Born to Palestinian parents in Chicago, Illinois, Ronza Othman moved to Maryland, where she currently resides. Her hobbies include cooking, reading, hanging out with friends, spending time with her family, shopping, and playing online games.
She is a Civil Rights lawyer with the Department of Homeland Security. This is a job she enjoys very much. Her favorite part of the job is making sure every American gets the benefit of Civil Rights protections, while also keeping the country safe. However, there are a few things that could do with some improving. For example, government employees use Blackberry, which is not accessible yet, making checking emails on the go slightly more difficult. Sometimes, she also finds it hard to recognize people, making it an awkward situation if she introduces herself to people she’s already met. She admits that new layouts still make her nervous. But, perhaps the most intriguing and odd part she finds challenging is nothing more than deciphering bad handwriting.
Although Ronza is now a successful Civil Rights Lawyer, it wasn’t always like that. She originally started out as a pre-med student. However, she was introduced to an advanced inorganic chemistry course, which she hated. From that moment, Ronza began questioning whether or not she wanted to go through all of that pain and deal with it for the rest of her life. She ended up finishing the major however and, n the process, discovered that she was very good at arguing and debating. So, she picked a career that would allow her to use those skills and still fit in her love of science.
Ronza began teaching high school biology. There is an area of study called Bio-Ethics. Bio-Ethics is the social, ethical and economic implications of science. Ronza wanted to be effective in creating good Bio-Ethics policy, for which law school was necessary. But as she finished up her courses in law school, she fell in love with Civil Rights and decided that that was what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.
Ronza feels that blindness skills and techniques were essential as she progressed further and further in her career. Although she didn’t learn Braille until 20’s, learning Braille was probably one of the most important things Ronza did. The long white cane at her side also helped her out tremendously, as it allowed her to travel independently and confidently. Her family, friends, and the NFB’s moral support were the most important tools.
Ronza’s future plans include staying in the job she’s in, as she deeply loves it. She also wants to settle down and start a family. And, finally, she hopes to publish a book. When she was younger, she worked on several literary magazines and newspapers as editor, and still enjoys writing and analyzing it.
Getting to know Ronza was both a pleasure and a privilege. Now, she is not only one of my instructors; she has more of a connection with me, as I can relate to some of the things she went through. I hope we will continue getting to know each other and look forward to the rest of our time together.