LIVING LIFE UNSEEN

Megan Copeland has a different view of life than most people.
It's a view that has forced the Owatonna teenager to overcome obstacles in just carrying out the normal routines of daily life. She lives a life unseen, at least from her perspective.
Copeland has been blind since birth. She suffered septo-optic dysplasia. Her parents, Rian and Jennifer Copeland, learned to adapt quickly to their daughter's disability.
But don't even begin to feel sorry for her because she wouldn't want her life any other way.
"I would not want a cure for blindness. God made me the way I am for a reason," said Copeland, quickly adding, "I don't want to mess with it."
Copeland is quite content with her disability. "I can see in my own way," she said. "I have an amazing life just the way I am, and it just happens to be that I can't see."
Despite being blind, Copeland is proving that nothing stops her. She recently qualified for the state speech tournament for the first time as a senior. She competed in Extemporaneous Reading, which is considered a challenging category.
At state, Copeland's category involved reading from a book, "All the Light We Cannot See," by Anthony Doerr. A major character in the novel is a blind girl who loves to read novels, which strikes an instant connection for Copeland.
"(Being blind myself) makes my performance more powerful," she said. 
In Extemporaneous Reading, competitors use the same book throughout the season. On competition days, each person learns which sections of the book they can choose from for their 7-minute reading.
Copeland has read the entire book over and over. She said she's broken it down into sections that can be recited in the 7-minute period with her own introduction for each section. She does it all in Braille, which she has been doing since she was 3 years old.
Heading into the state tournament, Copeland said, "I know it's going to be tough competition, but I know I am a really good speaker. Ever since I was little, I have had the gift to gab."
During her four years of high school, Copeland has always participated in Extemporaneous Reading, which allows her to not worry about writing her speech.
"I have always had a passion for public speaking and for reading books," said Copeland. "Speech is my way of making new friends and meeting people."
The only regret she has is that speech didn't come along sooner. Copeland wasn't able to participate in speech until high school as it just became available to middle school students in the past few years.
For Copeland, team bonding has been her favorite aspect of speech. "It doesn't matter if I don't place," she said, adding that the speech team members are supportive of each other.
She said she credits speech with helping her grow as a speaker,
 "It has also given me an opportunity to meet people I would have never met," said Copeland.
The teenager has no worries about speaking in front of large audiences. A few years ago, she spoke in front of a crowd of 500 Lions Club members accepting an essay contest award. "The more people there are, the better," she said, adding she doesn't understand why people have a fear of getting up in front of people. "I'm immune to nervousness."
She has even done presentations on her blindness for doctors at the Mayo Clinic.
Copeland said she doesn't even consider blindness a major challenge in her life. "It's not going to define me," she said. "I want to be known (as someone) who can do this, this and this, and (by the way) I'm also blind."
Even though she can't see people, she considers herself a good judge of another person's character. "I can only see you by your personality," Copeland said. "I judge you by what you are like and how you treat others… and not by how you look."After graduating this spring, Copeland said she plans to attend the Academy for the Blind in Faribault. She is considering a legal career, possibly court reporting.
"I have a couple of people trying to convince me to be a judge," Copeland said, adding she has spent a considerable amount of time trying to gain an understanding of legal terminology.
Copeland's mother, Jennifer, said her daughter has challenges from being blind. "But it's how she reacts to them," she said. "She has a positive attitude that helps her get through it."
Copeland said she has often been asked if she wants to be changed. "Absolutely not," she said.
"I've always felt comfortable with who I am as a person," said Copeland, adding she isn't about to let a physical disability determine who she is.