Seeing is Believing
Erwin High Senior Gains
Vision and Perspective
By Blake Morgan, Hillcrest Yearbook Editor, Class of 2016 &
Stacia Harris, Assistant Director of Communications
Jenna in biology class using her
special equipment.
“Never give up, no matter how
hard it may seem.”
necessary modification allowed her to perform
at both at football games and in parades.
Jenna with Dr. Michael E. Snyder, who performed her
Iris surgery. This picture was the day after surgery.
“It was fun and exciting to watch Jenna pursue
her love of music,” says Sulzman. “She truly
enjoyed the opportunity to make music with her
classmates. While she did face physical challenges
in band, her spirit to succeed was always there.”
Legally blind since birth, it’s no exaggeration
to say Jenna Cox sees life differently. For this
Erwin High senior, it’s all about perspective.
Ask her to summarize her life, she doesn’t Success isn’t limited to the musical arena. Jenna
is also a Girl Scout and a black belt in karate.
hesitate: “Fortunate”.
Her classmates call her resilient; Jenna’s teachers
call her fearless and outgoing. For 18 years,
she’s overcome what many would consider to be
monumental obstacles. For Jenna, though, it’s
simply learning things differently and effectively
forging her own path to success and happiness.
Academically, she is assigned a high school case
manager, Elaine Dixon, who regularly evaluates
Jenna’s challenges at school and devises plans
to help her succeed in the classroom.
“Jenna is required to meet the same standards
as other students and “whatever we need to
One of the unique talents Jenna has is a superior do- is what we do,” Mrs. Dixon says. Jenna has
ear for music. As a freshman, she chose Erwin special video equipment that enlarges an image
High School, in part, because of its band program. of the board or her textbook so she can follow
along with the day’s lesson.
“When I saw the fine arts department here, that’s
Unfortunately Jenna experienced a set-back as
what drew me in,” she says
her vision gradually got worse as her high school
Jenna was in pit percussion and played a mean career continued. It had deteriorated so much
tambourine. Erwin Band Director David Sulzman doctors feared she would become totally blind.
accommodated her legal blindness by providing
special large text copies of the music so Jenna Jenna’s junior year began with a series of cutting-
could learn the routines. This simple, yet edge surgeries, and this year she participated in an
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