09/14/2022
❤️💕
[1/6] Meet Kay, a graduate of The Seeing Eye — and (more recently) college as well! Over the next week, you’ll get to know Kay and her Seeing Eye dog, Zenith, and hear about how they navigated life in college together.
“I have albinism, and I’m legally blind. My vision changes a lot with the lighting — if it’s bright outside, I can’t see anything. I also have a hard time at night with street lights drowning out everything else. That’s why I have a Seeing Eye dog. Zenith is my first dog. I got him right after I graduated from high school, and he’s just been the best. He made college so much fun and safer, and he loved every second of it. Now we’re starting our new post-grad adventure in Washington, DC, and he seems to be really excited about that — as am I!
“The #1 reason I got a Seeing Eye dog was to be safe. That’s the most important thing. During college, I had a couple of traffic checks. That’s when a car almost hits you, and the dog pulls you away so you don’t get hit. Also, there were pedestrian walkways at my school, but sometimes there would be trucks making deliveries on the walkways — not where you would expect a truck to be. With Zenith, it was great getting to class on time and safely, not bumping into every obstacle, being able to move around confidently and walk quickly.
“When I first went to The Seeing Eye, I wasn’t expecting it to be so emotional, but it totally was…and I was definitely a little scared, because I knew how big a change it was going to be. I remember thinking, wow, my whole life is about to change forever. And it did. My life will never be the same.”
*In tomorrow’s post, you’ll learn more about the role Zenith played in Kay’s college social life. Stay tuned!*
📸 Photo Description: Kay is jumping in the air joyfully, wearing her black graduation gown and sunglasses. Zenith, her golden retriever Seeing Eye dog, is standing beside her in harness and looking up at her. Photo by Zachary Gutherman