Mike Dolan of Elmore, Vt., had a problem this summer that many students can relate to; car issues. Unlike most people, however, his vehicle woes ran up to $10,500 – not for a new one, but to repair what he has. Dolan is quadriplegic and about a year ago his van went through a $6500 upgrade to accommodate his new, and heavier, wheelchair after the original lift broke. Then this summer the transmission went.

Although his father covered the cost, Dolan is trying to pay his father back even as he attends college full-time. His focus is a major in the arts with a minor in psychology because, he said, art therapy was so helpful in his recovery. His goal: to become an art therapist for people who face similar challenges he did.

“In my situation you rely on a lot of people having to help you do stuff,” he said. “But when you paint and get creative, it’s your own self. It’s the feeling of doing something for yourself, and makes you feel better about what’s going on.”

Eight years ago Dolan was on a road trip with his brother when they stayed at a place in North Carolina for a few days. Every day he went swimming but the last day he dived into a shallow part, breaking his neck. The result was a loss of the use of his limbs.

“When my rehabilitation therapist first told to me to draw,” he said, “I had trouble using my arm. It was early on in my recovery and I didn’t have much control over my arm.”

Now, eight years later, he has pushed through challenges that the accident has given him. To draw and sketch, he puts a pen through the straps of his arm brace, using his shoulder muscles to move the pen around. In his print blocking class, he does a similar technique to use the knife to carve into the wood. For painting with water-colors, he holds the paintbrush in his mouth.

He’s grateful for his parents’ help and wants to pay them back. To pay for the repairs to his vehicle, the transportation he relies on to get to Johnson State College, he has a GoFundMe website. He has raised $2,770 as of the writing of this story.