12/7/95

By Roy Summerford (summero@mail.auburn.edu)

AU STUDENT GRADUATES WITH HONORS AND SEEING-EYE DOG

AUBURN -- "Noel" has a special meaning for Kristen Qualls Bradwell of Vestavia Hills this Christmas season.

On Monday, Noel, a golden retriever, will escort Bradwell across the stage at Auburn University, where the education major, who has been legally blind since infancy, will graduate with honors.

Noel was only one of her acquisitions along the way to her degree in early childhood education with a 3.46 average for Bradwell, who sees only shapes and shadows. Her first year at Auburn, she met and married a fellow student, James Bradwell of Montgomery, who is now a second-year medical student at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Last year they became the parents of a baby boy.

Except for taking a few months away from school when the baby, Jordan, was born, Bradwell refused to let anything slow her down. Juggling care of the baby with her husband, in-laws, herself and others, she returned to school with Noel and finished her degree requirements with little loss of time.

Having transferred from another college because of what she perceived as a lack of support, Bradwell turned to Kelly Haynes, director of AUÕs Office of Students for Disabilities for help in finding a dog to guide her across Auburn's campus.

Auburn did not provide the seeing-eye dog, but Haynes helped her locate it when a cane proved insufficient for negotiating her way from class to class.

"Steps and curbs and little potholes that no one else even noticed were a big problem, but Noel spots those things and helps me get around them so much easier and faster," she said. "Now I can literally go through the day and think the campus is perfect."

Classes presented unique problems, but Bradwell said most professors and students were considerate.

"Some professors didn't like having a dog in the class, but they seemed to understand," Bradwell said. "In my field, everyone seemed to be pulling for me, and that made a difference."

The Atlanta native would do much of her course work on a computer that scanned written materials and translated them into spoken English. Some teachers also provided audio versions of books in their classes.

Haynes and Janet Taylor, Bradwell's academic advisor in the College of Education, say they never doubted that Bradwell would succeed.

"She's a fine student and a beautiful example of how a disabled student can make a contribution," said Taylor.

Haynes said Bradwell never asked for special treatment, adding, "She made it clear what tools she needed to do the work, since she couldn't read type, so we made sure she had access to what she needed. She did all the work herself."

Bradwell plans to take a few months off to stay home with her baby before seeking a teaching or consulting job in the Birmingham area. Having watched her in a student teaching setting, Taylor, her advisor, noted, "She had a million ways of keeping track of the children. She was great at it."

As a new graduate, Bradwell has advice for other students with disabilities: "DonÕt come in thinking you can do it all yourself. You really do need help sometimes, and there are people willing to help if you will let them."

dec95:AU-noel

CONTACT: Bradwell, 205/979-8730.