First Day Jitters

Calleese and Mikaela, Phase I Scholars

As we drive onto the amazingly beautiful University of Washington campus, the butterflies start coming. We think, what will the first day be like? What will the people be like? Will we get along with our dorm mates? Will the food be good? Will we be scared to ask new people about their disabilities?

In the dorm, the people at the front desk were super nice and helpful, taking us to our rooms and telling us how to unlock the door, how to use the food key, where to click your key to get into the hallway. After that, we grabbed our schedules and our bags and walked down the hill to Haggett Hall, where some of the parents were with DO-IT staff. We had introductions and a speech called “This is your life,” and then we went outside for dinner.

After dinner, the Interns held a panel where they told stories about their lives and how DO-IT helped them. They were in our shoes only a couple of years ago; it was inspiring to know we weren’t the only people who struggle. After the panel, we headed back up to our dorm for some evening activities and to unpack. Some of us went outside to play some sports, while others stayed inside to talk or play ping-pong. We had some amazing laughs and met some amazing people!