---
title: "Climbing the Mountains: Transitioning to College in a Caregiver Crisis"
description: Disabled people should not have to choose between their safety and their dreams
---

[Voices From The Community | Spinal Cord Injury & Paralysis](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en)

# [Climbing the Mountains: Transitioning to College in a Caregiver Crisis](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/blog/life-after-paralysis/climbing-the-mountains-transitioning-to-college-in-a-caregiver-crisis)

 Written by [EmpowHer Stories](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/author/empowher-stories) | Aug 25, 2022 4:00:00 AM

I am surrounded by mountains everywhere I look. 

Missoula, Montana may not look like much, but to me, it is symbolic of my hopes, dreams, and everything I have worked for over the past four years. During high school, I worked extremely hard to maintain a 4.0 GPA. I took all the appropriate classes and scored high enough on my ACT to be admitted to the University of Montana, Missoula. The day I got my acceptance letter, it felt as if all of that hard work was paying off. I had the chance to attend the college of my dreams and be part of one of the most prestigious [Creative Writing](https://www.umt.edu/creative-writing/undergraduate/default.php)programs in the country!

Usually, the view out the window is a source of happiness, but lately, it is a symbol of stress. I am a senior in high school, headed off to college in the fall. You’re probably thinking, “Oh, pre-college jitters, just like everyone else, right?” Well, not exactly… I am a strong, powerchair-using young woman, who requires assistance for almost all of her activities of daily living. I am currently torn between uprooting my entire life to attend the college of my dreams, or unproblematically attending the college where I live. Given all of the moving parts that factor into my successful college transition, making this decision feels like climbing a mountain.

In addition to the wonderful academic opportunities presented at UM, Missoula also offers plenty of personal and social opportunities. As a person with a disability in conservative Kalispell, where I’m from, I don’t see a lot of people who remind me of myself. However, I have some disabled friends in Missoula who attended college at UM and have been coaching me through my transition. Because of the very active Disability community in Missoula, I am confident that I would be able to make lots of new friends and have an emotionally fulfilling college experience.

Sometimes I get so lost in my dreams of Missoula, I forget that they are just that, dreams. As much as I would love to attend school in Missoula, that decision is neither safe nor cost-effective for me at the moment. The reality is I will require the assistance of a personal care attendant (PCA) for a minimum of 3 hours each day. I will also need someone to be on call at all times in case of an emergency. Right now, if a caregiver does not show up, my parents could easily fill in the minimal hours I need for the week. However, once I start college, I will be relying on caregivers for almost all of my personal needs.

[View full post](https://blog.christopherreeve.org/en/blog/life-after-paralysis/climbing-the-mountains-transitioning-to-college-in-a-caregiver-crisis)

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