Kevin Crane is not one to shy away from challenges. With ambitions to own his a pharmaceutical company, the mechanical engineering major is in his second semester at Diablo Valley College.

A dedicated student who loves sports, rock climbing and snow skiing, Crane is like every other student except for one distinguishable trait: he has been blind since birth.

Crane has congenital glaucoma, a rare genetic condition that affects about one in every 10,000 infants according to WebMD.

Many people would immediately assume Crane’s life has been full of hardship, but he is adamant that his life has been pretty great. Crane doesn’t see himself as being different from anyone else. Rather, his disability motivates him to be the best person he believes he can be.

“Kevin is a remarkable person, student, and role model for all of us. His curiosity, determination, adaptability, and grit are things that we all need more of,” says Dr. Ron Rusay, a chemistry professor who is one of Crane’s teachers.

Other than a few situations, Crane doesn’t feel his disability has led his classmates or instructors to give him any special treatment.

He went to a school for the blind for a few years for his earlier education before enrolling at Alhambra High School. One might expect the transition to have been difficult but according to Crane he loved his time at Alhambra. Crane got involved with sports and fell love with wrestling. When he finally got the chance to compete in his senior year at Alhambra, he lost what would be his first and only match.

However, as Kevin explained, he wasn’t too sad about losing the match because it allowed him to realize that the sport had become too much about winning and losing instead of just having a good time. As much as Crane holds sports close to his heart, nothing comes before his grades saying, “I had to make that tough choice on what mattered more.”

Crane’s ambitions also extend to wanting to explore the world saying, “I want to travel because I want see if I can handle all these new and different places, like New York — that would be a beast to conquer.”

To Crane, conquer means adventure. It means opportunity; it means living life to the fullest. Kevin Crane could easily give in to the obstacles he has faced throughout his life but that is just not part of who he is.

“Kevin is a wonderful guy. He has a very positive outlook on life and is a joy to be around. I feel he has a bright future ahead of him,” says John McMurry, a close friend and tutor of Crane’s.