Mitsubishi Electric: Changes for the Better

Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation

February 2009: Lauren Hatcher

Lauren’s mentoring skills were featured in “ABLING THE DISABLED” report on Tech-link by the Heinz Endowments

Name: Lauren Hatcher
City: Sewickley, PA
Hobbies: Inventing products for people with disabilities, swimming, traveling and hanging out with friends

Living a Normal Life with a Disability

Hi my name is Lauren Hatcher. I was born three months premature. When I was ten months old I was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Since the beginning, my parents Mike and Cindy Hatcher have tried to give me the same opportunities kids without special needs have and to try and treat me like every other kid. I am now seventeen and a junior in the North Allegheny School District in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

When I was two and a half years old my mother enrolled me in Riding for the Handicapped of Western Pennsylvania (RHWPA). I was the youngest and smallest rider they ever had. I remember the first time I rode a horse, Pogo the pony, he seemed so big to me. This made me feel special because not all kids my age get the opportunity to ride horses. It also made me feel like a normal kid because it was an activity that only normal kids get to do. This was a real self-confidence booster because it showed me that if I put my mind into something I can accomplish what I want to do. I have been riding now for fifteen years. The program runs from April through October. Every rider rides once a week. By the end of the season we are trotting on our horses, which is so much fun! The last Saturday in October ends the season with a horse show. Over the years, I have won five blue ribbons for my age category. I am always sad to see the season end for another year and look forward to next April.

Another activity that I am involved in is a robotics camp called Tech-link which is sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh. I got involved with the robotics camp through a mutual friend, when I was in sixth grade. This camp was particularly interesting to me because I enjoy working with computers and technology. The camp runs from October through December. At the end of every camp session Tech-Link competes in the state wide competition called the First Lego-League Robotics Competition, with two teams. Three years ago our Tech-Link team won 1st place for our research presentation and 2nd place for the programming part. Talk about a thrill! We are the only team out of about fifty that has kids with disabilities on it. This just goes to show you that we can compete against the best. Now that I am over the age limit, fifteen, for competing, I am a mentor for the younger kids. I like doing this because I can use my skill to teach the next generation of Tech-Link campers how to program robots and compete in a competition.

One of my favorite activities is going to the Woodlands Foundation. It is a camp for kids with disabilities. I have been participating since I was eleven years old. There I can be a normal teenager and socialize with my friends openly and honestly. Even though we all have different disabilities we all face the same challenges at school and in life. We have monthly weekend retreats and a variety of summer camps. The last two years I have been involved in their Teen Mentoring Program which gives me the chance to help younger kids with disabilities face the challenges I have experienced. I will never forget some of the kids I have helped, it has been very rewarding to me.

Some other activities I enjoy are swimming during the summer, traveling, and just hanging out with my friends. I would like people to know that having a disability doesn’t have to limit you. As you can see it hasn’t limited me. Live your life!

The Woodlands Foundation and Tech-link are both long-time beneficiaries of Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc. and the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation.