How To Navigate Life's Challenges
In Nostalgia Street episode 9, we interviewed Vicki Stewart, the executive director of Employment Disability Resources. We kick the show off the conversation with a random question from Vince: if you could switch the characters from one show with the characters of another, which would you choose? Vicki landed on a scenario of putting the Gilligan's Island crew on Scooby Doo.
Shifting to Vicki's role as the executive director of the Employment Disability Resource and we discussed the organization and its name change. The conversation delved into Vicki's childhood, marked by osteogenesis imperfecta and how growing up with a disability fostered a love for music, including her experiences playing the flute.
We asked Vicki about her positive attitude and she attributed it to her upbringing and supportive family. The conversation touched on Vicki's school experiences, challenges, and the transition to junior high, highlighting her resilience despite facing bullying. We shared our appreciation for Vicki’s uplifting presence and positive outlook.
Vicki talked about the number of broken bones she’s had in her lifetime due to her disability and shared that she has broken around 40 to 45 bones in her lifetime, leading to a discussion about her experiences and the challenges of healing. She told us about some memorable incidents, including one where she broke two legs and an arm while playing tag with cousins.
The conversation then transitioned back to Vicki's love for music, her favorite bands from the '70s and '80s, and her experiences playing the flute and piccolo in college. We explored the humor of misunderstood song lyrics, including the classic "Blinded by the Light." We asked Vicki about her favorite flute songs and her intense experience mastering a piccolo solo in college. Thanks to Vicki, we learned the difference between a "flautist" and a "flutist." Vicki also shared a story from band camp, including a kissing game called the "embouchure award."
The conversation then took a turn to board games and we shared our favorite board games from childhood, such as Trouble and checkers. We inquired about particularly competitive or cutthroat games, that led to Vicki mentioning a card game called "squeak," where players competed intensely.
The discussion shifted to Vicki's college experiences, highlighting the challenges she faced due to inaccessibility on campus. Vicki shares a personal moment when she contemplated quitting college but persevered, ultimately finding a supportive community. The conversation then transitioned to Vicki's career path, emphasizing her passion for advocacy work and educating others about disabilities. Vicki encourages open communication and questions from people, rejecting the notion of being ignored. Vicki talked about her role models and her journey toward becoming the executive director of an organization. She expressed a desire to increase employment rates for people with disabilities and expand youth mentoring programs.
The conversation concluded with talk about movies, including Vicki's favorite films and her college-era smuggling experiences. We suggested Vicki could be a rebel bank robber with her wheelchair's special contraptions. The episode ends with plans for future adventures and a mention of Vicki's meeting with her now-husband at a skiing event.
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You can connect with Vicki on LinkedIn.
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