Info About Bryan

Name: Bryan Pratt (not to be confused with the author of The Canberra Fisherman)
Nationality: Czechoslavian-American
Birthdate: September 25, 1973
Birthplace: Arlington Heights, Illinois
Main Disability: Facioscapulohumeral Dystrophy (FSHD)
Secondary Disabilities: Fifteen percent hearing loss in both ears and auditory processing disorder
Most Unusual Thing About My Disability: I lack the muscle control to smile (but I would smile if I could)
Education: BS in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana in 1998
Favorite Quote: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?" -- Martin Luther King Jr.

Some Achievements:

• Scored a 34 in the math section of his ACT (1991)
• Named the National Honor Society February Senior of the Month at Palatine High School (1992)
• Named the Outstanding Math Senior at Palatine High School (1992)
• Was second place as Outstanding Science Senior at Palatine High School (1992)
• Graduated 14th of 450 at Palatine High School (1992)
• Made the Dean's List at the University of Illinois at Urbana (1992)
• Was the editor of the University of Illinois at Urbana's Sigma Signs that received national recognition by the Association of Higher Education and Disability (1997)
• Was the first wheelchair user to graduate in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Illinois (1998)
• Received a certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Illinois at Chicago (2004)

Gift from a Friend in College: In Chinese, it roughly translates to: "In order to be happy in life, you must be satisfied with the things that come your way."

Go back to last page.