Through Our Eyes: A Look at HR with Amy Campbell

I sat on my couch, head in my hands, with a future filled with uncertainty. I had just received the most spectacular news of my life … I was going to be a father; on the heels of that news – that elation – came a dread that settled in my stomach.

Even before receiving the news that I was going to be a father, I had spent the last couple of years trying to find gainful employment. Yet due to my complete lack of eyesight, it was proving to be a seemingly insurmountable task. I couldn’t get interviews; nor could I get anyone to even call me back. The couple of interviews I managed to secure did not last long once I walked in with a cane and described the adaptive technology I would require to perform my job duties.

Now, my desire to work turned into a matter of greatest urgency. I needed to figure out a way to support my growing family and, as it turned out, was having no luck in doing so.

That’s when I had an idea. I grabbed my phone, dialed a number, and waited until at the other end, roughly 150 miles away a voice answered: “Alphapointe, this is Amy.”

Growing up in the Sunflower State

The last time a census was taken of Mayetta, Kansas, it had a population of 348 residents. The  tiny farming community is where Amy spent her childhood. Growing up on a cattle ranch, Amy could be found playing in the mud or hauling hey to feed the livestock. That is, until she left to attend Kansas State University, where she would get a degree in business management with an emphasis in human resources

The Long Way ‘Round

Amy would reach Alphapointe eventually, but she would take a rather circuitous route to get here. First, she got married, then moved to Louisiana where she started a family and spent the next 15 years of her life. While there she worked 10 years for a casino business before making the shift to the oil and gas industry, where she worked for five years.

Amy’s family was prospering, but with two small boys and their extended family still in the Midwest, Amy and her husband wanted their children to grow up around their grandparents.

“My husband had gotten a job, but I hadn’t gotten one yet,” says Amy. “An opportunity at a place called Alphapointe came up. I had never heard of it, but it sounded like an amazing place to work.”

Coming to Alphapointe

Amy was no stranger to the world of professional human resources; she was, however, a stranger to the blind and visually impaired community.

She was now working for a nonprofit organization that had more employees that that of her entire hometown. Many of whom also happened to be blind or visually impaired.

“I had never worked with anyone who was blind,” Amy confesses. “Now, 13 years later, it is not something that ever really crosses my mind. They are just my colleagues or my friends.”

A Servant’s Heart

Perhaps for Amy, she sees herself as simply an HR professional. But for me and so many others – especially those in the vision loss community – she might be one of the first voices they hear when they call Alphapointe hoping for an opportunity to work and provide for their families. Amy is often the one who opens that door and begins that life-changing process.

Those of us who have worked with and know her understand she is part of the team here. Someone who goes well beyond her role in HR. Whether it’s hosting a tour through Alphapointe, being the emcee at a holiday lunch, or working to assist the many people here who are blind and visually impaired with tasks that fall far out of her job description.

In that way – and many others – she fits the mold of an Alphapointe team member. Selfless, caring, and focused on ensuring we carry out our mission with urgency and compassion.

Supporting Alphapointe helps provide workforce development and skill building opportunities for people who are blind and visually impaired but dream of achieving their dream. Donate now.