Everyone wants to find the place where they belong. Finding meaning and fulfillment in your every day routine can change your life. At Options for All we place an emphasis on finding a place where you belong. One of the participant in OFA’s programs recently shared his journey to finding the right place for him. His name is Martin and this is his story.
“My name is Martin Tran. I am a person with a disability. I have autism and I have lazy eye with limited vision. I have been a participant of Options for All for many years now. I am a professional book seller. I have always loved books and they have always been a big part of my life. I love stories. One of my favorites is the Joy Luck Club because it talks about Asian culture. Another favorite is Of Mice of Men because it discusses inclusion, especially through the relationship between Lenny and George because a lot of times people with disabilities need support in their lives. Options For All has always supported people like me with disabilities, whether it’s with budgeting and cooking, or with finding a job.”
Martin’s love of books goes far beyond a hobby. He dedicates extensive time and energy into his passion and it has payed off in the form of a community.
“I host Access Book Club, which is a passion project of mine. This has been done in conjunction with SJSU and San Jose Public Library. We have read a total of 16 books so far. We meet once a month on Fridays. We discuss fiction and non-fiction that includes disability representation. We have brought in various authors to discuss their books. One author is Lindsay Lackey, who wrote Farther Than The Moon, which has a character with Cerebral Palsy in it. We also read Haben Girma’s memoir. She is a human rights lawyer from the Bay Area. She is deaf and blind and talks about her travel adventures, meeting President Obama and attending Harvard Law School.”
Martin dedicated his time and energy to further develop his passion. He took his own experience and used it to find the right path in his journey to finding the right fit.
“I studied Creative Arts in college. This allowed me to learn about the creative process and get exposure to art work. I have gotten to do a lot of research projects in college. For my senior project, I worked with libraries to help teach essential skills to immigrants, like cooking. I graduated with a BA degree in Creative Arts from San Jose State University. I have volunteered at various public libraries. This work gave me exposure to working around books and working with librarians. I’m very thankful to be part of the public library as a community member. Working in a library gave me a foundation to work in bookstores, and to do various tasks needed to help people find books and keep the books clean and organized.”
This unwavering dedication eventually helped Martin find a fulfilling job. He took what he loved and found a place that allowed him to keep learning and growing.
“Since I’ve left school, it’s been wonderful to get to work around books. When looking for work, I received help from the Department of Rehab and Trends Career Counseling. I was hired at Barnes and Noble and it really helped me with my anxiety about working in retail. I got to practice tasks like using a cash register and assisting customers. I really enjoyed being able to be creative in developing book displays there and the customers loved the displays that I made. I forged very positive relationships with the other staff and customers there and learned a lot about respect. I was able to reach out to others for help and other staff reached out to me for help.
Unfortunately, just as I was promoted to Senior Book Seller at Barnes and Noble, this store closed. I was searching for a job where I could work with books for 6 months before I found exactly what I wanted. I worked with others who helped me find the right job because I really wanted to work with others who shared my love of books. I was even hired at a new book store temporarily, but it was not the right job for me.”
Martin showed resilience throughout his journey and never wavered on what he really wanted for himself. He didn’t stop until he knew he had found the place where he truly belongs.
“I really wanted to find the right book store for me. I called many different small independent book stores. I spoke to someone at Booksmart, who told me about a new bookstore the owner was opening, and it’s right near my house. I had two interview and both went very well. The staff was very accommodating to my disability needs. They understand people with disabilities. I really love working for Booksmart. It’s been a wonderful experience so far. I get a lot of positive feedback about the work I do. The staff listens to me and respects my views. A lot of my book recommendations are displayed for customers in the store. Seeing them displayed for others makes me feel very proud.”