He’s Seen His Future at Saddleback

John Russo likes to tell people that he can do just about anything they can do, “but I don’t have any headlights; so I don’t drive at night.”

Which is his way of saying that being blind hasn’t kept him from getting around the sprawling Saddleback College campus in Mission Viejo--well enough to be one of 12 graduates who tied for valedictory honors at this month’s commencement. All had perfect 4.0 grade-point averages.

Russo, 32, of San Clemente, decided on college after years of playing piano in rock bands. That lifestyle, he says, just wasn’t paying enough to provide for his family. (He and his wife Janet, have two young children.) So now he takes the bus--an hour each way--to get an education he hopes will lead to a teaching career. Russo credits his perfect grades to others helping him reach that level.

He pulled an A in algebra, for example, after the math professor, John Allen, built a model in his own garage, made out of peg boards, golf tees and rubber bands, to help Russo understand charts and graphs. And Russo’s A in geology came after professor Martin Hill used clay and textured paper to simulate variations in the earth’s surface.

“He was just brilliant,” Russo said of Hill. “He would describe in great detail what it was he was putting on the board for the rest of the class.” What pleased Russo was that Hill’s science creations, designed for Russo’s benefit, wound up helping the rest of the class too.

Russo has a lot of people telling him he’ll make a great teacher. One of them is Patti Weeks, director of the campus tutorial program, the Learning Assistance Program. She says of Russo: “We’re hoping we can keep him right here at Saddleback. John has an amazing ability to make things clear to others.”

Russo came into her program to receive tutoring help in American history. Before the semester was out, he had become one of the tutors. He’s helped students with history, political science, anthropology, psychology and math.

Weeks created a Tutor 100 Club, a prestigious honor for those who volunteer 100 hours of tutoring time to students. Now she’s had to start a Tutor 200 Club--that’s how many volunteer hours Russo logged in one 16-week semester. He became such a popular tutor that he was put on the paid staff.

Just imagine a schedule like that, plus working nights and weekends playing the piano to help finance his education, plus being married and raising two children. And still coming out with a 4.0.

Russo suffered added pressure during his Saddleback years. Born with an eye affliction which gradually became blindness, he didn’t lose his ability to see until his high school years. But while he was at Saddleback, a life of being able to make out blurred shapes and images turned to total blindness. It simply made him more determined to succeed.

Russo’s goal is to teach either American history or political science. He will head to Cal State Fullerton in the fall to continue his undergraduate education. When his years there are over, there’s no question where he wants to teach, he says: “The professors at Saddleback have impressed me so much, I want to be one of them.”

Haitians’ Friend: Kathy Whitney teaches law at Western State University College of Law in Fullerton. But her private passion is helping the people of Haiti. Since her first trip there in 1989, she has been working as a pro bono attorney for Haitian refugees. She’s also helped raise funds for International Child Care, a nonprofit group which runs an 80-bed hospital in Haiti. She’s made numerous trips there, helping with family planning, nutrition programs and adult literacy.

Her last trip to Haiti was just a short time ago. She helped teach classes to midwives.

“It means a great deal to be able to help the people,” she said. “But sometimes, with the political climate the way it is there, it can be discouraging. You wonder if it’s worth it.”

Next week, Whitney’s two worlds--her career and her passion--will be joined. Whitney will receive the prestigious annual Public Service Award from the university at its graduation exercises.

Four-Decade Pin: When Alan Sawyer was hired to teach at Orange Coast College in 1957, he didn’t expect to stay with it for 40 years. But, he says, “I’ve never had reason to leave. I’ve grown to love this place more and more each year.”

Sawyer retires at the end of this month with the honor of having been on campus longer than any teacher in its 50-year history. Besides being a math teacher, Sawyer was also the basketball coach for nine years. Sawyer had a pretty good coach in his own college basketball days at UCLA: He played on the first team headed by John Wooden.

Wrap-Up: In talking to Russo, I found fascinating his explanation why his career goals changed at Saddleback:

He had started taking computer classes there. A friend, also sightless, had taken the same classes there and had managed a successful career as a result. Russo liked the classes (the equipment he used had adaptable pieces for the blind). But he learned something that bothered him. Russo says:

“I discovered that no matter how well I did with the computer, I could never be 100% independent; I would always have to depend at least to some degree on help from a sighted person.”

That’s something Russo just didn’t want. It probably goes back to his childhood, he explained: “When I was little, and I’d run or play sports like the other kids, people would say to me, ‘That was really good, John.’ What they meant was: I did really well, for a blind person.

“I don’t want a career where anyone says, ‘He’s really good, for a blind person.’ I want a career where being sightless really doesn’t matter at all.”

Jerry Hicks’ column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling the Times Orange County Edition at (714) 966-7823 or by fax to (714) 966-7711, or e-mail to [email protected]