Off-leash with the Guiding Eyes staff: Becky Davidson

“People sometimes expect those who have disabilities to be bitter about it, but what’s the point? We have a life to live that we’ve been given. Live it.”Guiding Eyes graduate and employee Becky Davidson’s light-hearted spirit makes her easy to speak with. In fact, as the manager of consumer outreach and graduate support at Guiding Eyes for the Blind, her colleagues would say her warm presence and witty sense of humor is what makes her great at her job.

Before Guiding Eyes, Becky had been working as a counselor for an employment and training agency for 24 years. Feeling burnt out, she was excited when she learned about an opportunity to work for Guiding Eyes for the Blind while attending a fundraising event. She’s been with the organization ever since.

For the last 19 years, Becky has dedicated herself to the Guiding Eyes mission, preparing current students for life with a guide dog after graduation, and ensuring graduates have the support they need once they’re home. She currently oversees the organization’s graduate council; holds transition meetings to provide emotional support for students coming in for successor dogs; serves on the Guiding Eyes technology council, which meets to discuss new technology and how it impacts the visually impaired community; and holds lectures for current students, educating them on their rights as a guide dog handler; among many other tasks.

“Being connected to our graduate community and being able to offer support and learn from them is the best part of my job. I love being a part of the process as they learn to work with their guide dogs and discover what an incredible experience it is to have one,” Becky explains. “There is a lot of value in connecting with people who are like you – being able to laugh with each other, cry with each other, and just be that strength and support system for one another.”

Becky currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband Ron and their Guiding Eyes guides Lawson and Clarissa. In her free time, you can find her playing numerous instruments, including the guitar, autoharp, and ukulele. “I’m a folky,” she says when describing her taste in music. She also enjoys walking with her dog around her neighborhood and traveling with Ron. “We just enjoy going out to meet new people, making new friends, and being part of a neighborhood.”