Phase I Scholars

Brandon, '06 Scholar

Hi. I'm Brandon A. I am going to be a junior at Mt. Tahoma High School in Tacoma. My favorite subjects are math, science, and Computer Aided Design (CAD), which is architectural and engineering design on computers. I am hard of hearing and have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which makes it hard to concentrate, and Dysgraphia, which makes it difficult for me to write. But, I do very well on a computer. I like to play video games, design things on the computer, eat, and hang out with friends. I plan on going to college or to a tech school to study engineering.

Brittany, '06 Scholar

Hi. My name is Brittany A. and I will be a junior at Mt. Tahoma High School in Tacoma. Writing is my pastime, and I want to become a writer of young adult fiction. I also like photography, hanging out with friends, and listening to music, mostly hard rock and metal-the kind of music that gives my parents a headache!

Ryan, '06 Scholar

Hi. My name is Ryan B. I'm a senior at Oak Harbor High School on Whidbey Island. I have a mobility impairment and get around in a power wheelchair. Videography and graphic design are my two favorite classes. When I graduate, I plan to attend IT Tech in Seattle and eventually become a video game designer. I like to DJ, and enjoy photography and playing video games.

Alex, '06 Scholar

Hi. I'm Alex B. and I will be a junior at John F. Kennedy High School in Seattle. I have Turner Syndrome and a non-verbal learning disorder, which makes math and science difficult for me and sometimes causes me to need more time on tests. My favorite subjects are English and history, and I plan to study literature in college. I like listening to music and playing on my computer in my spare time. I live with my parents, brother, and twin sisters along with our dog and cat. I really enjoy DO-IT; it has been a great help to me.

Jenny, '06 Scholar

Hi. My name is Jenny B. I live in Kennewick, WA, and I will be a junior at Kamiakin High School. My favorite subjects are science and English. I enjoy scrapbooking and Girl Scouts. During my senior year, I plan to take part of my classes at Tri-Tech Community College. I also hope to work in the daycare at Tri-Tech, because I would like to become either a para-educator for special needs children or a child therapist.

Maria, '06 Scholar

Hi. My name is Maria C. I live in Bellevue, WA where I will be a junior at Interlake High School. My favorite subjects are physics and history. This summer I went to an all-girls leadership school where I went kyaking and rafting for three weeks. I got to kayak at night and saw a double sunset and an otter. I also learned more about the environment and saw people with different disabilities rafting and kyaking, which was really cool. I like to read, listen to all kinds of music, and play sports (but not watch them). I would love to race kyaks or race skulls in the future. I am interested in careers as a civil rights lawyer, a historian, an expedition guide, or a detective. I think DO-IT will give me a chance to know my disability and other people's disabilities better, which will help me become a stronger advocate for myself and others.

Daniel, '06 Scholar

Hi. My name is Daniel E. I will be a junior at Friday Harbor High School on Friday Harbor Island, one of the San Juan Islands where we often see Orca whales passing through. My favorite subject in school is math, and I also play trombone in my school band. I have only one finger on each hand but this does not stop me from doing anything. I enjoy playing soccer and basketball, making movies, and hanging out with my friends. I plan on going to college to possibly study engineering. DO-IT has been a good experience for me, and I think I will learn a lot from it.

Oscar, '06 Scholar

Hello. My name is Oscar F. I am going to be a junior at Liberty High School in Spangle, WA, and I live in the quiet little town of Fairfield. My disability is Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency (PFFD), which causes bone deformities. I was born with half a leg, so I have a right leg that is artificial and have had numerous surgeries on my hip. I enjoy music, jazz band, and choir. I also enjoy being part of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). I am interested in becoming a public relations officer or a corporate lawyer. I am very involved in my community and school and like spending time with my friends and family. I really enjoy the DO-IT program and know that I can take what I learn here and use it to enhance my future.

Jennifer, '06 Scholar

Hi. I'm Jennifer G. I'm a junior at Auburn High School and I have Cerebral Palsy. My favorite subjects are biology and study skills. I'm also involved in a leadership group at school called Troy Crew where we help orient incoming freshmen and teach them leadership skills. I plan to go on to a two-year and then a four-year college to study psychology. In my free time I like to listen to music, explore the Internet, play on my computer, and hang out with friends.

Jesus, '06 Scholar

My name is Jesus G. I will be a senior at Highline High School in Burien. I am interested in languages and want to become a teacher for people speaking Spanish or English. At DO-IT, I saw sign language for the first time and am interested in learning that also. After I finish high school I plan to start at a two-year college and then transfer to a four-year school. I love music, especially ballads. I want to form my own band. I play both the guitar and drums.

Joey, '06 Scholar

Hi. My name is Joey H. I have Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and use a wheelchair to get around. I also have a service dog named Brigs who goes most places with me. I will be a senior at Juanita High School in Kirkland where my favorite subjects are history and math. I plan to go to community college or to UW Bothell to study the history of world cultures. I like reading and playing video games. Someday I would like to start a program similar to DO-IT to work with students with disabilities.

K.J., '06 Scholar

Hi. I'm K.J. H. from Mt. Vernon, WA. I have a learning disability that makes it difficult to take notes and process information. I will be a junior at Mt. Vernon High School where my favorite classes are science and math. I plan to go to college to become a meteorologist because I have been interested in weather my whole life. I once saw a funnel cloud almost touch down when I lived on Camano Island, which was pretty cool. I like looking at maps and watching the Weather Channel. I also enjoy drawing maps and comics and traveling. I think DO-IT will really help me to get a jump start on what I need to know to be successful in college.

Tony, '06 Scholar

Hi. I'm Tony I. I am going to be a junior at Seattle Lutheran High School. I enjoy history and engineering, but I like all my classes in general. I am one of those people that loves the whole academic experience. I run crosscountry and track and love drama; I was recently in the play The Taming of the Shrew. I also love movies and try to see everything that is out. My latest passion is robotics. For the last year, I have been involved in the Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership Program through my school, and I went to a leadership conference at Gonzaga University to represent my sophomore class. In a few weeks I am going to another youth leadership conference to represent the state of Washington. When I graduate, I plan to go to college to pursue a career in the medical field. DO-IT is providing me with tools that will help me throughout college. The experience I am getting with all the different people at DO-IT is priceless.

Taylor, '06 Scholar

Hi. My name is Taylor L. and I will be a junior at Issaquah High School. I have Asperger Syndrome, which affects me socially and makes it difficult to interact with people. I'm interested in geography and math, and when I graduate I plan to go to college and continue studying both of these subjects. I am also on the crosscountry team at my high school.

Amrit, '06 Scholar

Hi. My name is Amrit M. I have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and I will be a junior at Lakeside High School in Seattle. My favorite subjects are Chinese and jazz band where I play the piano. I like sports of all kinds and reading manga. I plan to go to a four-year college and possibly study psychology. I'm glad to be part of DO-IT because it offers me a variety of different connections that will help me in my future.

Gabe, '06 Scholar

Hi. My name is Gabe M. I will be a junior at Woodinville High School where my favorite subjects are music, English, and history. I also play snare drum in the marching band, which is a lot of fun. I am missing the radius and ulna in both arms and the fibia and femur are fused together in both my legs, so basically I cannot straighten them. I am also 45% deaf. In the 7th grade, I decided I wanted to play basketball and my school let me; even though my parents were skeptical. I did very well, and they did a piece about me on local TV news, which led to me throwing out a pitch at the Mariners game and an article in the Seattle Times. From that article, I was interviewed on the Oprah Winfrey Show and Good Morning America. When I was on Oprah, I got to meet my baseball idol Cal Ripkin who then flew me and my family to his baseball camp that I particpated in. I also met Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire on the show and got to go to the premier of Spiderman II. When I graduate, I plan to attend the UW and become a history teacher. I think the DO-IT program will help me to advocate for myself and increase my communication skills with professors and people in general.

Zachary, '06 Scholar

Hi. My name is Zachary P. I will be a junior at Roosevelt High in Seattle. I have Cerebral Palsy, and sometimes my body does not respond the way I want it to and my motor skills do not always work as well as I would like. My favorite subjects in school are history and mathematics; I'm actually skipping to a higher math class next year to work on polynomials and other very difficult math concepts. When I graduate, I want to go to college to study math and have a career as a mathematician or in another math-related field. I also like to read and play video games.

Samuel, '06 Scholar

Hi. I'm Sam R. I am going to be a senior at Dartmoor in Woodinville, WA. I enjoy the one-to-one support at Dartmoor, which is very different from my experience at a public high school. Math is one of my favorite classes. My hobby has been horseback riding for many years. I am also an active Eagle Scout with several Golden Palms, and I volunteer at the Seattle Marathon every year. I also love to travel. When I graduate, I would like to go to school to become a therapeutic riding instructor. DO-IT has given me a support system and a team of people to get help from if I need it.

Kaitlin, '06 Scholar

Hi. My name is Kaitlin S., but people call me Katie. I have a learning disbility and a seizure disorder. I will be a junior at Kamiakin High School in Kenniwick. Math, Spanish, and science are my favorite subjects. I plan to go to college to possibly study biology and eventually have a career working with animals. I like to play video games, listen to music, go to movies, and watch TV.

Nicole, '06 Scholar

Hi. My name is Nicole T. I will be a junior at Central Kitsap High School where my favorite classes are computer programming, math, and science. I am also a member of the Honor Society. I lost my sight when I was four, and I am hard-of-hearing, but these things don't stop me from doing anything I want to do. In fact, this summer, not only did I go to DO-IT Summer Study, but I also was part of the Vertical Mentoring Workshop at the UW for people with visual impairments. I have also particpated in the University of Washington's Tactile Graphics Project. I want to study computer science in college because I would like to create accessible computer programs. I'm trying to get a guide dog and have enjoyed meeting the guide dogs at Summer Study. In my spare time I like to listen to music, play computer games, and ride horses. I also love to read books and am a big fan of the Harry Potter series.