Midterm Profile Piece

Blind Ambition
by Nicholas Masopust, student journalist

Karissa Schlickbernd is a student at the University of Oklahoma that strives to be normal amid circumstances that are not. Born legally blind to parents in South Korea that abandoned her, things were never going to come easy.

 “I lived in an orphanage up until I was 10 months old and my parents adopted me and took me back to Nebraska” said Schlickbernd.

Karissa was born with an incurable form of optic nerve damage that leaves her very nearsighted and unable to see further than a few inches from her face. “

My parents told me I’m legally blind. I’m not allowed to drive because of my condition and I have to get rides around or ride my bike to school” said Schlickbernd.

While in school it leads to difficulty reading handouts chalkboards, and makes it necessary for her to increase her screen size to six times the resolution as that of a normal student.

It was a trait she inherited from her birth mother, whom she has yet to meet. Things weren’t always smooth with her adopted parents either. They divorced when she was just a 6th grader.

“When my parents got a divorce it was really difficult. My mom is not really in the picture anymore. I still talk to my dad every once in a while but we’re not really close like we used to be.”

What sets Karissa apart isn’t so much the circumstances surrounding her, but her attitude to move on and keep them from dragging her down as a person. Her adopted sister Alexa Debilbis saw that firsthand.

“She didn’t want to be different” said her Devilbiss, “It’s something she’s just always been able to push through. She’s so normal sometimes you forget she has any kind of disability at all.”

She is not the type of student to want help or receive attention for her disability, she’d much rather be open and caring to others first.

“She really loves people” said Debilbis, “she’s the type to give you the shirt off her back.” 

Schlickbernd makes a strong impression on most people she meets, such as friend Tisha Pinder.

 “She’s just a really genuine person” said Pinder, “I can’t ever see her doing something bad.”

Schlickbernd’s approach with people translates to her studies in Psychology, where she hopes to counsel people that have gone through hardships such as divorce like she has.

“I feel like I could help kids in some way. Ever since I took my first class I’ve just been very interested in Psychology in general.”

Schlickbernd is currently on track to graduate with her Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 2016.

Lead-in: The video shows Karissa Schlickbernd in a typical day for her at OU. She goes to the computer lab, rides her bicycle to school, and goes about her day in a normal fashion despite her disabilities. Cutline: “I was born in Korea…” VIDEO: Nicholas Masopust, runtime :35.25