Timothy Alexander, a UAB football player and motivational speaker, recently shared his inspirational story with students participating in Shelby County’s Young Adults in Transition program.  Young Adults in Transition is a group sponsored by the State Department of Education to help develop essential life skills in high school juniors and seniors with an Individual Educational Plan from all seven high schools.

Shelby County’s chapter has been used as a model for the state and was just awarded a $9,000 grant from the Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities. The group addresses topics that are relevant to the students including post-secondary school/training, employment, and bullying.

Alexander, who was paralyzed in an automobile accident in 2006, spoke to the students about the many challenges he faced, including the inability to read and write immediately following his accident. Alexander went on to graduate college with a double major. He stressed to the students the importance of working hard, remaining positive, and focusing on their unique “abilities” rather than their “disabilities.”

 

For more see about the Young Adults in Transition Program and to see a video of Alexander’s message to the students visit: school2working.blogspot.com.