography as a career or a hobby, but I was hooked. Mr. Boucher believed in me enough to let me take a camera home with me every day to practice. He showed me how to use the camera and change the lenses. He showed me how to take care of the camera. He started helping me in class learn how to edit pictures in lightroom. He even gave me a media pass for accessing the sporting events. At one of the football games, we were able to take pictures together.
I am the manager for my baseball team, and I have been taking pictures of the team at practices and games. When I come home, I use my time to edit. I have started my own Facebook page for my pictures. I have designed a logo and created a business name. My friends are asking me to take their pictures now. We are using my pictures for the baseball banquet in May.
None of this would have happened if Mr. Boucher had not believed me enough to give me that camera. If he didn’t trust me enough to let me take it home on the weekends. Now I have my own camera and equipment, and I have a goal and plans for my future. I got accepted into the Bobcat Rise program for students with special needs. The program is a part of Texas State University where I will be going for the next four years. I will be able to participate in internships that are on campus and off campus and take classes that will increase my skills with photography.
I started off high school thinking I was going to do what my parents do, I had no goals of my own. Because of Mr. Boucher and of the time he has spent with me I know that I have my own goals to reach.