Blind Graduate Sees Self as a Regular Joe

With only a few weeks left until graduation, Jose Luis Marquez, an international studies major from Houston, is currently looking for jobs in financial consulting and government. He plans to later get an MBA and work in the stock market or financial consulting so he can use money to solve problems.

By most accounts, Marquez is your typical student. He enjoys camping, rock climbing, canoeing, bowling, and going to the beach, and like many students away from home for the first time, he suffered through a semester of transition when he transferred to Texas A&M University from the University of Houston.

While Marquez sees himself as a typical college student, others do not. That’s because he is legally blind. Yet, Marquez says he’s never let that stop him.

Off to a Rocky Start

If you sit down to talk with Marquez, you will quickly see his determination – especially when people doubt him. After that rocky first semester, his parents worried about his choice to live off campus, especially since he wanted to live with a friend who is completely blind. His parents’ attitude brought about a change in Marquez.

During his second semester, his grades and attitude sky rocketed, and his roommate taught him how to cook and clean. His parents saw the difference when they would visit to find a presentable apartment and a home-cooked meal awaiting them.

Marquez, who had enrolled originally as a general studies major, decided to major in international studies. He joined the Hispanic Business Student Association and Helping One Student to Succeed (HOSTS), a mentor program that helps elementary students with math and reading skills. The coordinators were unsure of how Marquez could help students read, but he explained that the kids could read out loud and then spell difficult words so he could help them with pronunciation. As a result, the boy Marquez tutored began earning A’s on his reading tests. Marquez even taught him some Braille and the boy requested to have Marquez as his mentor again.

You want me to do what?

A year later he learned his international studies required him to study abroad for 15 weeks. The department offered to waive the requirement, but after careful consideration Marquez decided to go. “In order to be competitive, you have to be challenged,” said Marquez. “If I took the waiver, that would be the easy way out and I would be shortcutting myself.”

Marquez chose Liberia, Costa Rica, where he lived with a host family, and interned at Banco Nacional de Costa Rica. Marquez had high hopes for Costa Rica, but stepped off the plane to find a small town with hot weather and poorly maintained roads and sidewalks. Marquez’s host mom walked with him to work for a week until he was confident enough to tackle the walk alone.

The Costa Rican culture heavily shelters the blind, so his work and ability to blend in quickly impressed his coworkers at Banco Nacional de Costa Rica to the point where they would almost forget that he was blind. However, one coworker had a sister who was a single mother that lost her vision three years prior, which left her very depressed. As a friend had done for him during his first semester at A&M, Marquez took the time to encourage her and show her that blind people can be active in society.

Just another characteristic

Reflecting back on his experiences at Texas A&M, Marquez says that the professors didn’t treat him any differently. “What I like [about professors at A&M] is that they don’t cut me any slack,” said Marquez. “They expect just as much from me as they do from my sighted counterparts, and they challenge me just like everyone else.” And that suits him just fine.

Marquez’s philosophy is that being blind isn’t a disability; it’s just a characteristic of the person. “My message to people is that if you ever meet a blind person or anyone else with a different condition; just treat them like anyone else,” advises Marquez. “After all, you wouldn’t want to be treated any differently just because you have a certain hair color.”

-30-

Contact: Blair Williamson, 979.458.1347, bwilliamson@libarts.tamu.edu