By BEN DECK
Beaufort County Community College

Renita Rogers has overcome many challenges in her life, but her “Principles of Biology” class at Beaufort County Community College this fall semester was a particularly formidable hurdle.

“I was struggling in the class,” Rogers said, who describes herself as “totally blind.”

Rogers said many classes can present challenges to the visually impaired. Biology, she added, is a particularly visual class, and therefore, a bigger obstacle to someone who cannot see the material.

She availed herself of the resources available through the college, but she found a crucial academic lifeline in an unlikely place — the assistance of fellow student Danielle Williams.

Williams, who was also enrolled in the biology class, recognized Rogers’ need and went out of her way to assist, according to instructor Tricia Kimmel. Williams constructed learning aids out of materials, such as bamboo skewers, poster board and ribbon, and she gathered materials that allowed Rogers to get a hands-on frame of reference for course concepts.

“That was all on her own,” Kimmel said of Williams’ efforts. “There was no prompting from me.”

Williams does work as a peer tutor in the campus Learning Enhancement Center, and she assisted Rogers while working there. But her efforts went far beyond her official duties, said James Casey, director of the center.

Other staff members at the center agreed. “She did that totally on her own,” said Lisa Liguori, a staff tutor at the center.

Kimmel said she was impressed by Williams’ willingness to go out of her way to help a peer.

“As an instructor, I think that’s fantastic. I was just bowled over by her willingness to help,” Kimmel said. “I think it says a lot about her character.”

Williams organized a study group for Rogers, as well. She also constructed learning aids at home, on her own time and out of her own materials. The materials included a DNA helix made out of pipe cleaners, Punnett squares made out of bamboo and ribbon and depictions of cell-level chemical processes, like glycolysis, that used sunflower seeds glued to poster board. The seeds represented carbon atoms in molecules, and Rogers was able to feel the differences in atoms in different stages of the process.

Dr. Barbara Tansey, BCCC president, said Williams’ efforts are a credit to her own self and to the school.

“It is gratifying to see our students collaborating and assisting each other,” Tansey said. “It demonstrates the caliber of the people we have in our classes, and it is an honor to serve them.”

Williams said she started making the learning aids because she wanted to find methods to convey visual concepts in a tactile way.

“I’m a visual learner myself,” Williams said. “I started trying to think of ways that I could show (Rogers) different topics in biology. The way she sees is with her hands.”

Kimmel said Williams’ efforts definitely bore fruit in the classroom.

“It was extremely effective for Renita,” Kimmel said. “I saw significant improvement in her through the semester.”

Rogers, who passed the class, said Williams was a big factor in her success. And for her part, Williams said it worked both ways — Rogers inspired her, too.

“She’s brilliant, she really is, so it’s nice to help her see what we can see,” Williams said.