05/05/2026
It’s time for our Spring Membership Spotlight article, this time highlighting BSCB First Vice President, Sharon Strzalkowski!
Submitted by Jeanette Kutash
Sharon Strzalkowski was born in Delaware, where she lived throughout her childhood. She was diagnosed at an early age with retinopathy of prematurity, commonly known as ROP. For her first two years of school, she spent much time in a resource room, learning blindness basic skills. She learned to type in fourth grade, but states that both math and geography were challenging subjects for her. She remembers that the families of the children in the resource room worked together to do a fundraiser so that the students could have use of a Braille encyclopedia, giving new options for doing school papers at a time when things like internet access, emails, cellphones, and E-readers weren't even being imagined as possibilities for blind adults and children.
Sharon attended Georgetown University in Washington D.C., where she studied both linguistics and French. She also earned a master’s degree in counselling which enabled her to assume some positions throughout her life in the field of social work.
After college she worked for Health and Human Services in a clerk typist position. She has also worked as a social worker and spent some time working with clients struggling with detox and alcoholism. She has also worked as a Hospice volunteer coordinator. She worked for the Commission for the Blind in a rehab position, as well.
Approximately 8 years ago she helped re-vitalize the Central Massachusetts Chapter where she currently remains active, helping to plan meetings which are hybrid, both in person and on Zoom. In her chapter she served as President, and has continued to work hard for Central Mass. She is active on the Convention and Communications Committees, and helped establish and organize the Third Thursdays program run by Bay State Council of the Blind. She has actively participated in our state auction fundraiser.
Her hobbies include working on advocacy issues, visiting museums, socializing with people, and attending theater events, especially when they are audio described. Sharon enjoys the challenges of learning new things, and has an interest in reading, as well. She has a love for music and has spent a great deal of time learning the recorder and finding other people to "make music" with her who enjoy this musical instrument.
When speaking about why BSCB is so important, she states that she feels that her experience in living with blindness all of her life helps her to empathize with those who lost vision later in life and that she feels she can encourage them in their new approach to daily living, making suggestions along the way as appropriate. Sharon hopes to continue to help BSCB grow into an even more vibrant affiliate. I feel strongly that she will do well in this endeavor.
