Claire Evans

Student

“Don’t be afraid to ask for help at SMC. I can say that, though I need to practice it myself. But if you ask, people are going to be there for you.”

Like most first semester students, Claire Evans has feelings of enthusiasm mixed with equal parts of uncertainty. There are a lot of adjustments to be made when moving from a family environment to being a college student, struggling for independence. “It’s not a lot of fun right now,” says Claire. “I’m looking for work, trying to find a place to live, I’m out of money and having to adjust to the idea of college.” These are struggles that probably sound familiar to a lot of students. But for Claire they are complicated by learning disabilities.

“I’m a hands-on learner,” says Claire who is determined to make a career in marine biology. “If there’s a problem in front of me that demands actual doing, I’m fine with it. But when I have to sit through a lecture, my mind just won’t focus. And that is just very frustrating to me.” Claire reports that she’s always been considered a disabled student. “I’ve always needed special classes, special tutors,” she says. “I took all the tests for disabilities and in some ways—like in critical thinking about math—I’m really low. But in other ways, I really excel. So I often feel like I’m swinging from one extreme to the other.”

With a “mixed bag” of abilities, Claire headed to SMC’s Center for Students With Disabilities to find help with making a career in science. “I think the people at the Center are going to come up with a lot of answers for me,” says Claire. “I think they really want disabled people to have the best chances they can get.” She confesses to feeling a little homesick for her Northern California home. “But I’m also excited to be in Santa Monica where everything is so diverse. There’s such variety with work and with people here. I just hope I’m going to fit in okay.”

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