"A lot of kids with learning disabilities don't think success is theirs to achieve," Beatrice Bell said. Jessie Bell did.

Beatrice Bell thinks her daughter Jessie's story could be anyone's.

"A lot of kids with learning disabilities don't think success is theirs to achieve," she said. "A lot of kids in special education think, 'I'm nothing. I'm never going to be anything.'"

Jessie Bell has proved otherwise.

"I have to work harder," she said. "I need extra time. But everyone has been so supportive and encouraged me."

It took seven years, but Jessie Bell will march with her class at John Tyler Community College's commencement Saturday to receive an associate degree in information technology and a career certificate in microcomputer applications.

Jessie Bell has a learning disability that affects how her brain processes information. She spent her K-12 years in special-education classes. It took a year of catching up on basic skills to begin classes in community college.

"The learning disability has been and will be with her all her lifetime," said Beatrice Bell. "But she never allowed it to conquer her or to brand her.

"I've seen so many children go by the wayside," said Beatrice Bell, a retired Richmond teacher. "In special education, they can feel insecure. A lot drop out. Some get caught up in the parenting cycle because they're trying to find an identity for themselves."

Beatrice Bell, who suffers from clinical depression, knows how difficult single parenting can be. Some people questioned her decision to remain in the classroom as an unwed, pregnant teacher.

At an early age, Jessie was diagnosed with learning disabilities and developmental delays. She has difficulty with auditory processing, an impairment that affects the hearing system beyond the ear, resulting in distorted or incomplete messages in the brain. Her individualized education program allowed certain modifications, including extra time on tests, using a tape recorder to take notes and sitting at the front of the classroom.

Jessie, now 26, graduated from Monacan High School in Chesterfield County in 2000. Usually placed in special-education classes, she had a knack for computers.

When she decided to get a career certificate at John Tyler, the disability counselor there urged her to set her goals higher and try for a degree.

Jessie wasn't sure she could do it.

"I thought that pursuing this degree would be bigger than me. I thought maybe my learning disability would stop me."

She slowly built up her course load and sought outside help from friends and the faculty.

Julie Carwile, an assistant professor of business at John Tyler, was her statistics instructor. "Most students are intimidated by statistics. Jessie stayed after class and asked if I'd work with her. She recognized what she understood and when she needed help. She was thoughtful and tracked her own learning."

Mark Cohen, Jessie's adviser and instructor in several classes, said she encouraged other students to take difficult classes and try to graduate, too.

On May 19, Jessie will begin an IT job at the Federal Reserve Bank.

She has worked since high school, first at McDonald's and then Target. She volunteered at Miles Jones Elementary School and ended up with a paying job as a Title I reading tutor with the Richmond school system.

The striking 6-foot-1 woman also has a steady stream of modeling jobs.

In seven years at John Tyler, Jessie was never absent, said her mother.

Jessie credits Beatrice with that.

"If I didn't have my mom to make me feel good about myself, I couldn't have done it," the Chesterfield resident said. "I got my driver's license at age 21. Before that, she would drive me and wait for me.

"This is my mother's degree as much as mine."
Contact Lisa Crutchfield at (804) 649-6362 or lcrutchfield@timesdispatch.com.