{"id":1558,"date":"2021-05-26T19:44:17","date_gmt":"2021-05-26T19:44:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/?p=1558"},"modified":"2021-05-28T16:55:37","modified_gmt":"2021-05-28T16:55:37","slug":"two-pals-four-paws-and-one-dream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eou.edu\/mountaineer-magazine\/two-pals-four-paws-and-one-dream\/","title":{"rendered":"Two pals, four paws and one dream"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tabitha and Winnie go everywhere together. They both love Mountie football games, and being each other\u2019s chemistry lab partners. They\u2019re both disability services aides with plans to work in nursing one day. They even have the same birthday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winnie is a medical alert service dog who accompanies EOU student Tabitha Compton to classes, an on-campus job, and even chemistry labs. Compton\u2019s disability is an invisible one, and Winnie\u2019s assistance is the only aspect of it most people see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven when she\u2019s napping, [Winnie] is still aware of me the whole time: listening and smelling and being in tune with me,\u201d Compton said. \u201cSometimes I choose to go places without her, but I usually choose to keep her close because she keeps me safe.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the two first got together in December 2017, Compton has enjoyed expanded freedom and peace of mind. Winnie can sense a medical situation before it occurs, alerting Compton to take proactive steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s made such a difference having the freedom of not worrying constantly, and being able to avoid situations that could be dangerous for my health,\u201d Compton said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Winnie, a 3-year-old German Shepherd, performs special behaviors to assist EOU student Tabitha Compton. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Their powerful partnership is only one factor in Compton\u2019s success on campus. The two attended a community college shortly after teaming up, but without additional support things went south. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know who to go to for help and I was seriously lost,\u201d she said. \u201cAt EOU, I didn\u2019t experience that at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staff from the Disability Services Office<\/a> (DSO) emailed Compton the day after she submitted an application.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStarting at a new school is intimidating, and they just took out all the questions before I even asked them,\u201d Compton said. \u201c[The DSO] had everything I needed in that moment and I really appreciated that willingness to jump in with me and give me the one-on-one attention I needed to get set up at the university.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Compton provides essential support for her peers as a student worker in the DSO. She transcribes lectures, proctors tests and connects students with accommodations. The DSO is housed under the Learning Center<\/a>, which also offers tutoring, study groups and a computer lab.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe DSO and Learning Center are what keep me at EOU,\u201d Compton said. \u201cIf it wasn\u2019t here, I wouldn\u2019t be here.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compton plans to complete her pre-nursing requirements, and enroll in the OHSU School of Nursing\u2019s La Grande Campus next year. She hopes to specialize in pediatric psychology and help people diagnosed with conditions that aren\u2019t visible on the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m an average-looking person\u2014I don\u2019t look like I have a disability, but I do have one,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople see me with a service animal and they think I\u2019m blind. There\u2019s a huge disconnect where it can create a lot of issues for disabled individuals, and I want to be someone who helps with that. People can look \u2018normal,\u2019 but have a lot going on. There\u2019s a larger population of people dealing with invisible illnesses and disabilities than we consider as a society.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compton chose EOU and the OHSU program for their small size and personalized approach. Getting to know professors and peers in her cohort guarantee an individualized education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can have a one-on-one connection with my professors, and they can take the time because they don\u2019t have enormous class sizes,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Compton and her companion find a way to fit in every crowd\u2014bundled up at a November football game or conducting experiments in a chemistry lab. The only four-legged lab partner on campus comes with some special equipment. Winnie wears goggles, booties and a raincoat so she can safely do her job and stay close to Compton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving a service animal and being in a science-based major can get a little bit tricky with lab environments,\u201d Compton said. \u201cThey made sure I would still have the opportunity to be successful even though having a service animal in those environments is kind of unconventional.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At work, play and study, Compton has a sidekick she can count on. And both of them have a campus community that supports their ongoing success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow Winnie on Instagram @Winnie.TheServiceDog<\/a>!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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