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By Jennifer Gilliam

Cindy Meyer was born with crossed eyes and cerebral palsy. She didn’t learn to walk until she was six-years-old. Meyer, now 43, who went to Catholic school, said that she had a hard time as a child because kids picked on her. She got married just after high school.

“I thought I knew it all,” said Meyer. She was married for less than three years “because he hurt me,” she said.


Meyer is a student in the Clemente Course at the Wells’ Built Museum of African-American History and Culture.
The Clemente Course, designed to help the poor, was implemented at Valencia Community College last semester.

Part 2 of the Clemente Course in Moral Philosophy and Literature was introduced this semester.

The course is taught by David Sutton, professor from East campus, at The Wells’ Built at 511 W. South St., and Elizabeth Eschbach, also a professor on the East campus, teaches at the Women’s Residential and Counseling Center (WRCC) on East Colonial Drive.

Meyer became interested in the Clemente Course when Stephen Davis, a second time Clemente student, began reading to her “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato.
“When I was a little girl people said I couldn’t amount to nothing. This is my last night of the Clemente Course and I achieved something,” said Meyer.

“She should have glasses, which she doesn’t have so I began to read to her. Under all that goofiness that people usually associate with her is all this intellect,” said Davis.

In a newsletter written in April 2003, John Scolaro, project director of the Clemente Course and humanities professor on West campus, wrote that the Clemente Course is meant to “introduce our students to the powerful ideas derived from the great literature of antiquity. This is helping our students rediscover their own unlimited potential, deepen their self-confidence, and open a door or two.”

After enrolling in part 1 of the Clemente Course Davis said, “I have this ability, why haven’t I been using it? By November, I was in line to sign up for classes (at Valencia).”

Davis, 42, who is finishing Part 2 of the Clemente Course is now a full-time East campus student. This semester, Davis is taking 14 semester hours, the second part of the Clemente Course, and is a member of Voices of Valencia. His is majoring to be a music production tech performance specialist. He announced to his class April 9 that he passed the audition for the Valencia Singers and was awarded a scholarship for six semester hours.

Davis is also the choir director for Prepare the Way Ministries, a homeless choir, at Church of the Sun on the corner of Orange Avenue and Colonial Drive. Meyer and another Clemente student, Kevin Witter also sing in the choir.

Davis, who is currently not working is paying for college with financial aid and Stafford loans.

“I wanted to adjust to student life,” said Davis. “Right now I’m staying at a small hotel not far from the college campus on the east side of town.”

Davis rides his bike to Valencia.
The students have studied Aristotle, Plato, and the Dali Lama. A homework assignment asked the students to discuss how harmony relates to nature and the role of man. Each student then spoke about his or her individual experiences and how they felt. Some students quoted the previous philosophers in the discussion.

“The point here is dialogue, not lecture,” said Scolaro.
Sutton has approximately eight students in his course.
“I’ve been living on the street off and on for 11 years. I’m learning how to regroup my life,” said Meyer. She has “gotten her foot in the door.” Meyer has paid an application fee and a one half-month deposit for an apartment. Kelly Caruso, founder of the Ripple Effect, a non-profit organization, is helping Meyer to get section eight housing. Although Meyer does not work, she receives social security disability income due to her illness.

“At least I’ll be off the street,” said Meyer. She is currently staying with Davis and said, “We are together.”

Witter, 39, stays on the street, carries his books with him, and walks to the Wells’Built where he attends the Clemente Course. He is taking the course for the first time. Witter said, “I’d like to go to college but right now I’m working on getting my disability.” He is also trying to get Section eight housing with the help Kelly Caruso.

Meyer said that what she has gotten out of the Clemente Course is “more insight to myself. I’m mature more and I can think even better.”

Although she reads at an eighth grade level and can do only second or third grade math, Meyer has a high school diploma and says the she wants to go back to school.

Meyer sometimes goes to Valencia to wait for Davis to get out of class.

Meyer wants to have another session of the Clemente Course. “Oh, I love it. I’ll definitely be back,” said Meyer.
Davis believes that is a blessing Valencia is making the Clemente Course available.

“It has really had an impact on my life,” said Davis, “and now I’m watching Cindy and how it is affecting her.”
Part 2, which was supposed to have met for the last time this semester April 9 was extended due to popular demand by the students.

Scolaro’s newsletter said, “We think that the project is worth continuing. We are now in she process of gaining college support to implement the Clemente Course as a college-level, credit course of study in the humanities for Orlando’s multi-generational poor in order to augment the college-level non-credit course of study”.