A review of the incredible life of Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Eunice Kennedy has always been a staunch believer in justice for all. That's what actually led her to fight for and finally founded Special Olympics. But there's a lot about her that you probably didn't know. And with that in mind, today, we'll dive into Eunice Kennedy's life and tell her story. That said, let's get started, shall we?

Eunice was born in Massachusetts in 1921 to Rose and Joseph Kennedy. She was so weak and susceptible to illness when she was a child. However, one thing stood out, Eunice displayed great energy, only rivaled by her precocious nature and intelligence. Eunice was the fifth child and often followed how her older brothers acted and picked up a few leadership skills from them.

Over the years, Eunice developed a strong connection with Rosemary, her older sister, who unfortunately had intellectual disabilities. And this was the start of her dedication to empowering those society has disempowered. Using different channels, Eunice Kennedy went on to improve the world's perception of people living with disabilities globally.

Eunice started her education at Edward Devotion School in 1925. This school was close to her birthplace. A few years later, her family moved to New York City, which meant that Eunice needed to enroll in a new school. She was taken to Riverdale Country Day School and studied there for a while. Later, she was moved to a Convent in Connecticut. As a student in the Convent of the Sacred Heart, Eunice was soon known for being ranked among intelligent and devout students.

And when her father was appointed as the ambassador of Great Britain in 1938, the whole family had to move. Eunice was then enrolled in Convent of the Sacred Heart, England. She quickly built a reputation in this school and was named the most popular student. That was because she was involved in a lot of policy-making in the school.

Eunice went through several schools and finally landed at Stanford in 1942. Unfortunately, while studying at Stanford, she lost a dear friend in a car crash. That ordeal led her to be devoted to athletics and academics. She became the first woman in her family to complete a college degree.

In 1946, Eunice worked as the executive secretary of the Juvenile Delinquency Committee. This was years after getting into the limelight and helping her brother and husband in their campaigns for office. However, she didn't in any way take part in vying for any political position. However, Eunice voted in the elections. Eunice demonstrated a unique and robust passion for helping and serving underprivileged youths at her new office.

She created policies to teach teenagers trades and vocational skills to prevent high school dropouts. Eunice later went on to work as a social worker. This time it was in a women's prison. And her acts of service didn't stop there. After a while, Eunice joined her sisters, who at the time were working with sexual abuse survivors in Chicago. Here, she worked with teenage mothers under the state's care.

In 1958, Kennedy traveled the world to meet philanthropists and leaders to help improve the JPK Foundation. The JPK. Foundation was established and contributed to Joe Jr, Eunice's brother. Joe died in World War II. And later, Eunice eventually decided that the foundation should be focused on funding and helping children with intellectual disabilities. And after that, Eunice spearheaded many initiatives in the foundation.

In 1961, Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a small camp for children living with disabilities on her Maryland Estate. And later, Eunice decided that the family should publicly acknowledge what Rosemary was going through and her condition, which was written in a well-known magazine, the Saturday Evening Post. In the post, Eunice addressed the public prejudice surrounding people living with disabilities, including intellectual disabilities. She also encouraged well-wishers and philanthropists to fund medical research, group homes, and job training.

And through this publication and the Kennedy Jr. Foundation funding, Eunice encouraged the first ever Special Olympics held for the first time in 1968. The event happened in Soldier Field, Chicago, with a thousand athletes from twenty-six states, including Canada. And to this very day, the Special Olympics continues to carry on Eunice's vision of empowering people living with intellectual disabilities. The event that was held in 2019 had almost 115,000 participants from all over the world.

In recognition of Eunice's tireless efforts, she received several awards from influential individuals, including President Ronald Reagan. Unfortunately, Eunice passed on on August 11, 2009, at 88. And to this day, she's remembered for contributing to the disability community and the world.