Blind Youth Pastor inspires all at Nazarene High School
Our story this week showcases an extraordinary individual who has not only embraced the role of a youth pastor at a high school, but has done so with unwavering determination, despite facing the challenges of visual impairment. Meet the remarkable man who, through his steadfast commitment and unyielding spirit, has become a beacon of hope for both students and teachers alike, proving that the power to uplift and motivate knows no physical boundaries. In this week’s “Look on the Bright Side” we want you to meet Shane Blackett.
Sabreena Daly, Reporting
For Shane Blackett, the moment he got hired at Nazarene High school, it was more than just a job.
Shane Blackett
Shane Blackett, Visually Impaired Youth Pastor
“It was like, wow, you know, because I haven’t been professionally employed for nine years.”
It was a milestone that embodied everything he would later come to represent.
Shane Blackett
“It was huge, it was a big deal. Um, when I got my uniform, boy, that was another big deal.”
Blackett is a youth pastor and mentor to the students at Nazarene High School. But he is also visually impaired.
Jeniecia Sanker
Jeniecia Sanker, Counselor, Nazarene High School
“I think having him here is such a beautiful thing to see because it gives everybody hope. You are living with a disability, doesn’t mean anything.”
Kameron Harris
Kameron Harris, Student, Nazarene High School
“He’s still doing what a normal pastor does. He still prays, he still worships, he still gives the word of God as expected from him. So him being visually impaired, it’s really not a problem. It’s really smooth being here with him.”
Aliyah Zelaya
Aliyah Zelaya, Student, Nazarene High School
He’s visually impaired so no one thought he could do much, but he did.”
He is the host of a Christian podcast and even… raps. Blackett lost his vision over time when he discovered that he was born with a congenital disease that would eventually render him blind. This would be revealed when Shane was only twenty-three years old, fresh in his new walk of faith.
Shane Blackett
“I remember sitting in the chair where you get tested and my mom was sitting on the couch to the back and he said, young man, you got to prepare yourself mentally. So I’m thinking about surgery, right? So I’m in my mind like, let’s do it. But he said…”because you’re going to go blind”. My mom was like, what? Are you serious? And then he begins to explain to us this condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa, RP for short, um, you’re born with it. There’s no known cure, What it is, is it’s a regressive, a regressive disease. It’s taking your sight over time.”
The news didn’t immediately hit him; it was three years later, when his vision in both eyes regressed, that he had to come to terms with the fact that his life would never be the same.
Shane Blackett
“In the moment, immediately when we got it, it wasn’t so hard for me. Honestly, it landed harder on my family members at that time than me. Three years after it was when I started to wrestle with the emotions and the, and the mental battle and all of that that came with it.”
There’s a mental struggle that comes with accepting that one wouldn’t be able to enjoy life before losing vision. For Blackett, those things included taking a casual stroll on the street and cycling. He even contemplated the value of companionship given his reality.
Shane Blackett
“I was like, man, you know. Would anybody really, like, fall in love with somebody who’s going blind? Is that a thing, you know? Um, I wrestled in my mom’s back room because that’s where I was with that. There was a time I thought, this is probably going to be life right in this room.”
Notwithstanding his limitations, Blackett has been able to experience a life he never imagined for himself. Currently, he is a student pursuing ministerial studies and finds his way around technology to aid him, even without vision.
Shane Blackett
“BCVI has this cool program that they put on their laptop called NVDA, that reads your screen for you. Okay. So that helps also. Then there’s magnification features. Um, with the magnification, Um, certain things are like, like, like, like little bloops and lines, um, but learning your machine and having it on dark mode over time, you know, you learn your, your, what you’re doing. And then I, I dictate into the microphone and it writes my essays.”
This year, he will also be celebrating his seventh anniversary with his wife.
Shane Blackett
“I thought, you know, this was it. Um, and, you know, we met. And, um, I just really appreciate her for loving me authentically for who I am. She never tried to change me or never made me feel less than.”
Now, one of his biggest accomplishments is being able to be part of an institution that values his input, regardless of his disability. Jeniecia Sanker is the counselor for the highschool and shared how much she leans on Blackett for support.
Jeniecia Sanker
“I must say it has been a little easier on my shoulders because I was, you know, as the only counselor here and now I have him to help me, especially with the boys because the boys look for that mentoring from a male. He commands respect in such a gentle way. Um, the kids love it, love him. They attached to him so quickly. So I really think that. He gives us a lot of hope.”
During challenging moments, the youth pastor expresses that his solace stemmed from his faith. He believes that as long as one is alive, there is an opportunity to try.
Shane Blackett
“You know, sometimes life does show these things that we’re not ready for or we didn’t plan for. Um, but my message is definitely hope in Christ. Um, I do not know where I, um, would have been without, without faith in Christ. Um, and that’s the start, and then I would also want to say that there’s always a way. That’s something that has been carrying me through, like, if you are alive and you’re seeing another day, you have a fighting chance.”
Looking on the Bright Side, I’m Sabreena Daly.
