Andrew Kim celebrated a meaningful milestone in his life and independence journey. He passed the New York State learner’s permit exam on the path to earning his driving license.
Andrew started studying in August and worked diligently, taking practice tests online before succeeding in September.
Tenika Chambers, Manager of Freeport Site 7, spent the past few months helping Andrew prepare for his practice exam. Her son was also on his permit journey so Tenika spent a lot of time going over the rules of the road.
“It’s a big accomplishment for him to get his permit and I’m very happy for him,” said Tenika. “Andrew loves to chit chat. He’s enthusiastic about learning and doing new things.”
Attaining a learner’s permit is not Andrew’s only goal.
“Now I need money,” Andrew shared through his text-to-speech app on his phone. “To pay for driving lessons.”
This can be a significant expense, with driving lessons ranging from $700–1,000 for seven–ten hours of instruction. This is separate from costs of the mandatory pre-licensing course and the license application fees which include the road test.
In his next life plan meeting, he wants to go over his goal of getting a job in a field he values and save toward paying for a driving course. He even has a dream car in mind. When asked, he quickly pulls up photos of the black GMC Yukon he hopes to drive one day.
Andrew is very handy and sees himself as a mechanic, working with tools and fixing cars. He found out that he loves building things and working with his hands during a project creating birdhouses. In the past, he worked as a dishwasher at a local chain restaurant, but he did not enjoy it. He parted ways with the establishment and is now focused on the future.
He recently had a meeting with AHRC’s employment services team members for Adult Career and Continuing Education Services-Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES-VR). This career exploration service aims to assist people with disabilities to identify their skills and find employment that meets their needs and abilities. Although Andrew has only had his first meeting, it’s step on his path to becoming more of himself.