Living with a form of dyslexia, Serafin had no idea that what he was seeing and what he was writing were two completely different things.

I had a professor back then (early 1990’s; it was a poly stat class), and I took a test and I failed it, and I’m wondering why I failed it… and I asked him, and he goes, “Serafin, something’s wrong… I can’t read what you’re writing”. Then he gave me the test orally, and I blew him away… whatever I had put down on paper did not reflect what was said orally. Then he said, “Oh my god… you have a disability”. I was tested and they said “You have a form of dyslexia”.

(DOR helped assist him though college)

The good thing about California State University Northridge (CSUN) [is that] they had, they had one of the best disabled students’ program in the country. I didn't know that. So, under Equal Opportunity for Minorities, I struggled for my first year because it was hard, but the good thing is, CSUN Department of Student Affairs, referred me to the Department of Rehabilitation.

What [DOR] did, they also helped me as well with paying my tuition and my books for going to CSUN. And I was still undecided in what I wanted to do, but I really wanted to become an architect. That was my passion. I [then] find that that CSUN did not have, an architectural school, so I decided to go into psychology. [Ultimately] I had to develop my own technique to learn how to do my tasks.

I had a tutor, who was also my note taker… and that person also became my wife, so that was cool.

(When talking about living with his dyslexia)

When I look at a paper, what I see is kind of like, I read it sometimes backwards. So, I have to step up a bit. But I also had to figure out another way, so I use color to read it right. I use either yellow or like a red or like a light blue and make little slits, so I have to read whether it’s a report. But now you can just scan it (into a computer or smartphone), and that information is there for you, and it’ll read it for you! So that’s really cool, I like it.

For work reports and tasks, I [also] developed template(s) for stuff so that it's already been done. All you got to do is carry over to the next month. It's not that hard. But again, we were figuring out like little techniques and tools to make our job a little better.

(Talking about getting employment)

I graduated back in 1991, and I was so happy. Back in ‘91 low and behold I applied for my first job… it was the Department of Rehabilitation. Back then, you needed a B.A. to become a rehab counselor, I was gonna be a rehab counselor and they had me ranked at either 1 or number 2… the problem was, there was a freeze.

At the same time, I applied at Los Angeles City Housing Authority, the same place where I ended up living at. I was going to work in one of the worst areas… and I ended up helping the kids in that area for drug, alcohol, and gang problems. I did that from ’91 all the way up till about ’95. Then I became what’s called a drug/alcohol counselor.

I always remember back then when the department of Rehab helped me. You just gotta give them your time and you've got to make a commitment.