Legally Blind Brothers Set Example of Perseverance as School Begins at Weber State
As the 2020–2021 academic year begins at Weber State University, twin brothers, both legally blind, will continue to inspire others as they live in pursuit of the mantra, “Go big or go home.”
Armand and Antonio Berry were born premature and are survivors of shaken baby syndrome at the hands of their biological father. The brothers’ retinas were damaged when they were shaken as infants.
They were placed in foster care following the incident, and, soon afterward, adopted by their maternal grandparents and raised in Ogden. Today, Armand also has multiple sclerosis, and Antonio was recently diagnosed with cancer.
Despite the difficulties, they remain committed to their educational pursuits. Armand is a physical education major with minors in sport coaching education, family studies, and health promotion teaching, and Antonio is a major in family studies with a minor in psychology.
“The professors I’ve had are extremely accommodating,” Armand said. “They have been nothing but caring, especially the ones I had in the physical education department.”
Likewise, Antonio has felt welcomed by accommodations made by faculty and staff. “I personally feel all of the teachers Armand and I have had have developed good relationships with our representative at Disability Services, Roxanne Holbrook, so there’s no miscues on what we’re going through,” he said.
Holbrook, in turn, has nothing but the highest praise for both brothers.
“Armand and Antonio, they are such hard working students and such dedicated learners,” Holbrook said. “I am proud that they are Wildcats. They are the happy sunshine in my job which can be very difficult at times, and working with these two is why I love my job.”
Accommodations from WSU faculty and Disability Services staff aside, school is often challenging. “Walking around, it’s a struggle,” Armand said.
Along with challenges related to their visual impairments, Armand sometimes loses the feeling in his hands and can’t grip onto a pen due to his MS, and Antonio can become fatigued due to his cancer treatment.
They hope to be an example to others who face similar struggles, showing that their challenges are not insurmountable. “You’ve always got to set a path for those who come after you,” Antonio said.
Those who helped the brothers find their paths include a baseball coach and a religious mission president.
Antonio served as a manager for Ogden High School’s baseball team during the 2012–2013 academic year and shared the position with Armand in the 2013–2014 year. Armand said baseball coach Troy Kolan treated them differently than K–12 teachers had in the past.
“He treated us like we were normal,” Armand said.
Kolan inspired the brothers to stay active and get involved in sports, despite their physical limitations.
Antonio was further inspired on his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fresno, California, from August 2014 to July 2016, by mission president Jeffrey Clark, who taught him the mantra, “Go big or go home.”
“He set a precedent on how I should live my life to the fullest, and I will never be able to properly repay him for what he’s done for me,” Antonio said.
Armand served a mission as well in Eugene, Oregon.
Antonio often looks to his brother for inspiration. He nominated Armand for WSU’s 2020 Crystal Crest Wildcat Achievement Award. “He’s an inspiration, not only for me, but I hope for other individuals who may get diagnosed with MS at a young age,” Antonio said.
Armand plans to graduate in 2022 and become an educator who inspires children with physical limitations to get active. “Hopefully, I can take everything I have learned and give it back to future generations,” he said. “Kids don’t need more authority figures; they need someone who’s going to be there.”
Armand has participated in Weber State’s Child & Family Student Association, Future Educators Association, First Generation Club and anthropology and sociology clubs. He is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and volunteers at the Treehouse Museum. Antonio served as vice president of the Child & Family Student Association during the 2019–2020 academic year and has volunteered with the Family Support Center of Ogden.
Antonio plans on a career as a marriage and family therapist to help others overcome challenges in their lives. He hopes to graduate in spring 2021 and go on to earn his master’s degree and his doctorate.
As the brothers continue to face the road ahead, Antonio has a message for those who have hardships blocking their own paths to success. “I know sometimes the message ‘It will get better’ is mundane and may not seem like it helps, but there’s always light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “It may not come today. It may not come tomorrow, but eventually, it will all come to pass, and you will get to where you want to go in life.”
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Jaime Winston, Office of Marketing & Communications senior writer, editor
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Allison Barlow Hess, Public Relations director
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