Physical education student tells her story of overcoming adversity

August 19, 2019, changed completely the life of student Jahir Alexander Sánchez Garzón, who was in his ninth semester of the Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education at the

UCundinamarca, Fusagasugá Campus. A traffic accident caused him a permanent disability, after the loss of mobility in his legs.

The way Jahir Alexander has faced his situation is a great example of resilience in moving forward, without letting difficulties limit him.

A complete change

In every context, a person's life undergoes profound changes when they suddenly acquire a disability. Jahir Alexander tells us that, to begin with, he had to adjust his time management: “Essentially, this situation is a huge challenge. What I used to do in 10 minutes now takes me much longer.”.

If I have a class at 7:00 am, I have to be awake by 5:00 am to get organized. And this time management, which is so personal, permeates every area of my life due to my new condition: academic, work, family, health, so much so that it sometimes generates a lot of stress. The challenge is adapting to a new lifestyle and achieving independence and functionality.”

Jahir Alexander was unconscious for many days after the accident. He awoke to face a new reality that affected his health and well-being, limiting his mobility and independence. “I didn’t resume my studies in the first half of 2020 because my mind was on other things,” says Jahir, “on coming to terms with my reality, on my personal matters, on my recovery, on gaining some independence. I wasn’t in a position to continue my studies at that time, but even though I questioned myself a lot about what I was going to do and who I was going to become, I always thought about finishing my degree, even though I didn’t know how.”.

The pandemic worked in their favor.

When the pandemic hit in March 2020 and academic processes shifted to online learning, all students began taking classes from home. Jahir Alexander thought he could have continued his studies that semester, but returning to the campus was no longer possible. Under these circumstances, he hoped that online learning would continue so he could rejoin the university the following semester; “if online learning was going to be the norm for about a year, it would be perfect for me to continue my studies until I finished.”.

In August 2020, feeling more emotionally motivated, he re-enrolled at the University to continue his studies in his ninth semester. The technological support continued, and he began taking classes from his home in Tocaima, Cundinamarca. A year had passed since the accident, and restarting his academic journey in his new condition was a significant challenge for him.

Jahir tells us jokingly, “I had to take a class called Contemporary Dance. How was I supposed to start dancing?” However, his teachers“ commitment made all the difference. ”The professor gave me strategies to carry out the academic process in her class, and at the end of the semester we produced a really good Contemporary Dance video, a motivational video that I had been working on throughout the semester. My classmates cried when they saw it and congratulated me a lot, as well as the professor.”.

The support of the Institution

At the University, a joint effort was undertaken by the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Sports Science and Physical Education, the Bachelor's Degree Program in Physical Education, the Directorate of University Welfare, and the Office of Institutional Inclusion, coordinating actions to support and accompany Jahir in his return to his academic training, thus contributing to the development of his life project, and serving as an example of what the MEDIT Transmodern Digital Educational Model is.

Jahir Alexander's application was submitted by the University Welfare Directorate to the Scoring Committee, where his case was reviewed along with those of other individuals. Support was provided to these students using remaining funds obtained through various donations from staff and faculty members in response to the pandemic. This funding covered the tuition fees for the second semester of 2020 for UCundinamarca students affected by the situation. He was already granted the "Zero Tuition" benefit for the first semester of 2021.

The Office of Institutional Inclusion has been monitoring the student's medical situation and making the necessary adjustments to ensure the continuity of his studies, working in close collaboration with the program director, faculty, and faculty advisors. Jahir has received support on various issues, including registering for course modules, activating his institutional email accounts, and resolving technical matters that have allowed him to access institutional information and classes.

It is necessary to highlight the support of the teachers, fundamental to implementing the required reasonable adjustments; each of them has taken the initiative to adapt their classes as needed for the continuation of the student's academic process, including adjustments to the timing of academic activities, when the student has had to be hospitalized, etc.

In his manner of speaking, his tone of voice, and the positive nature of his comments, Jahir Alexander reveals himself as a mature and resilient young man, eager to pursue his life goals and embracing new challenges with determination and energy. His inspiring experience offers us many valuable lessons. We hope he can complete all the coursework in the program this semester, including his thesis, and receive his Bachelor's degree in Physical Education, as well as achieve great success in his personal and professional life.

“Everyone in life has problems, the important thing is how we see and face them; be resilient, persevering and always eager to move forward, since obstacles are meant to be overcome, not to get stuck in them.”.

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