Ryan Cole ’09, B.Sc. Chemical Physics, Timmins, Ontario

When Ryan Cole was applying for university, he was more than a little unsure of what lied ahead. He admits that despite excelling in high school, he had more than one university tell him that because he was legally blind, they didn’t know how he would succeed at the university level. “I always knew being legally blind and getting a degree in Chemical Physics wouldn’t exactly be easy, but I wasn’t ready for people to tell me it was impossible before I even had the chance to try,” says Ryan. “Trent’s attitude was completely different from the start.”

“The entire Trent community was completely open to the idea of a legally blind person getting a degree in chemical physics,” said Ryan. “I chose Trent for their openness and willingness to believe in me when others didn’t and I have never regretted my decision. Trent has allowed me to not only succeed, but excel in the field of study I love most,” said Ryan.

Looking back over his years at Trent, Ryan recalls working with Dr. Aaron Slepkov in his optics lab during his first summer in Peterborough as part of an undergraduate student research award. During that summer he says that he realized that being legally blind didn’t mean he couldn’t work in an actual research lab and that no one but himself would stop him from reaching his goals.

Ryan is currently an M.Sc. student in the Materials Science graduate program at Trent and, once complete, he plans on hopefully continuing his education as a Ph.D. student as well.

When asked how Trent has prepared him for the next steps, Ryan comments that he finds it staggering to look back and see how much he has learned over the past six years. “Trent not only helped me find my passion, but also gave me all the tools and resources I needed to follow my dreams. I am proud to call myself a Trent graduate and I look forward to continuing my education at this amazing university which has already change my life for the better in so many ways.”