Imagine stopping into a familiar grocery store and discovering your favorite foods 已经搬家了. A quick trip to the market is now a frustrating scavenger hunt. 这是 the way 艾米丽Cantillon describes how children with cortical/cerebral visual impairment (CVI)在学校经历的变化. 从技术上讲，CVI并不是一种视觉障碍. 的 eyes could be healthy, but the connection between the eyes and the brain could be impaired, resulting in symptoms like low vision and difficulty seeing faces, images 或者移动的物体. Approximately 30-40% of children 有视觉障碍的 have CVI.

Cantillon attended UNC for her master's degree in special education, focusing on students 有视觉障碍的. 如今，她是一名博士研究生 北科罗拉多大学's Special 教育 program. She's studied for both UNC degrees online from Massachusetts, where she teaches 在珀金斯盲人学校.

Her research explores how standardized cognitive assessments evaluate children with CVI. 的se tests determine the level of accommodations special education students 收到.

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"We don't have a good understanding of students with CVI. 我想最终创造 为我的学生提供更好的教育体验."

——艾米丽·坎蒂隆

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"In the special education field, most students start with an initial evaluation, which uses standardized tests like the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V). 这是 their entrance into having an appropriate educational experience, so I wanted 专注于这个起点，”坎蒂隆说.

She anticipates her research will help families, teams and educational communities 了解标准化考试结果. 使用标准化的工具和不同的镜头 will allow a blending of the fields to better understand what students need and lead 为了更好的学生住宿. She also believes her work will benefit people without visual impairments, as minor adjustments can increase accessibility for everyone.

Cantillon's confidence in her research abilities grew as she discussed a notebook 有很多潜在的论文题目 西尔维娅·科雷亚·托雷斯，埃德.D., a professor of visual impairment in the School of Special 教育.

"Her acceptance and recognition that any idea could be a great research project helped 让我在自己的舒适区之外进行研究. 相信自己的想法帮助我感受 对自己的选择充满信心。.

She found role models in UNC professors exploring multiple professional interests — teaching visually impaired youth, conducting research and teaching in higher education. 不久，她也做了同样的事情. 她甚至在一个实验室协助研究 视觉神经可塑性.

"One of the main pros is this program allowed me to retain my connections in Boston and use them in my classwork, which has helped me become a well-rounded researcher," Cantillon说.

Beyond academic support, Cantillon说 her UNC professors encouraged work-life balance 给自己留点时间.

“这说明他们有多在乎. 这不仅仅是交作业这么简单。” 她说.

Correa-Torres remembered Cantillon as an impressive master's program student and was 当她申请博士课程时很兴奋.

"Emily is definitely one of our strongest students. 她有很好的职业道德，有生产力 high quality work and goes beyond what is expected from her. 她的时间管理能力 are amazing, and as a result, she adheres to deadlines and always meets her timelines, which is so important at this stage in the doctoral program," 说 Correa-Torres.

Time-blocking and other time management strategies serve Cantillon well leading up to her last day of the school year on June 14 and her wedding on June 15. 至于她 career plans, she wants to emulate those who inspired her.

"的 program has built up my repertoire for conducting various types of research that will help my students in their everyday life as well as their families and teachers. 我一直想成为一名老师. UNC's professors have inspired me to remain a teacher and stay connected to the students," Cantillon说.

Correa-Torres is eager to see what's next for Cantillon, who has shown promise as a researcher, leader and college-level course instructor.

"It's bittersweet when one of my best doctoral students is leaving, but we can always 合作. I cannot wait to see what she does after her doctoral program and her future contributions to the field of blindness/visual impairments,” Correa-Torres 说.