Name: Teresa Rae Broadhead (2nd from left, poses with her family)
Degree(s) and Graduation Year(s): BA in Communicative Disorders 1991 University of Alabama, MAE in Special Education with a focus in Visually Impaired 2013 UAB, currently in internship for Orientation and Mobility Specialist UAB
Hometown: Locust Fork, AL
Current town: Locust Fork, AL
Current employer and job: When I became interested in obtaining my Master's Degree in Teacher of the Visually Impaired, UAB was the logical choice. UAB is the only university in Alabama which offers the degree. Also, it is close to home and has a fantastic reputation.
What is your favorite UAB memory: I have many wonderful memories during my time at UAB. I had the opportunity to participate in a variety of experiences including Helen Keller School Assessment Camp, Alabama School for the Blind, Gentry, Alabama Industries for the 
Deaf and Blind, Sea and Sun Camp, Songs for Sight, Mobile Regional School and Perkins School for the Blind in Boston. If I have to choose one favorite memory it has to be my Orientation and Mobility cohort taking a trip from the UAB campus to the Starbucks on the Southside blindfolded with our long canes. We had to walk to Starbucks, find the door, go in and order, find a table, and then we were allowed to take our blindfolds off. It was quite the experience! Of course our instructors, Dr. Diane Pevsner and Paula Tapia, were with us to make sure we were safe.
How did UAB prepare you for life: Being 44 when I started at UAB, I was already pretty much prepared for life, but UAB definitely prepared me for a new career. Each of my classes provided new skills and knowledge. The instructors had high expectations and were extremely knowledgeable. The VI program provided a great deal of hands on experience in a variety of settings. UAB expects and ensures that each of their graduates to be highly qualified and skilled in their area of study.
Why did you want to be an educator: I wanted to become a Teacher of the Visually Impaired after I had the opportunity to spend time with a student in our school who is deaf-blind. I had always assumed I would get my Master's degree in Communicative Disorders, but on day I was in a coworker's classroom and saw a brochure about the UAB VI program which had been left by the Vision Specialist that was providing services to our student. I contacted the director of the Visually Impaired Program and set up an appointment to discuss the program. Upon meeting Dr. Sanspree and Carol Alison, I felt like this was the direction I wanted to pursue. It has been more fulfilling than I even imagined.
What would you do if you were given more time in each day: I would definitely spend more time with my family.
With which celebrity or historical figure, current or past, would you most like to have dinner: John F. Kennedy.
Which super power would you most like to have: I would love to have the power to fly.
What is your best attribute: I would say my best attribute is my patience with children.
Who would you like to see portray you in a movie/film: Sandra Bullock
What is your favorite saying or motto: Treat others the way you would like to be treated.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received: Life is too short to sweat the small stuff.
What is your life's "theme song": "Hakuna Matata"
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why: If I could travel anywhere in the world, I would go to Bora Bora and stay in one of the huts located over the ocean. That has been on my bucket list for years. It looks so beautiful and serene.
What is your favorite book: That is a hard question, because I love to read. If I have to choose just one, I will have to go with the Twilight Series.
How would you like to change the world: If I could change the world, I would eliminate all the racism. We are all human beings regardless of color, ethnicity, religious and political beliefs and should treat each other with respect and kindness. If we could to this, many other problems would take care of themselves.