Meet the Family – March 2019

CIDA proudly introduces Arnold Lee and his mother, Chongjin Lee.

Arnold is a talented young man, who is good with his hands. During high school he received awards for his excellency. After graduation, he attended Queens Community College for one year. Now, he is receiving services from OPWDD where step by step he is learning something new every day.

Looking back to when he was young, I remember Arnold being a quiet but wise young boy. He has grown up to be a wonderful young man and for me, he is the reason why I live my life to the fullest. For a single mom like me, life is not easy. Thanks to many people from different institutions in the past, such as a missionary institute in NY and a local church, I was able to survive here in NY while raising my children. Through this, I would like to take this opportunity to appreciate and thank them for their love and support towards my son.

Arnold’s dream is to become a game programmer. He enjoys learning how to make paper and rubber band crafts by watching various Youtube videos. Through this, he is creating many beautiful paper art crafts by himself. He is also participating in art classes provided by CIDA.

Even though I had been living in the United States for over 30 years, I was still lost and unsure about the different systems regarding K-12 public education for children with disabilities. Living life so busily, I did not know much about the rights and benefits of children with disabilities. However, I was able to learn more about this issue and I am very grateful for having this opportunity through CIDA. We hope to receive more training in the future.

We, Arnold and Arnold’s mom, thank you for interviewing us and we will always be supporting CIDA!