Blind attorney challenges youth to 'buy into future,' set example

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Blind attorney challenges youth to 'buy into future,' set example

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Caskey The Citizen | Posted: Saturday, May 7, 2011

FLEMING - When C. Winfield addressed a group of youth and adults

Friday evening during the Cayuga County NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner, she

passed on two pieces of advice she received from her parents and tries to

live by.

" I can show you better than I can tell you, " she said. And, " it's not a

matter of whether you can do it. It's only a matter of how. "

During her keynote address during the banquet and awards ceremony, the

Auburn attorney and active local leader challenged the attendees to set high

standards for themselves and lead as examples to the community through their

actions.

The event, which the organization has held for 44 years, serves as a

fundraiser and an opportunity to recognize local citizens with awards for

contribution to the community. The organization also honored 16 exemplary

youth with Promise Awards.

Winfield shared her personal journey to show how it's possible to achieve

and lead high standards despite the hardships one might face in life.

Currently working as an attorney at Hiscock and Barclay, she was declared

legally blind at the age of 10 and completely lost her sight in her

sophomore year in college.

Knowledge and education " opens doors and presents opportunities that wouldn't

otherwise be available, " Winfield said. " We each have our own set of

challenges. "

Born and raised in Newburgh, Winfield was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid

arthritis, cataracts, glaucoma and uveitis at 4 years old and received

numerous eye surgeries to control vision loss. Despite her vision slowly

deteriorating, she was inducted into the National Honor Society and National

Foreign Language Honor Society while in school.

She attended Barnard College of Columbia University before earning her juris

doctorate from Cornell Law School.

Many of the dinner attendees were local youth receiving awards, and she

challenged them to aim high.

" I knew if I wanted to be a lawyer ... and I wanted to work at a top law

firm ... average wasn't going to be enough for me, " she said. " Figure out

what you want, and figure out a way to get it. "

During her talk, Winfield threw out a term she heard often when she was in

high school -- sellout. She was often seen by people in her community as

someone who sold out because she studied, valued education, dressed well and

talked different than her peers.

But now, she said, those same people who called her a sellout are proud of

her accomplishments and claim her as one of their own. She said what some

people call selling out should be seen as buying in.

" Don't be afraid to aim high or go beyond, " she said. " It's buying into your

future and to your success. It's buying into your community and your

dreams. "

During her talk, Winfield challenged the adults to buy in, too. While her

hardship was blindness, many young people in the community have the

challenge of lack of parental support.

But parents aren't the only ones who can shape lives -- educators, church

leaders and others can serve as needed role models.

That means getting visible in the community, and showing that Auburn can be

a place where young people want to stay and contribute.

" As adults in our community, we play a role, " Winfield said. " Even if we don't

realize that we are role models, we are because our youth are watching us. "

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A Story to Tell: Young lawyer will share her inspirational life at annual

NAACP awards banquet in Auburn

Published: Thursday, May 05, 2011, 6:00 AM

http://blog.syracuse.com/neighbors/2011/05/a_story_to_tell_young_lawyer_will_sha\

re_her_inspirational_life_at_annual_naacp_awards_dinner_in_aubu.html

The Auburn/Cayuga branch of the NAACP will be focusing on the youth of the

community Friday at its 2011 Freedom Fund Banquet.

The theme, " Our Youth; Going Above and Beyond, " is meant to encourage youth

in the community and to show them that with work and dedication they can

succeed. Keynote speaker Winfield is an example of that.

Winfield is young, a member of the Auburn community and successful. A

graduate of Cornell Law School, she is an attorney at the firm of Hiscock

and Barclay in Syracuse working in the areas of commercial litigation and

torts and products liability defense.

She also is the founder of her own motivational speaking company, Blind

Faith Enterprises.

Winfield decided to go into motivational speaking when she discovered her

own story could help others gain faith in themselves to reach their own

goals.

" First, " she said, " I should say I'm blind. I lost my sight gradually. "

At 4, she was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, cataracts,

glaucoma and uveitis.

" By the time I was 10, I was legally blind. But I could still see and get

around.

She attended public schools in Newburgh, where she was born and raised. She

excelled in academics and went on to Barnard College of Columbia University

in New York City.

In her sophomore year, she suffered a flair-up with uveitis, a swelling of

the eye's middle layer.

" I actually thought it was a migraine or something like that, but it wasn't.

It was my eyes and I lost the rest of my sight. "

But that didn't stop her.

" I decided to go back and I graduated with my class. I spent a semester in

London and came back and applied to law school. I ended up at Cornell, " she

said.

She decided to stay in the area and is now working in Syracuse and living in

Auburn.

The first sparks of Blind Faith Enterprises came at her law school

graduation. She was proud and excited to have completed law school. Just

like everyone else. At least that is what she thought.

" As I walked across the stage, everybody stood up - all my classmates and

their families. I was just blown away. I was like 'why are they standing for

me?' " Winfield said.

" Afterward people came up to me and said 'You are such an inspiration. I can't

believe you did this. It is such and accomplishment.' Even some of my

classmates came over and told me this was difficult for all of us,

especially the first year. They said it meant a lot that I was there and

when they had doubts about hanging in there they thought about me. I had no

idea people looked at me that way and that I could have that sort of

impact, " Winfield said.

" I thought maybe I should start sharing my story more, " she said.

When a friend who worked at Harriet Tubman Residential Center asked her to

speak to girls there, she agreed.

" A lot of them were from the inner city and they wanted to see someone young

who was successful. I went in and talked to them and their gratitude was

just amazing, " she said.

" Once I got a taste of that and I could see how my accomplishments affected

people, and when I thought about how I overcame all this stuff, I thought I

could share it with people and it would be very beneficial. "

That, Winfield said, is how she made such a good fit for the NAACP event.

She is an example of the above and beyond theme. It is important for adults

to set good examples for young people, she said. Being young and part of the

Auburn community makes the example more relevant.

In addition to Winfield's keynote speech, the evening starts off with Louis

Nocilly and the band Jazzitude performing during cocktail hour. Awards also

will be presented.