Melissa Carney lost her vision to cancer at age two, which many would find to be a challenge. Instead, Melissa has found it a motivation to seek new challenges and share the lessons she learns from her successes with her colleagues. Starting as a rider at High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, she progressed from rider to mentor. She found her involvement with the National Federation of the Blind activities so rewarding she helped found a state-level student division in Connecticut, and another in Massachusetts. Believing that an impairment shouldn’t impair her, this college student will spend a semester in Washington, D.C., learning how to be an advocate at the national level.