Meghan Andryski A Heart for Others
M eghan Andryski’s grandmother
worked as a transcriptionist translating books, newspaper articles, and other materials into braille for the blind. So as a child, Meghan learned braille as easily as most children learn their ABCs. Little did Meghan know the time spent with her grandmother would shape her college career and equip her to be a perfect candidate for a company that provides products for people with disabilities.
Growing up in Plymouth, Minnesota, Meghan was also extremely active in sports. She was the team captain on her school’s varsity diving team and competed in gymnastics. When she went to college, she started out studying kinesiology, how muscles move and interact. Along the way, her goals changed and she became an interpreter for the deaf and blind. She earned an associate of applied science degree in sign language, interpretation, and transliteration from St. Paul College and then went on to the University of Minnesota where she served as a sign language tutor while earning a bachelor’s degree in communications. After graduation, she worked at the Intermediate District 287 School for five years, aiding special education teachers by teaching life skills, goal setting, and independence to the visually and hearing impaired students.
In January 2013, Meghan had a life-changing experience when she tripped and fell on ice, shattering her entire leg, both the tibia and the fibula. She had several surgeries and couldn’t put any weight on her leg or even have it in a vertical position because of swelling. “I had one of the worst breaks the doctors had seen,” she said. “While I was healing, I had lots of time to think about life, and where I had been and where I was going. That’s when I decided it was time to change my career path.”
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Meghan’s initial contact with Express Employment Professionals took place soon after her recovery. She heard Express was interested in finding people to help individuals with disabilities. After meeting with Meghan, the Express staff told her about a job opening in Eden Prairie, a suburb of Minneapolis, with a company serving the hearing impaired and blind communities. The company provides tools and technology for people with disabilities from flashing alarms for fire, carbon monoxide, and weather alerts, to vibrating alarm clocks and amplified telephones for the hard of hearing.
“I went in for the interview and was hired on the spot,” Meghan said. “Even though accepting the job meant moving away from St. Paul, I was really excited about the opportunity. I have a lot of knowledge about both the deaf and blind communities, especially how they interact with others.”
Meghan’s skills and her heart for helping people were a perfect fit for the job. From her first day on the job, Meghan felt right at home helping customers with their purchasing decisions. Since a significant amount of orders come in via Skype, many of the company’s customer representatives are fluent in sign language.
“I look back at the way things have all worked out for me, and I realize that these people come in here or contact us electronically hoping to find help,” Meghan said. “Since I am trained in sign language and braille, I can be the person who helps these people create a bridge between two worlds.”
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