'98 Washington Ambassadors

Jessie, '98 Scholar

Hi! My name is Jessie. I attend the University of Washington. I have Dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Dyslexia slows my reading speed down and makes writing difficult. I am interested in foreign languages and medicine. I was on my school's cross-country and track team. Running helps me reduce stress. I enjoy ballet. I have been dancing my entire life and hope to pursue it, in conjunction with my other endeavors, in a collegiate setting. My philosophy is to not allow my disability to hold me down and, instead, focus on finding alternative methods, learning from it, and compensating in other areas. I use computers every day for school. I use Dragon Dictate software to expedite my writing. My spoken grammar is significantly better than my written. Last year, I began to learn about digital video. I made two videos for school projects, where I learned some editing skills. Thank you DO-IT for this opportunity. I have gained and achieved so much these past years. I am now more confident academically. I was an Intern in Summer Study '01.

Matt, '98 Scholar

My name is Matt. I graduated from Oroville High School and now attend Spokane Falls Community College in Washington. I liked doing high school Knowledge Bowl. My disability is a mobility impairment. I like all kinds of science and math. I love to dance, read books, and have long conversations. DO-IT is one of the best things that I've participated in because it has opened up many doors of opportunities for me. One of those opportunities was an internship at Summer Study 2001.

Chris, '98 Scholar

My name is Chris. I am from Redmond, Washington. I have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Dyslexsia, and Dysgraphia. I attend Muskingum College in Ohio. I enjoy chatting, hanging out with friends, playing pool, and cracking jokes.

Silas, '98 Scholar

My name is Silas. I graduated from LaConnor High School in Washington state. I have a visual impairment. In my spare time, I enjoy playing video games. In the future, I would like to program or design computer games.

Arnell, '98 Scholar

Hi. My name is Arnell. I graduated in 2001 from South Kitsap High School in Washington. My disabilities are Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and a communication disorder. I enjoy math. In my spare time, I like listening to Prince's music, teaching myself how to play the guitar, and doing stunts on my bike. I have worked at a sign shop, gaining experience with graphic arts, a career I might pursue in college. Currently, I work at Walmart.

Katrina, '98 Scholar

My name is Katrina. I graduated from the Secondary Academy for Success in Bothell, Washington and have finished six quarters at Cascadia Community College in Bothell, Washington. Currently, I am aiming for an Associates Degree in Integrated Studies. My disability is a traumatic brain injury from a bike accident at the age of five. My interests include public policy, advocacy, history, science, and especially genealogy. I enjoy helping others through difficult times by sharing my experiences and being a positive example. I work for an organization called Think First, promoting the use of bike helmets. I have been very involved nationally with the National Leadership Conference for Youth with Disability and the President's Committee for the Employment of People with Disabilities. I was an Intern in Summer Study '00.

Eddie, '98 Scholar

My name is Eddie. I graduated from Spokane Falls Community College in Washington, where I studied mechanical engineering. My hobbies include bowling, billiards, and hotrods.

Shavonne, '98 Scholar

My name is Shavonne. I attend the University of New Orleans, where I plan to earn a degree in psychology. I have glaucoma, an eye disorder. For fun, I like writing poetry, reading books, and acting.

Chanon, '98 Scholar

My name is Chanon. I live in Neenah, Wisconsin. I attend the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, majoring in social work. My disability is Cerebral Palsy. Some of my interests are writing short works and poems and performing modern and ballet dance. I received four different writing awards on short pieces that I composed. Four years ago, I was given a dance scholarship to go to the Cleveland Ballet Dancing Wheels adult workshop held in Ohio. DO-IT is a wonderful program for students like myself, who have disabilities and are seriously considering higher education.

Marissa, '98 Scholar

Hi all! My name is Marissa. I have Cerebral Palsy and live in Des Moines, Washington. At the present time, I am job hunting, as well as looking to get back to school. My major is computer science. I love to hang out, chat online, shop, listen to music, and write poetry. I want my career to involve computers and on the side I'll write poetry books. I will continue to share my experiences with future Scholars in hopes that they will have as much fun as I had. I was an Intern in Summer Study '00.

Crystal, '98 Scholar

My name is Crystal, and I live in Portland, Oregon. I am visually impaired. I plan to attend a community college in the Portland area. I enjoy being around my friends in my free time, but I don't get much of that. I love football, movies, and music. I study juvenile justice at a summer job at the Juvenile Justice Center. I became a mother in January!

Reginald, '98 Scholar

Hello. My name is Reginald. I have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). ADD makes it hard for me to stay focused on whatever I am doing. I live in Albany, Georgia. I like to talk to girls, swim, play soccer, be in the band, and, most of all, make people laugh. There's nothing better than a well-placed joke. I attend Fort Valley State University, majoring in biology. This summer I am working as a lifeguard for Children's Friends Daycare.

Khrystal, '98 Scholar

I live in Spokane, Washington. I graduated from Rogers High School. I enjoy being with kids and playing sports such as volleyball and basketball. I am a full-time mother now and plan to go to college next year. My disability is Dyslexia.

Michael, '98 Scholar

My name is Michael and I had the good fortune of being the first International Scholar in the DO-IT program. The experiences of Summer Study truly enriched and enhanced my life. I have multiple learning disabilities and ADHD. Currently, I am an undergraduate student at the University of Alberta in the Faculty of Science, Department of Physics. Eventually, I plan to become a pediatric psychiatrist. I enjoy investigating many areas beyond my career goals, taking risks and daring to be different. This allows me to use my creative abilities and acquire new skills which I apply to my life. My word to the wise is: Don't block your time, it is your inspiration; time is very precious, use it wisely, Godspeed.

Todd, '98 Scholar

My name is Todd. I attend Edmonds Community College in Washington. I plan on studying music at school, and I play the bass in my band, Water. I live in Bothell, Washington. My disability is Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). My hobbies include music, playing video games, and Magic the Gathering (card game).

Nichole, '98 Scholar

Hi to all! My name is Nichole. I attend The Evergreen State College in Washington. Last year I lived with six other people, but now I'm happy to say that I have my own apartment (YES!). My major is radio broadcasting, but I might now pursue acting as my theatre director advised. I don't know what will end up happening, but I hope for the best. I have been experiencing new and different ideas and challenges...piercings, protest rallies, discovering my feminist roots, and enjoying my disability. I have Scoliosis and Kyphosis with Metatrophic dwarfism and dysplasia. I also have Condrodistrophy, which means there isn't any cartilage in my joints. I use an electric wheelchair as my main means of transportation, but I can still walk. I enjoy swimming, baseball, art, music, my education, theatre, creative writing, photography, public speaking, disc jockin', and languages.

Corey, '98 Scholar

My name is Corey. I attend Seattle Central Community College in Washington. My main field of study is physics/engineering. I enjoy carpentry, playing music, and building or fixing just about anything I can with my hands. My disabilities are Tourette's Syndrome, panic disorder, ADD, and Epilepsy. I am currently seizure free, without medications, so it appears that I have outgrown the Epilepsy. Tourette's, ADD, and panic disorder have caused a number of social difficulties for me over the years, as well as causing difficulties with maintaining concentration. My extracurricular activities include being a member of Seattle Central Community College Lynix Users' Group and participating in volunteer work. The single most important benefit of my computer usage is that it allows my teachers to read my assignments, which would otherwise be illegible. The computer has also allowed me to maintain a reasonable level of organization which I would otherwise not have.

Abe, '98 Scholar

Hi. My name is Abe. I will be a freshman at Northwest Christian College. I am thinking about majoring in music. My disability is a visual impairment. I live in Edmonds, Washington, with my parents, sister, and brother. I like reading, lifting weights, biking, playing the drums, and listening to music and books on tape.