Yanisse's Story
Yanisse Adrian is a student. But not only in the classroom.
For Yanisse Adrian, understanding people isn’t just something she focused on to earn a bachelors and masters degree in social work. And while she’s currently working on a certificate in gerontology, the native of Puerto Rico is learning about more than senior citizens.
New cities and countries and tropical islands are open books for Yanisse, who takes to the road whenever she can fit travel into her schedule. Every trip means an opportunity to get to know the locals wherever she’s visiting. “I like seeing how people live, what they eat, and the types of things that are important to them,” she said, recalling fascinating conversations with taxi drivers in Barbados.
Traveling with a T-7 spinal cord injury can sometimes present challenges for Yanisse, who was shot as a teenager in a random car-jacking. “As a wheelchair user it can be humbling because I am very independent,” she explains. “I know that sometimes my friends are going to have to carry me when a place isn’t accessible. I don’t want to be a bother and it makes me frustrated at times.”
Yet her frustrations aren’t enough to stop her from touring New York City or hopping on a plane to Miami or jet skiing in St. Thomas. Yanisse also doesn’t let her spinal cord injury interfere with her professional goals. She can see herself counseling older people, particularly in coping with death and dying. A graduate course on loss and grief showed her the importance of communication when life takes a difficult, unexpected turn. “Everyone experiences loss, and it doesn’t just refer to death. It can be the loss of your job, your home, your independence,” she said.
By experiencing her own loss as a high school student, Yanisse gained a perspective she can put to use in her career. “Sometimes you cannot change your circumstance, but you can change the way you respond to it,” she said. “I try to stay in tune with the things I feel and whatever is going on around me, and there is power in doing that.”
