At My Possibilities

July 20, 2024

At My Possibilities

By Tito R., HIPster at My Possibilities

[As we continue to observe Disability Pride Month, we invited Tito, a Hugely Important Person, or “HIPster”, from My Possibilities, to write about his experience as a HIPster and what the My Possibilities community means to him. Through his participation at MP, he has become a spokesperson for MP programming, enabling him to contribute in a meaningful way, which brings him immense joy].

When an individual has their time, you feel that moment. When you’ve made it through the process of enrolling and hear the words, “You’re now officially enrolled as a HIPster at My Possibilities (MP)!”-it rocks! You will love the name the more you hear it!

It’s very much the heart of MP! It sounds better than being called a “fellow student” or “students”. HIPster (HIPsters) is referred to as a “Hugely Important Person or People.” Hearing it makes us feel happy, welcomed, and excited with pride! Visually, it’s like what you may remember from grade school, having a pep rally or Spirit Week. Yes! We have that here too.

Here at MP, we come each week with that exact same feeling.

Along with that, our very own athletic team is the “HIPSTARS.” Go HIPSTARS!! In the years since I started in 2012,it’s been truly amazing and inspiring how being part of an organization could change my life in more ways than one. It would not have been possible had I not had the talk with my mom and dad about deciding to give My Possibilities a chance. From those very first days, months, and years after that, life as a fellow HIPster was the best! It was like living a dream!

We could choose our own schedule, pick the best times and days for attendance that worked best and sounded right to us! Over time, as you stay with the program, there’s an unlimited range of interests and activities that MP offers. Once you’re enrolled, you’re set to start your HIPster journey!

WOW! To flashback to when I first began my HIPster journey in May of 2012—it’s been an excellent 12 years enjoying the possibilities. To be a part of those years and the ones since my enrollment at MP has been incredible. Again, you never know where or what your future might lead you to. Fortunately for me, it led me to a place where I can feel comfortable, happy, and supported by the wonderful MP staff and my friends.

MP is far more than a place to come only for classes. It’s a place with a unique space that lets you feel at home. It brings the best of a multitude of experiences. When it’s friends, when it’s an interest that excites you and you’re getting better at it, when you might be thinking of someone and wondering if they’re here, you can just walk the halls and who you’re thinking of or looking for could surprise you in the best way! You’d want to high-five, or fist bump, or  hug when you see them.

My Possibilities is a magical place for a million reasons but why it’s the best place—-it’s our place in the world that makes all our dreams and ideas start here!

When at MP, there’s one thing that when you hear it or see it, it may seem like just a few words, but to me, personally, it means so much more! It’s the phrase, “With great power comes great responsibility!” (A very meaningful reference from Marvel’s Spider-Man)

All heroes do their very best to prevent having an identity crisis. In the comics, the public suddenly becomes more aware of who they are, causing a lot of panic. Seeing your hero unmasked and not knowing what to expect when everyone knows your identity creates tension.

The reason is that exposing their real identities puts those closest to them in serious danger and at risk due to any unfortunate situations that may potentially happen.

Now at MP, having people know that you’re seen as a hero can actually be a very good thing! There’s no need for the fear of an identity crisis looming over you. It feels rewarding to know you’re a hero to the community, family, and friends. To the people closest to you, they already see that you are a hero inside and out.

To further explain what has been such a huge part of what makes me happy and motivates me to continue, I must start with the person who makes our collaborative work possible: Blair, our Marketing and Communications Officer. She is one of the most inspiring and caring-hearted people, and a good friend!

Over the years, I have had a span of uniquely creative and fun interests that have led to the opportunities I have now to work with Blair. We started with the use of music by creating playlists. Once we began, wow! We became a music-making, hit-rocking HIP-Tastic team! Using the music platform Spotify, we crafted a multitude of playlists packed with a well-blended mix of music genres. Knowing My Possibilities has various ways to connect and do things virtually online, I thought we needed a specific name for the type of work we would be doing. One that is easy, clever, and fun to identify with.

At the beginning of the year 2024, I came up with the perfect name that summarizes everything we could do: “Team HIPSTREAM.” For everything we could creatively do online and share, this name fit perfectly. From January to summer, we were on a music streak, sharing music back-to-back through seven unique playlists with the MP staff. Now we’ve expanded our interests by adding exciting opportunities for writing content, much like what we’re doing today!

It just goes to show that when you take your time doing what makes you proud of yourself, you can have the best time.