RJ Best

As a high school student, I began volunteering with Alphapointe at their Adventure Camp because of a request from a blind student I was tutoring. My experience there ignited my interest in the blind and visually impaired communities and my belief in Alphapointe’s vision. 

I decided to pursue education, eventually achieving a M.A. in Special Education with an Emphasis in Visual Impairment along with a certification in orientation and mobility. From there I spent time as a braille transcriber, teacher of the visually impaired, and orientation and mobility specialist. In my spare time I decided to learn to repair braille writers to help fill a need I saw in the community. I do save time for other activities like spending time with my partner and training my dog. 

However, at the end of the day I have made commitment to this community because throughout all my experiences nothing is clearer than the power of access to learning and its ability to bring independence, autonomy, confidence, and achievement for those with visual impairments.  

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