Jack Chen, a Patent Attorney for Google, walked into an interview with a law firm, Baker Botts in 2007, and as any young graduate he was apprehensive; but not because it was his first interview, but because he was blind. “As a young associate at a law firm, you’re judged heavily on form as well as substance,” he said. “In other words, how you format your documents can often be as important as the content. Walking into an interview is really daunting.” Nonetheless, Chen got the job.
3 years later, he was interviewing for in-house spot at Google, it was then that he decided to be himself- as he was tired of hiding and downplaying his disability. Chen went to the interview with a news article on New York City Triathlon, in which he participated.
“People with disabilities often bring unique aspects to projects, including outstanding problem solving skills. They’ve been doing it their whole lives.”
Jack lives in New Jersey and commutes to Chelsea through two train stations, the subway and walk through New York’s sidewalks, using his navigation cane, a mental map and by smelling and listening to the sounds.
Fully blind at 16, yet managed to earn a law degree from Fordham Law School, degrees in computer science from both Harvard and Berkeley and started with Google in 2010 as an
associate patent counsel and promoted as product counsel in charge of Google chrome in 2014.
In 2012, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Tanzania, Africa and competing in five triathlons and two Ironman triathlons including a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run. He attaches himself via a rope to another athlete in the swimming and running portions and rides a tandem bike in the cycling portion.
By: Archa Dave
