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Brian McLaughlin
When Brian McLaughlin was accepted at Boston College, he wasn’t too concerned about the academic workload. “I always knew I could succeed in the classroom,” he says. “It was the other—the social and self-advocacy aspects—that I needed to work on.” Though he uses a wheelchair and is mostly blind, McLaughlin had excelled in his high school, with his sister, an educational aide, by his side. But at the University he would have to be more independent. “One of my goals was to do as well without her,” says the English major. McLaughlin says he knew he had a lot to prove when he arrived at Boston College—not only to students and faculty who might question the abilities of someone with cerebral palsy, but also to himself. After capturing a spot on the varsity swim team, participating on a student government committee on disabilities, becoming a member of the college of Arts and Sciences’ Order of the Cross and Crown Honor Society, and gaining admission to Boston College Law School, where he started in the fall, McLaughlin has proved himself, and then some. His success partly stems from talent and determination, partly from boldness. A high school swimmer, McLaughlin knew he couldn’t race as fast as the others vying for spots on the varsity team, but he called Head Coach Tom Groden anyway, explained the obstacles he faces, and asked for the opportunity to try out. Groden’s gut reaction was to give McLaughlin a chance. “Looking back at the four years, I got a lot more out of it than Brian did,” he says. Groden saw McLaughlin’s strength and control improve, and relished the challenge of developing workouts that would help him. “He was willing to try anything,” he says. “That made him fun to coach.” McLaughlin’s leadership abilities and interest in service earned him recognition by the Boston Celtics’ “Heroes Among Us” program and the Exceptional Young Leader of the Year Award from the Franciscan Children’s Hospital located in Brighton, Massachusetts. With the help of note takers, typists, and other aides, McLaughlin has excelled academically and maintained considerable independence. He cites FDR as a role model. “He was disabled and no one knew about it,” McLaughlin says. He speaks at local schools about coping with his disabilities but says he doesn’t harbor daily urges to enlighten the world. Yet, McLaughlin adds, “If I opened someone’s eyes, that’s great.” Photo: Brian McLaughlin in the Flynn Recreation Complex. |
