College
of health and human services
Outstanding
graduate - Rachel Wales
By
Mari Shinkai
On-line Forty-Niner
 She
has never given up a challenge. She makes
impossible things possible, and she has
proved it. Her name is Rachel Wales, graduating
from Cal State Long Beach as an “outstanding
graduate.”
Wales shares empathy for those with visual
disabilities, which is derived from her
own difficulties.
“It was a hard thing growing up, but I’ve
learned to adapt and get passed,” she said.
Wales played the clarinet in a marching
band and was a reporter and editor while
attending Apple Valley High School. She
graduated as valedictorian and her life
was already outstanding at this point.
“As an individual with a visual impairment,
I have had the challenge of proving myself
to others to be a competent, educated individual
in spite of my disability,” Wales said.
Since Wales earned her a CSULB President’s
Scholarship in 1999, she has maintained
a 4.0 GPA, which earned her membership into
Golden Key, Phi Kappa Phi and Kappa Omicron
Nu national honor societies as well as several
scholarships.
“She is an incredible person,” said Richard
V. Tuveson, associate professor of family
and consumer sciences. “Rachel is strong
minded and very dedicated. She is someone
that you can look up to as a role model.”
She also is involved in several campus organizations
while working as a tutor at the Blind Children’s
Center in Santa Ana, as an assistant teacher
at CSULB’s Child and Family Center and as
summer camp counselor for the Foundation
for the Junior Blind of Los Angeles, where
she has a “fond memory of childhood.” Her
experiences at the summer camp with other
visually impaired children in her childhood
encouraged her to challenge new things which
she had never had a chance to do.
Wales said that she is happy to teach young
children and enjoy working with them.
“I love watching them embrace learning and
accomplishing new things,” Wales said.
“Not only is she a dependable and supportive
staff member; Rachel is a role model for
the children as well as the fieldwork students
who participate in our program,” said Theresa
Carusa-Ortega, assistant director of the
Child and Family Center. “We have been very
fortunate to have Rachel work with us in
our program as she brings unique ideas to
the curriculum and environment that we provide
for the children in our center.”
Jo Ann Bernard, director of the Child and
Family Center called Wales “a dream student.”
According to Bernard, Wales’ visual disability
has allowed her to share her knowledge with
the children she works with on a daily basis.
“The younger children have been introduced
to guide dogs and the Braille system through
teacher Rachel’s efforts,” Bernard added.
Wales has chosen Bernard as “the most valued
professor” of the family and consumer sciences
department.
Wales
plans to work at the center through the
summer.
Wales said her future plans are uncertain,
however she is interested in early childhood
education, special education and teaching
visually impaired individuals. She also
has applied to a yearlong fellowship in
Sacramento working on legislation and policy
issues, and is waiting for the results of
the final selection committee.
“I seek a career in which I serve the needs
of children and their families,” she said.
“I love teacher Rachel,” Duncan, one of
the preschool children at the Child and
Family Center said with a smile.
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