Anthony Keeps Promise Made to His Mother

One of the last things Anthony Winston of Wellsville, Ohio told his mother before her passing in 2014 was that he would return to college to finish his education. 

Anthony, who has cerebral palsy, explains it this way: “It’s basically just a bruise on one of the lobes in your brain. Mine just happens to be on the one that controls your motor skills: walking, running, things of that nature.”

He connected with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) for assistance and connected with Jennifer Strank, OOD Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. “She was right there for me,” Anthony said.

Anthony graduated from the Ohio Valley College of Technology with a 4.0-grade point average in 2020. Then, in July 2021, he began working at PsyCare Behavioral Healthcare & Counseling in East Liverpool.

“The only person I am ever in competition with is the person I look at in the mirror at every day, and so my confidence is through the roof now thanks to OOD and what they’ve done for me,” Anthony said.

Transcripts and MP3 files are available at ood.ohio.gov/podcast.

Do you have a disability? Do you want a job? OOD can help! Visit OODWorks.com or call 800-282-4536 to get started. 

Find OOD on social media: @OhioOOD.

Have a disability? Want to work? Visit OODWorks.com!

Transcript

OOD Works Podcast Episode 34 Anthony Winston Transcript

Kim Jump: Anthony Winston of Wellsville, Ohio, is a 2020 graduate of the Ohio Valley College of Technology, with a 4.0-grade point average. As a participant with OOD for several years, Anthony landed a new job this summer. I’m so glad he is here to share about his journey and the help he has had along the way. So welcome to the podcast, Anthony!

Anthony Winston: Thank you for having me; I really appreciate it. I’m happy to be here!

Kim Jump: I’m happy to have you be here today. So, okay, 4.0-grade point average? Have you always been such an outstanding student?

Anthony Winston: Um, no. Actually, it took a lot of hard work to get there. My first experience in college was actually at Kent State University, back in 2005. I can’t really believe it has been that long now. And I had a rough time there. Like any young kid, I wasn’t focused on my studies. They weren’t really a priority to me. So, I was surprised they didn’t pay me to leave there after a while. But that experience, coupled with wanting to take advantage of opportunities that were given to me by OOD, and just my own drive, I had to do something to prove to myself, I learned from the time at Kent State. So I am always going to be grateful to the Ohio Valley College of Technology for giving me another chance to seek higher education, and thank goodness I was able to do that and finish this time. So, I’m very proud of that.

Kim Jump: What was it about the commitment to going back to college, 15 or so years later?

Anthony Winston: My mother she was always on me, “like you have got to go to college, you got to get a degree, I know you can do it.” I’m like, “Mom, I tried this and it didn’t work out so good, I don’t really want to do it, but she just wouldn’t let up.  Whenever she had something in her mind, that was the way she felt, and there was no changing her mind about it. So, I think that’s where it came from. She actually passed away in 2014, and one of the last things I told her was that I would go and get the degree we talked about, and I was able to do that.  So, it was a promise kept.

Kim Jump: What a beautiful way to honor her memory.

Anthony Winston:  Yeah.

Kim Jump: Yeah. And what did you study at Ohio Valley College of Technology?

Anthony Winston: Medical Office Administration was what I got my degree in, and I also have a specialty in billing and coding. I have a certificate from the National Health Career Association that has given me the ability to become a nationally certified billing and coding specialist.

Kim Jump: Awesome.

Anthony Winston: On the medical side of things, so it’s been fun.

Kim Jump: Yeah. What a great area that has a lot of job potential. Yeah. How did you first connect with Jennifer Strank, who is one of our OOD Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors?

Anthony Winston: Actually, back in high school, a decade or so ago, they came to the school and talked to me about certain things, and you know, finding employment after high school. But again, my priorities weren’t on that at the time, so I talked to them, took their advice, and kind of just put it on the back burner. Once I got the chance, once I started to feel like I wanted to go back to school and do something with myself, I remembered the encounter that we had had from before, and I contacted them. Now we’re here, so I’ll always be grateful for Miss Jennifer for that, for helping me along the way.

Kim Jump: That’s great. I am really impressed that she must have left an impression on you for you to remember her and remember the services that were available after quite a few years going by. That’s pretty cool.

Anthony Winston: Yeah, yep. And I feel like when imprints are made like that on your, as a person, and years pass, and you don’t forget, that means that they crossed your path for a reason. So I firmly believe that she was put there for a reason.

Kim Jump: I’m glad your paths crossed initially, and I’m glad they recrossed as you became older, and you talk about your younger self, and I think many of us can relate to our high school graduate selves are so much different than our adult selves.

Anthony Winston: Absolutely. Thank goodness for that. Like if I could go back and talk to who I was back, then I’d punch him in the back of the head and try to get him to understand like, “this Is important – this is your life, and if you want to achieve any of the goals you have for beyond where you are now, it’s going to take some kind of education to be able to do that.” 

Kim Jump: Yeah.

Anthony Winston: Everything happens for a reason.

Kim Jump: In July, you started a brand new position in at PsyCare (PsyCare Behavioral Healthcare & Counseling)? You’re working in their East Liverpool office, so tell us what you’re doing there.

Anthony Winston: I’m the lead receptionist there. I do a wide variety of things there: take payments, scheduling appointments. When patients come in, I check them in and check them out. I send over messages to our nurse practitioner regarding medications to get them filled. I speak with pharmacies to make sure that medication prescriptions are being filled in a timely and correct manner. So, it’s a lot of responsibility, but I am grateful that PsyCare that they gave me the opportunity.

Kim Jump: I’m happy that you’re working in a field that is directly related with your education, too.

Anthony Winston: Yep. Yep. I had amazing teachers at OVCT: Jon Ream, Kristen Scott, and my program director Miss Sandy Poynter- she was amazing. So, I feel like I’m an extension of her pretty much.  Like, all the education that they gave me, specifically her, I feel like I’m putting it to use, and that – that is a good feeling to have.

Kim Jump: Yeah, that’s great. I’m sure they’re happy to know that you’re doing well, also.  When you first started the position at PsyCare, I heard you worked with Michelle Erikson with CareWorks.

Anthony Winston: Yeah um, Miss Michelle, just like Miss Jennifer --she was great. From the moment that the whole process started with seeking employment after school or after college. She was right there for me, and she has done a lot since I started at PsyCare to help me, help me get accommodations made to the office to make things easier for me, to have access to them. I have a brand-new printer because of her. I have a big, big monitor; it’s almost like a TV screen in my office to make things easier to see. So, she has connected me with a lot of people who have been able to help me throughout my journey, so she’s been wonderful.

Kim Jump: She provided support before you actually go the job, too?

Anthony Winston: Yeah, she is actually the one who helped me find this position at PsyCare. She told me all about it. I went over, had the interview, and here we are now.  So, I’m thankful for her.

Kim Jump: When I asked her about you, she told me that your smile says it all. She had said that you wanted in the medical field and to feel like you were making a difference, and she was so glad that you’ve been able to accomplish that.

Anthony Winston: Yeah, she- we talked about that a lot. That was a big thing for me. Because I’ve been a patient in hospitals for a lot of my life. So, I know what it’s like to want to go to the door and feel like you are in safe hands. So, a warm welcome when you get in there so, I just wanted to be a part of that in some capacity and being able to exchange that same feeling with other people who I know are coming into our office, and so far, I’ve been able to do that, and it’s pretty cool.

Kim Jump: That’s awesome. That makes such a big difference, you know that first point of contact, coming into a place and feeling at ease because of a positive interaction with someone like yourself.

Anthony Winston: Yep, you know it. It means a lot. It means a lot to be able to see them smile and just put their minds at ease, so to speak, and let them know we’re there to help. We’re not there to make them feel bad or to scare them or anything like that. We’re there to help them and help them get on the path to feeling better in recovery, or whatever recovery looks like in their case. So, it’s good.

Kim Jump: Yeah. You had mentioned to me your philosophy of having cerebral palsy. Would you want to share a little bit about your outlook?

Anthony Winston: Uh, sure. So cerebral palsy, what it basically is just a bruise on one of the lobes in your brain. Mine just happens to be on the one that controls your motor skills: walking, running, things of that nature. But with that being said, I also understand that I have; I call them my brothers and sisters because they know what it’s like to be in this fight. I have brothers and sisters out there of all colors and creeds that deal with this every single day, and it can be much more severe than mine is. So even with the challenges I have, I understand how blessed I am to be in this position, and so I just try to remain mindful of that.  As tough as things can be sometimes, you have to be grateful for where you are because you could be in a much worse position.

Kim Jump: Yeah. Yeah, that’s great. Who helped instill that outlook in you?

Anthony Winston: My grandmother, she helped me a whole lot just with understanding that you know you’re not alone in the fight that you’re in, and to have faith that every day that you choose not to give up or to keep battling through the tough days, is another day and another chance for something amazing to happen in your life. So she’s always taught me to hang onto that and just have faith, be grateful, and always believe that better is coming! So, I just try to do that!

Kim Jump: Yeah.  It’s beautiful. I’m curious, would you recommend OOD to others?

Anthony Winston: Absolutely. They have, I’ve said it before, they pried open a door for me that I thought was shut completely. I’ll never forget the day I got my letter in the mail from Kent State, basically telling me that because I hadn’t taken advantage of the opportunities that they had given me, not to come back. And that was a feeling that I – it hurt. Because I knew I hadn’t applied myself the way I should have to my studies and so OOD basically took me to that door and pried it open again so I could obtain education and gain a career. And so, they will go above and beyond for you, and they will help to get you on the right track. So I would definitely recommend them to anyone.

Kim Jump: Thank you. That’s good feedback. Online you let me know you had said I have a brand-new level of confidence to chase other goals I have. So, I’m wondering, what’s next for you?

Anthony Winston: One of the next goals I have is to obtain a driver’s license. Because of the cerebral palsy that I have, I’ll need a car with hand controls and things like that, so that’s a big goal of mine, and to I just call it -just become the best version of myself every single day. The only person I am ever in competition with is the person I look at in the mirror at every day, and so my confidence is through the roof now thanks to OOD and what they’ve done for me. I just know if I keep pursuing my goals and keep a positive attitude that the sky’s the limit. So, I have to definitely be thankful that I’ve been able to be helped by OOD. I’m very, very grateful for that.

Kim Jump: I just love your outlook. I mean, it’s just inspiring. I feel very inspired.

Anthony Winston: I’m glad. I know I keep using that word gratitude, but I tell people this all the time. Gratitude is what unlocks a lot of things in your life. Because I found that if you’re grateful for things, then you will end up with more things to be grateful for. Like you don’t have to have a whole lot. People think we need to have everything because we are in the social media age. Everybody thinks everything has to extravagant and be big. But I’ve found that the essence of life is when you can look at the little things in your life and be grateful for them. If you can walk - be grateful for that. If you can talk - be grateful for that. If you have a place to shower every day- be grateful for that. I can pretty much say there is at least ten things that every one of us has that we can be grateful for every day. If you get to open your eyes to see another sunlight, and another day goes by, be grateful for it, and I guarantee you life will bring you more to be grateful for, for sure.

Kim Jump: Yeah. Is there anything else that you think is an important part of your journey thus far?

Anthony Winston: So, if I could share anything, it would be don’t forget how valuable your life is. Whether you have a disability or you don’t, don’t forget that because life is going to bring you circumstances that are going to try - make you think those thoughts that your life isn’t important. Nothing ever goes right for me. I don’t know why I’m trying so hard if I’m not going to get to where I need to be. So, I would just remind your listeners that always, always, always remember that you might have a bad day, but you don’t have a bad life.  Your life is important. You are valuable; your feelings do matter. And like I said, every day that you decide, I’m not going to give up is another day for your life to turn around in a good way.

Kim Jump: Yeah. And you’re proof of that!

Anthony Winston: I really appreciate you saying that; I really do. I’m very blessed; I know that, and I want everybody to experience that. I mean, whatever that looks like for you, I want everybody that comes across my path or is listening, whatever the case may be. I want them to experience that and know that they are loved and blessed. Because every day above ground is a good day!

Kim Jump: (Laughter) That’s right! (Laughter) Well, this has been fantastic. I’m excited that I got to hear about you in the first place, I’m excited that you came back to OOD after all these years, and I got goosebumps when I saw your pictures from graduation and your cap with your mom on it. I was curious about the basketball picture. Is that Jordan?

Anthony Winston: Yeah. Michael Jordan. He is the guy to me …he taught me so much about being a champion, about fighting thru hard days, and just having that mindset that it might be difficult, but I’m going to go ahead and try it anyway. Just to stay driven. He was a very driven individual he wanted; all he ever wanted to do was be the best basketball player that he could be, and he worked at it, and in my opinion, it’s just my opinion, but I think he is the greatest player that ever played. And I don’t think he would have gotten there if he had not had that mindset. So, I just try to remember that from him that it’s not always about how big you are or how strong you are, but basically, it’s how much heart do you have and how bad do you want it and how bad are you willing to go and do what you have to get it? Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of it. People out there who have disabilities, there’s a lot of us, and a wide range of us, and so the only thing that I want to accomplish (because cerebral palsy didn’t start with me, it didn’t end with me,  it won’t end with me) but what I do want to accomplish is I want it to be looked at differently because of the way I live my life and so I thank you for the opportunity to be able to share, and just to be a part of this. I really appreciate it. Thank you so much.

Kim Jump: Thank you, Anthony.