Two very different events affected Kameron Tompkins around the same time: he lost his brother, and his vision began to decline significantly. Both resulted in grief that felt overwhelming, and he didn’t know what to do.
“I lost myself. I didn’t know who I was,” Tompkins says. “I ended up sitting at home, depressed.”
Low vision runs in Tompkins’ family, and throughout his childhood he struggled with vision-related issues. He dropped out of college because he did not have the accommodations and support he needed to be successful. The further decline in his sight was a wake-up call for him. Even if it was hard, he could still try.
“I never wanted to use my low vision as an excuse,” Tompkins says. “I needed to go back to school so I could compete in the job market.”
Tompkins is receiving Vocational Rehabilitation services from SCCB; he is learning Braille, keyboarding, orientation and mobility, and other skills that will help him succeed in school. As his self-confidence has grown, he has become more optimistic about his future.
Tompkins plans to start his bachelor’s degree in psychology this fall through an online program at Arizona State University. He also hopes to earn a master’s degree and become a counselor, either in mental health or in orientation and mobility.
“You can do anything that you put your mind to,” Tompkins says.
He is also the president of the Greenville chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina and does outreach for the organization.
“I want to help people learn that there are resources out there, that losing your vision is not the end.”
SCCB helped Tompkins gain the confidence to work on achieving his dreams. Now, he aspires to spread awareness of the services available and be a role model for others who are blind or low vision.
“After losing my vision, I hid my light for so long that I forgot who I am,” Tompkins says. “Don’t forget who you are when you lose your sight. Don’t hide your light.”