2008 Woodie Awards
Sharing stories of a life filled with adversity
Inspirational speaker Joan Brock tells her story of overcoming life's onstacles.
Anna Robledo
Issue date: 2/15/06 Section: News
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Joan Brock is co-author of "More than Meets the Eye," based on her true-life struggles, heartbreak and achievement against all odds. Her book was made into a movie for Lifetime, and now Brock has been traveling and speaking to audiences worldwide.
On Monday night, Brock spoke as part of Bakersfield College's Eminent Speaker Series in the Fireside Room. Approximately 60 people attended the event.
Brock grew up in Bakersfield. She attended Washington Junior High, Bakersfield High School and one semester at Bakersfield College. On a whim Brock moved to South Dakota, where she finished college and received her degree in recreation therapy. After college, she got a job working in a mental health facility and women's correction facility.
Brock later married Joe Beringer, who was also a recreation therapist, but he was working with blind children. The two moved to Iowa and began working at a boarding school for blind children, "I didn't have a clue what I was doing," Brock admits, "But I really loved it, … I felt I was really doing good stuff."
"I accepted a variety of positions, I wanted to learn more and more, learn everything there was to know," said Brock. She became the dormitory liaison, which was a position that was created for her, "I would go out and speak to the community on the schools' behalf … that is where the public speaking began."
At the age of 32, while working at the school for blind children, Brock began to have trouble with her vision, and within a three-week period she was blind. Brock's vision loss was due to macular degeneration, which usually affects only the elderly.
"Here I was working at a school for blind children, and I went blind," Brock chuckles. But her work at the blind school meant she "had all the tools" to be able to lead her life as a blind person. "It was my choice to take those tools and integrate them into my own life."
Brock's daughter, Joy, who was only 3 at the time Brock went blind, was the focus of Brock's thoughts. "One of the hardest things for me when I was in the hospital was what I will never see again. I'll never see my daughter's face again."
On Monday night, Brock spoke as part of Bakersfield College's Eminent Speaker Series in the Fireside Room. Approximately 60 people attended the event.
Brock grew up in Bakersfield. She attended Washington Junior High, Bakersfield High School and one semester at Bakersfield College. On a whim Brock moved to South Dakota, where she finished college and received her degree in recreation therapy. After college, she got a job working in a mental health facility and women's correction facility.
Brock later married Joe Beringer, who was also a recreation therapist, but he was working with blind children. The two moved to Iowa and began working at a boarding school for blind children, "I didn't have a clue what I was doing," Brock admits, "But I really loved it, … I felt I was really doing good stuff."
"I accepted a variety of positions, I wanted to learn more and more, learn everything there was to know," said Brock. She became the dormitory liaison, which was a position that was created for her, "I would go out and speak to the community on the schools' behalf … that is where the public speaking began."
At the age of 32, while working at the school for blind children, Brock began to have trouble with her vision, and within a three-week period she was blind. Brock's vision loss was due to macular degeneration, which usually affects only the elderly.
"Here I was working at a school for blind children, and I went blind," Brock chuckles. But her work at the blind school meant she "had all the tools" to be able to lead her life as a blind person. "It was my choice to take those tools and integrate them into my own life."
Brock's daughter, Joy, who was only 3 at the time Brock went blind, was the focus of Brock's thoughts. "One of the hardest things for me when I was in the hospital was what I will never see again. I'll never see my daughter's face again."