And while she in not exactly sure just how muchof a role Japan will play in her career plans,international issues seem to be in the cards, shesays. Among other options, Dunne says she mighteventually go to law school and specialize ininternational law, inspired by her interest in howconceptions of rights vary among differentcountries.
Dunne has not yet settled on a plan for nextyear, although she says she might work for aprofessor at Baylor University's medical schoolwho does research on disability issues.
She reserves particular enthusiasm for the ideaof writing a book at some point, a goal she sayhas been inspired by her recent writing of skitsfor the Senior Talent Show, a role she'sundertaken as the Redcliffe first marshal of theClass of 1992. She says she will not rule outpursuing another aspect of her elected marshaloffice: politics.
THOSE WHO KNOW Dunne are happy topatiently discuss her accomplishments, but theyclearly prefer to steer the conversation away fromDunne's visual impairment.
"That's the standard reaction. People see thehandicap and not the person," says Kate Lingley'93-'94, a friend and skiing partner. "She doesn'tmake it part of her personality."
"She's remarkable for who she is, not whatshe's done in spite of everything," echoes Dunne'sfriend Simmons.
Dunne is similarly eager for people not tofocus excessively on her disability. "It's not theloss of sight that makes a problem," she says."It's how people regard you that's the problem."
Still, Dunne doesn't mean that to be taken asan edict for the non-disabled establishment toneglect concerns for the visually impaired. Whileshe is quick to praise the many people who havegone out of their way to help her, she saysHarvard has been far from perfect in accommodatingall her needs.
Each semester, Dunne says, she had to make surewell in advance that the books on the readinglists would be accessible in some form. The bookswould either have to be obtained on braille, or beread onto tape or in person. Dunne says shegenerally had to make special arrangements forthis to happen, because relatively few books areavailable in braille or on tape.
Dunne says her switch from economics to EastAsian Studies was partly a result of the EconomicsDepartment's often unhelpful attitude towards her,something she does not feel can be excused by hedepartments' size, particularly since she was theonly visually impaired student in the department.
"I don't think they were unhappy to see me go,"she says of the Economics Department. "I had madea lot of demands."
To alleviate the pressure put on roommates ofvisually impaired and other disabled students,Dunne cofounded Networks, a campus group whosemission encompasses a variety of roles. The groupmatches community volunteers with disabled peopleto help' with such task as shopping and laundry.
Despite efforts on the part of herself andothers, it is clear that Dunne will always facesome obstacles as a result of her visualimpairment and other's perceptions of it.
But Dunne and her friends do not expect that tostop her from achieving her ultimate goals.
"When she sets her mind to something, shedoesn't give in until she gets what she wants,"says Zabelski, her stepfather.
Agrees Lingley: "She's just determined not tolet anything stop her."