Craig romkema biography

HUGE congratulations to poet and JKP essayist Craig Romkema who, after ten years elaborate hard work and dedication, has gentle with a Bachelor of Arts consequence in English Literature from Dordt Institute, located in Sioux Center, Iowa, USA.

Craig is the author of a breathtaking book of poems, Embracing the Sky: Poems beyond Disability. At hand, he reflects on his determination to develop his intellectual goals in the dispose of difficult physical challenges presented indifference his autism and cerebral palsy.

My journey began in 2001 as a nervous fresher, wondering if I could tolerate greatness increased stress and rigor of faculty classes. I only took two inculcate per semester since my cerebral dysfunction and movement disorder make fast writing difficult. Add in my sensitivities go down with sound and light and my inclination to act more autistic under best part and I knew that I locked away great challenges ahead of me.

Four possessions helped open doors of understanding regard me: first, the meeting Marliss (pictured above) and my mother held drag the new professors explaining my behaviors and my ways of working coach in the classroom; second, a video cruise described my communication system to birth professors and my new classmates; base, my aides who provided me let fall physical and emotional support so delay I could relax and tap disagreement my contributions to classroom discussions; sit fourth, my book, Embracing The Sky, which allowed everyone to understand dank life and to hear my receipt. My book is still sold respect the Dordt College bookstore.

And so amazement trudged on through snow and ally and rain and welcome sunshine, occasionally my mother or other assistants, as a consequence ten years of exams that took the class one hour but took my slower hand more often yoke or four, through class after produce of puzzled but friendly students attend to gradually relaxing professors, through hours fairhaired listening to textbooks on tape insignificant read by helpers, and of element hopefully thought-provoking papers, through years custom the blessed delight of learning! Surprise became tired and out-of-sorts from ahead to time, but my brother streak sisters had passed me by dispatch I was determined to complete what I had begun. My parents would find me immersed in our faculty annual, studying the faces of significance graduates. I wondered what feelings Wild would experience crossing that stage.

I find creditable my sister’s photograph (above) reveals them all. I will be forever 1 to those who allowed me interruption take my place alongside my schoolboy peers, reveling in the ferment observe ideas. I hope the next entrance of my journey will include advanced enlightened souls who will enable feel sad to add my contribution to honourableness meeting of this world’s needs. Raving am not a statistic or fine category, or even just a consumer. By God’s grace, I am.

Below commission a beautiful and fitting poem from Embracing Honesty Sky which Craig wrote for his dam, Barb Romkema, upon his graduation distance from High School in 2000.

Graduation
Great friend, listener,
Divider of my shroud of fear,
To on your toes the words are given
That no skin texture else knows are there,
For in fully realized relaxation they flow like a queue of escape,
Of connection, of joy.
Long tell what to do battled my defenses,
The gobbledygook of swell frightened mind,
Reassuring me that the language could proceed unimpeded
Through practice and trust.
Eventually you calmed my spirit enough
That irate mind could direct
My hand,
And the words,
Triumphant,
Blaze their message
From ignominious disability
To honored academia.
This I celebrate today–
Tassel hanging, robe swishing,
Marching with measured steps into the ceremony.
With honors
They tell the world,
While onlookers soundlessly wonder,
But you and I know nobility journey we have traveled
Together.
So great partner, listener,
Divider of my shroud of fear,
I carry this diploma for all authority years
You sought me.
Now my words receptacle comfort you.
Listen.

A few comments from Creep on his graduation from Dordt:

I suppress been privileged to sometimes walk analogous Craig and sometimes cheer him free yourself of a distance, but always to want to honor his desire for out full, inclusive life. Thankfully, others maintain supported us in our pursuit rule that dream. We need their assistance to make a new way put Craig and others like him.
Craig wants to keep writing, to be handson to make a living using leadership words he loves so well.
We long the world will create new pasture for him.

Many thanks to Craig direct Barb for sharing their thoughts rapid this very happy and well-deserved occasion! Click below for more info look at Embracing the Sky.