Finding the Right Spot to Make a Difference
by Nancy
Sopkowiak
Linda Baune recently won the
2006 Judd Jacobson Memorial Award. I had a chance to have lunch with
her last month to talk about her life and achievements. Linda walked
into Perkins with enthusiasm, smiled warmly and introduced herself.
She seemed to bring the September sunshine inside with her. After
politely ordering her chicken quesadillas, Linda chatted about her
life.
Linda Baune attended
St Cloud State University. She tried speech therapy classes and
got hooked. Unfortunately, she had to fight to get in and stay
in the speech program, because some professors thought she wouldn’t make it. Instead of focusing on her abilities,
those instructors could only see her disabilities. They also didn’t
realize that telling Ms. Baune she would fail only made her more
determined to succeed. In 1992 she graduated with a master’s
degree in Speech Language Pathology.
After graduation Ms.
Baune worked as a speech therapist. Today she is a co-owner of
SPOT Rehabilitation in St. Cloud and plays several roles, including
Vice President of the Board, Director of the Speech Pathology Department
and Speech Language Pathologist. She feels that her own personal
struggles with cerebral palsy and severe back pain have made her
a better therapist. She says, “The kids who come
through the door are the reason I get up and go to work everyday.”
Ethan, a teenage client
with autism, usually comes to SPOT with his aunt. When Ethan started
with Ms. Baune, he was ten years old and could only say one or
two words. His aunt had a hard time understanding his speech. After
working with Ms. Baune twice a week for four years, he now talks
extensively. Today when his aunt calls Ethan, she sometimes can’t tell if it’s him or his brother on the phone. Ethan’s
aunt says, “Linda has been so instrumental in getting him where
he is.”
Last month Linda Baune
was honored with the Judd Jacobson Memorial Award, which recognizes
a person with a disability for an entrepreneurial endeavor. The
award is in memory of Judd Jacobson, who became a quadriplegic
at age 16 after a diving accident. In 1970, Jacobson and his wife
Barbara opened Travel Headquarters and Flying Wheels Travel, a national
travel agency for people with disabilities. Jacobson also served
on the Courage Center Board. Courage administrates the Judd Jacobson
Award, which is funded by Jacobson‘s friend Daniel J. Gainey.
He was with Judd the day of his accident, and they supported each
other in a lifelong friendship.
Founded in 1992, the
Jacobson Award has helped and encouraged many entrepreneurs with
disabilities. Among the many honorees is 2004 winner Pete Feigal. “I’m
speaking full time around the country and last year was on the
road 300 days, doing over 200 programs for churches, schools, police
departments, prisons and corporations. The Judd Jacobson Award
and the Courage Center have had so much to do with my success.
I speak from the personal point of view of living with two illnesses,
depression and MS, and what has helped me in my recovery. People
need to hear that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, many
times IN the tunnel.”
The 2006 Judd Jacobson
Memorial Award luncheon was held on Wednesday, October 11th at
the Golden Valley Country Club. Linda’s mom
and step-dad came to celebrate with her. During lunch Linda’s
friends and family reminisced and joshed with her. Linda’s
mom remembered once telling Linda not to attend a cousin’s
wedding, because the trip would be too hard on her. Linda said goodbye
to her mother, hung up the phone, packed her suitcase, and drove
to the wedding. Linda’s friends talked of working with her
at SPOT, and how often she works with extreme pain.
Jan Malcolm, Courage
Center CEO, opened the award program. She stated that Judd Jacobson
and Linda Baune were both trail blazers for opportunities in Minnesota.
Barbara Jacobson presented Ms. Baune with her award and $5,000
check. In her acceptance speech, she said “The rewards
of my job are endless.” She went on to mention some examples:
a child saying their first word, a stroke patient learning to communicate
better or relearning to swallow. Ms. Baune outlined her plans to
use the award money for training and materials, so she can better
help her clients. She closed by gracefully thanking the committee,
her friends and family.
Perhaps Linda Baune’s own words best capture the spirit of
the Jacobson Award, “Disabilities are handicaps only when situations
and attitudes make them so.” ![]()
