I received my Associate’s Degree in American Sign Language, Bachelor’s, and Master’s in Media and Communications.

Without working at CIL, I don’t think I would have totally learned to accept myself and identify as a person with a disability.

Before working at CIL, I did not have much idea, nor education, about the Independent Living Movement. I only heard about CIL once and attended a couple of youth meetings as a teenager. I was not interested at the time. I identified as a person with a disability, but I did not hang out with too many disabled folks (who identified as that) growing up. However, my best friend in college who worked at CIL in 2012 as a youth mentor told me there was a job opening. I applied and got hired. Over the years, I’ve been a youth mentor, travel trainer, information and referral specialist/receptionist, content creator, and assistive technology and information and referral specialist.