My guest, Risa Owens, is an author and speaker. While those are interesting professions, what’s most interesting about Risa being an author and speaker is that her educational journey began with the label of mentally retarded*. This label created limits and further ostracized her from her peers.
*This term is used throughout Risa’s interview as it was the terminology used during the years Risa was in school. The current (and less offensive) terminology is intellectual disabilities.
Risa wrote about her educational journey in her book, The Heart that Grieves of a Little Girl Lost. In this interview, Risa and I discuss several poignant moments in her childhood and how they impacted her.
Excerpts from her book:
· “They gave up on me.”
· “I was totally a little girl lost in the mazes of my own life, not knowing where to go or what to do.”
· “The majority of my family didn’t want to be around me because of my condition. Not only was I sick all the time, but I was a freak to them.”
When her school updated the educational testing, Risa’s life began to change. In her words: “I turned humiliation into determination.” All these years later, the little girl who was severely limited by an incorrect label is now an author and speaker. She gives God all the credit.
Check out her website at www.risascorner.net and her books on Amazon.
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