“Several years back I began having trouble balancing, and it felt like my nerves were playing a game of pinball,” said Ashley Salzman ’18, who is currently pursuing a master’s in neuroscience at Illinois State University. “I experienced tremors for the first time in my hand, and later while in class throughout my entire body.”
Salzman may have Parkinson’s disease, a progressive disease with symptoms including tremors, postural instability, bradykinesia, and rigid muscles. She had to adapt routines to manage symptoms. She said adjusting to how others treated her was a culture shock.
“I quickly learned that you must decide either to give up because of the adversity or face it and show yourself to be an asset despite many people’s initial doubts about you,” she said.
Salzman now serves as president of Illinois State’s Student Disability Network, where she supports and inspires others. She also teaches biology at Heartland Community College.
Salzman’s future doctoral research will delve into the interactions of serotonin and dopamine. She’s experienced firsthand the positive effects of exercise and loves it so much she is close to becoming a certified personal trainer; Salzman specializes in training individuals with disabilities.
“Society may subconsciously assume individuals with disabilities should forgo exercise, or that their need for physical fitness does not matter as much as a nondisabled person,” said Salzman. “I believe everyone should enjoy the mental, cognitive, and physical benefits of exercise, so this endeavor is very special to me.”
Salzman has enjoyed support from her mom, Illinois State’s Student Access and Accommodation Services, and the head of the biology lab, Dr. Alysia Vrailas-Mortimer. Vrailas-Mortimer would let Salzman work at her own pace, which is especially important when Salzman suffers from cognitive symptoms that decelerate her functioning.
Salzman can now add university donors to her list of supporters. Last academic year, she received the Dr. Judy Smithson Scholarship. The award was established in 2000 to honor Smithson, director emerita of Illinois State’s Student Access and Accommodation Services. The scholarship encourages students with disabilities to pursue graduate school, enhance their career, and/or achieve a certification in their field.
“This scholarship was the best thing that happened to me that semester,” said Salzman. “The scholarship is the reason I am able to move forward with my career, and is also why my mom and I are not struggling financially.”
Salzman plans to demonstrate her appreciation by providing free personal training for one individual with disabilities each semester.
“I feel happy because a financial burden has been lifted but also because I now know that there are people who care about me and want to help me, even if they do not know me,” she said. “I feel very comforted by this whole experience.”
