Jess Ferri of Hamilton, New Zealand, is no stranger to learning to live with blindness: She was born 15 weeks premature and lost her sight when she was only a few weeks old. As a result, Jess grew up reading and writing braille and learning other specialized skills at school.
She also grew up embracing a love for learning—so it’s no surprise that Jess is deeply involved with learning opportunities as an adult, through Hadley.
Jess originally found Hadley through an unusual route. When she was a child, her mother discovered Hadley for herself, when she was looking for ways to learn more about supporting Jess. Years later, when Jess was looking for classes, she reached out to Hadley, too.
Jess participated in her first Hadley course about 7 years ago, while expecting her daughter. It was a correspondence course on parenting that she took in braille, and there were regular phone calls with other learners. More recently, Jess rediscovered Hadley and its online courses through the updated website—and she’s been active in learning, sharing, and helping others ever since.
Jess has dived into workshops on gardening, sewing, and cooking, and she’s picked up many helpful techniques from other daily living workshops, too. She says she loves being reminded that "you can do things, no matter what your level of vision is."
That you-can-do-things spirit extends to her keen sense of adventure, too. Jess loves riding horses—an experience she describes as the freedom someone else might feel while driving. And Jess loves the excitement of motorsports, too, which she gets to experience at a nearby racetrack, in the passenger seat of a race car. "The driver takes you around the circuit at about 200 kilometers per hour," Jess explains—which is about 125 MPH. Clearly, "slow down" is not part of her vocabulary.
Of course, Jess has some quieter hobbies, too, and she never says "no" to learning something new—like her latest creative adventure, hanging wallpaper with a friend. She’s also not afraid to speak up when others tell her there’s something she doesn’t need to do. "It’s not a matter of needing to do it," she says. "I want to know how to do something. Why can’t I learn?" And that’s an attitude she shares with others.
Jess is an active participant in Hadley’s discussion groups, and she tries to participate in each of them, as time allows. And while she always learns a lot, she loves to share information with other participants, too. She’s served as a co-host with Hadley Growers, she loves to recommend topic ideas, and she offers tips and encouragement to her fellow learners whenever she can, reminding them of important lessons she’s learned, such as, "Just take one step at a time."
Jess also loves to remind people—including herself— to "have time and patience, and be kind to yourself when you’re learning a new skill," and "never be afraid to reach out and ask for help."
Jess says her parents were her champions as she was growing up, and she had a strong system of support while she was in school. But now she describes Hadley as the network she relies on most. "I’ve been able to reach out for help, and nothing’s too big, nothing’s too small, and there’s never a stupid question," Jess says. "Nothing’s ever a problem, because someone’s always there."
With her positive attitude and boundless energy, Jess has brought support, knowledge, and understanding to countless Hadley learners. She’s been named a Hadley Hero for her willingness to reach out to others, share information, and help people thrive—but she still likes to share the praise. "I feel like you guys are my heroes," she says, "because you help me to thrive."