TEDxJacksonville: Beyond Face Value

Sara Gaver on Beyond Face Value

In her TEDxJacksonville talk, Beyond Face Value, Sara Gaver discusses the burden of being defined by people’s perceptions–rather than by her own achievements–and looks toward the day when, “people conquer their fear of the unknown, especially my unknowns.”

Born with a disability called Arthrogryposis that leaves her wheelchair bound, Sara is a Junior at the University of North Florida and lives independently on UNF’s campus taking full-time classes and working at the Disability Resource Center. She will graduate in the Spring of 2016 with a B.A. in Mathematics and a minor in Community Leadership. On campus, Gaver is involved in many things: she is an Honors student, a member of three honor societies, part of the Rotaract Service club, and the Vice President of Internal for the Presidential Envoys Student Alumni Association.

Quoting a favorite writer, Sara observed,  “Prejudice is a far greater problem than any impairment; discrimination is a bigger obstacle to overcome than any disability.” In her moving talk, she rejects limiting labels: “. . . Even though my arms don’t work, I can still reach out. And sometimes my legs may not work, but I can most definitely take a stand.”

Sara Gaver is a Junior at the University of North Florida. In her free time, she loves to paint and read. Her family lives in Osteen, a very small city near Daytona Beach. Her father is a law enforcement officer and her mother is the activities director at a local high school. She also has a younger brother who is very involved in school. Gaver credits her family as, “my biggest support team, always encouraging me to be the best.”