Guiding Light: How My Guide Dog Transformed My College Experience
By: Lupe Tapia
Ethos and I have been together for the past four years of my college experience, and we have had many instances in which he has made the experience significantly easier. The campus is divided by a golf course and the main campus has had major construction. In the many years I have been attending classes here, I never had the courage to walk or take the bus between the west and East campus by myself. Since I’ve been partnered with Ethos, I have done both.
Ethos has been a great blessing when it came to managing my stress over classes. Maintaining his daily routine and work gave me the chance to step away from homework. Playing ball, fetch, and tug-of-war made me laugh in the middle of the stress of midterms or finals. Just having him walk over to me at my desk while I was working to lay on my feet made me calm.
Having a guide dog is a lot of work but work that is worth it. Anything good is never easy. Having a guide dog throughout college gives me the freedom to move around campus which I never expected.
Even while a guide dog is working, Ethos still open conversations between staff and students alike. He gave me independence and because of him, I’ve met some wonderful people that I wouldn’t have met othwerwise.
After my commencement ceremony, Ethos and I are off to Cal State Los Angeles. This campus is even bigger than the Mission College Campus. I am sure Ethos will keep me safe and keep reminding me to take a few moments to just breathe throughout the next leg of our journey. I am looking forward to new experiences come fall.
Since I’ve had ethos, I have done many things I thought I would never try. I went to Disneyland for the first time in my life and he made it that much better. I have traveled and I have started hiking. Something I never thought I would actually enjoy! At home, he is loving, silly, sometimes a troublemaker, and even gets lazy at times! My family is always amazed at how perfect our personalities match.
Your generosity has brought life-changing transformations to individuals like Lupe.
About Lupe
Lupe is a recent graduate of L.A. Mission College and plans to attend California State of Los Angeles. She is a SoCal resident who loves traveling and hiking with her guide dog, Ethos.
