Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Jessica serendipitously met Joe on the streets of her current home, New York City, while she was training her seeing-eye dog, Chef. Jessica was only 32 and an artist teaching in the New York City public school system when she lost her vision in eight months from diabetic retinopathy. Initially, Jessica faced opposition through her illness with a lack of knowledge on both her and her family’s part and a dearth of career opportunities. Determined not to succumb to these obstacles, Jessica finds multiple strategies and technology assistance to cope with her blindness, and finally lands an art teaching position at the Lavelle School for the Blind in the Bronx.
