- When did you graduate? What was your major?
- How did the certificate program impact you? How does it benefit you in what you are doing now?
- Are you currently in school or working?
- Can you explain your job/what you do?
- What are your goals for the future?
- Why do you think students at UGA should take disability classes through IHDD?
- When did you graduate? What was your major?
I graduated from UGA in May 2014 with a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree and a Disability Studies Certificate at IHDD. I then went on to obtain my Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from Georgia State University.
- How did the certificate program impact you? How does it benefit you in what you are doing now?
Taking part in the Disability Studies Certificate Program was one of the best decisions I made throughout my college experience. Not only did it solidify my passion for disability rights advocacy, but it also helped me to achieve employment as a social worker in the disability community. What impacted me the most was learning about our society's history of devaluing and neglecting people with disabilities. It was during a class about disability across the lifespan that I decided I wanted to focus my career on working with adults with disabilities throughout the aging process.
- Are you currently in school or working?
I currently work for the Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services where I have served as a Forensic Specialist since 2017.
- Can you explain your job/what you do?
I serve in a small but mighty unit called the Forensic Special Initiatives Unit (FSIU). Along with my three teammates, I work to protect older adults and adults with disabilities from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. We fill a unique role that attempts to bridge the gap between law enforcement and social services through training, case assistance, and advocacy. My Disability Studies Certificate has played a significant role in my capacity to address abuse, neglect, and exploitation of adults with disabilities throughout the state.
- What are your goals for the future?
A goal of mine is to increase the role of self-advocacy for adults with disabilities in my work. While the function of my unit is to train and assist professionals charged with protecting at-risk adults and investigating abuses, I would love to tackle the missing component that leaves this community vulnerable to victimization in the first place: education! It is my dream to break down the barriers and empower adults with disabilities themselves to recognize, report, and respond to abuse.
- Why do you think students at UGA should take disability classes through IHDD?
The disability community has historically been excluded from discourse about inequality and marginalization. Our generation can guarantee that people with disabilities are no longer silenced. UGA students who are passionate about social justice should take Disability Studies classes through IHDD!
