MSU alumna Jordyn Castor has never let anything stop her from living life to the fullest.
Lifesaving acts performed at her birth in a neonatal intensive care unit left her completely blind. These events set in motion an unforeseen chain of events that shaped Jordyn’s life and have had a positive impact on the lives of others.
Receiving a computer in second grade changed Jordyn’s whole world. At 12 years old, she wrote her first program.
Now, armed with an MSU computer engineering degree, Jordyn is driving the creation of accessibility tools and advances for adults and children at Apple, Inc.’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.
A recent Mashable.com feature noted “this blind Apple engineer is transforming the tech world at only 22.” She is behind the accessibility of Apple’s Swift Playgrounds, an intro-to-coding program geared toward children and a tool long lacking for visually impaired users.
And while Jordyn’s ambitions began early in life, her hopes and plans for the future grew exponentially at Michigan State, thanks to the generosity of many.
As a student, Jordyn utilized MSU’s donor-supported Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities on a regular basis. There she received critical help, from textbooks hand-converted to Braille to assistance with navigating the campus and career advice.
“I can’t drive a car or fly a plane, but there is so much I CAN do,” Jordyn says. “Good things come to those who work hard and to those who take opportunities. Life is short and precious.”
In her time at MSU, Jordyn worked hard to qualify for merit-based scholarships, which made a clear difference for her. Without them, she would not have been able to achieve her goals, which included completing a summer internship on Wall Street.
“Donors made a huge difference in my academic life,” Jordyn says. “There would have been no way that I would have had the opportunities that I’ve been given without the help of scholarships.”
For more information on making a gift to support scholarships and fellowships, contact Jennifer Bertram, senior director of development at bertram9@msu.edu or call (517) 432-7330.
Reprinted with permission from Empower Extraordinary: The Campaign for Michigan State University