BUILT FOR CHANGE: Quinn creates prosthetics to impact people’s lives. BY, NICHO LA S EBELHACK
WHILE MANY MEN continue to apply the lessons and experiences they take away from The Ability Experience’s summer events to their lives as an alumnus, Kevin Quinn, Theta Xi (Arizona State), has made it his mission to utilize his creative passion to further support people with disabilities. Quinn, who was recognized with a Thirty Under 30 Award by Pi Kappa Phi in 2018 for his work as an adaptive sports instructor as a prosthetics technician, has used his experience as a 2012 Build America participant, a 2013 Gear Up Florida participant and as a 2014 Journey of Hope project manager to further a career in prosthetics, providing support by developing artificial limbs to restore mobility to patients. “I’ve had lots of different opportunities open up,” Quinn said. “The residency that I am going to is one of the leading, cutting-edge residency sites for prosthetics. They do a lot of holistic, interdisciplinary treatment where you are working as a team with neurosurgeons and therapists, so it’s integrated into the whole healthcare system.” Quinn, who was excited to bring his woodworking and metalworking talents to Build America in 2012, was introduced to the world of prosthetics while working at one of the camps his team visited. “We went to Camp Joy in Ohio, and their theme was amp-camp,” Quinn said. “All of the campers were amputees under the age of 18. There were around 80 kids running around at different levels of amputation and I was able to talk with them and their prosthetists. That’s when I found it was a crossroads of working with disability while also taking the construction element into effect so that I could build unique things using my skill set.” Since completing his undergraduate degree in sustainable energy, materials and technology, Quinn has worked as a lab technician fabricating and maintaining
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prosthetic devices, and is now pursuing his Masters of Orthotics and Prosthetics at the University of Pittsburgh. Quinn said that he enjoys the opportunity to work alongside patients to determine their needs, and getting work with his hands to create solutions. “You work with the patient’s needs, some prosthetics are better for walking while others are better for running, and some are better for younger patients while others are more stable and safe for older individuals. It’s like a LEGO or Erector set where you choose how the prosthetic functions based on the scenario.” Before entering the world of prosthetics, Quinn’s path brought him back to the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center, a stop along the Journey of Hope North Route, to work an adaptive sports instructor teaching skiing, biking, rock climbing and white water rafting. “One challenge to that though was that I had only gone skiing once in my life,” Quinn said. “Not only did I need to learn how to ski, but I also needed to learn how to teach someone to ski.” In addition to learning the ropes of the slopes, Quinn found himself applying what he learned interacting with people through The Ability Experience to his position by understanding that different people require different methods of instruction. “You might be working with a non-verbal child with autism and it might not be clear how much of the information is being retained through traditional teaching,” Quinn said. “I needed to open my toolbox and develop skills to apply to a wide range of verbal, nonverbal, kinesthetic and visual learners to best suit an individual’s needs.” One such interaction brought Quinn to work with a government official from Columbia who had previously incurred a spinal cord injury. As Quinn taught him how to ski using a piece of sit-down equipment while his wife and kids
were taking lessons, he learned more about accessibility being a worldwide issue. “He worked in the Columbian government for their equivalent of ADA, but they have a much lower standard for accessibility there than we do in the United States,” Quinn said. There, a ten story building doesn’t even need to have an elevator in it, so it was interesting to hear his perspectives on accessibility.” As Quinn worked with him, he was able to provide his student with the same opportunities that his wife and children had, eventually allowing them to ski together, grinning ear to ear. “At the end he was in tears and his kids were super happy,” Quinn said. “We did like two more runs even though we were supposed to go in, I had to call my boss and let him know about the experience to make sure that we could keep it going.” Quinn’s motivation to bridge gaps in accessibility and work to improve the world around him has given him a deeper understanding of the benefits of service to others and the opporunities that making a difference provides. “The important part is to remember that sometimes we get more out of this than the people we serve,” Quinn said. “I do my job because I enjoy this so deeply and I have gotten just as much out of this that I have put in, if not more.” The biggest takeaway Quinn has had, however, has been in his work ethic and selfdedication that he found as a student when presented with exceptional opportunities. “It’s important to show up and get involved. You don’t need to make this a career, I see people from my summer event teams work in the disability sector, but showing up and sponsoring a part of the trip or showing up to a friendship visit to bring that energy and show what The Ability Experience is about.” pikapp.org/news
