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Member Spotlight: Introducing Ruben
Hey everyone! So we’re starting a new series here, in which we feature different forum members. Message me or Leah if you’re interested in participating!
This is Ruben’s Story:
Years ago, while in college, I received a phone call: “Mr. Ruben? You have been selected to participate in our internship program.” It was quite an achievement to be offered an internship with them. Only a very few number of students had this privilege. The rest had to search for internships by themselves, somewhere else.
Being one of the top students, I was among the first to be contacted.
I then asked them if they read the ending of my resume, where I stated that I was in a wheelchair. They paused a little… they hadn’t read that part. Then they said they’ll call me back in a few minutes. They quickly called back and said: “We are sorry, but our office is upstairs and we can’t accommodate you… We wish you the best! Goodbye!”
As you might imagine, I felt terrible. I went home that day and cried. It hurt a lot. And inner pain is, most times, worse than the outer one.
Many thoughts were going through my mind. What was the point of everything? Why was I even trying to study well and get the best grades if it didn’t really help me when it mattered? And just to top it all off, my best friend who was in the same class as me, later got the same call. He was happy to have been selected. I was happy for him but sad that I was rejected.
You know, when I was little, my dad was encouraging me by saying that when I grow up and get a job, the people I would work for would come and pick me up from home. But how can I even get a job when this world isn’t that accessible for my needs, especially my country (Romania)?
Not long after the sad rejection moment, a man contacted me to offer me a web developer job. I was studying Finance & Banking, but in my spare time, I liked to play around with programming languages. I accepted his offer even though I was a beginner. But God took care of all my needs and gave me the ability to develop the skills I needed. Best of all, I was allowed to work from home.
And guess what? After a couple of years, the person who hired me said: “Ruben, if you want to come to the office, I’ll come to your house and pick you up in my car.”
Have you experienced something similar to what happened to Ruben? How did you handle it? Do you have any questions for Ruben?
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