DO-IT Featured in Engaging Video and Article by DO-IT News!

Date
Sunday, May 28, 2023
An image of Sheryl talking to Dustine

We made headlines this past week! Through an engaging video and article, UW News spotlighted program coordinator and Ambassador Kayla Brown, along with 2013 Scholar and now Ambassador, Dustine Bowker. Now marking its 30th anniversary, DO-IT has guided over 500 students through high school and into four-year degree programs.

Bowker, whose initial engagement with DO-IT was sparked by a newfound sense of community, reminisces, “That was my very first event where I saw dozens of people with disabilities in the same room, and that was a new experience for me.” Now an Ambassador, Bowker is giving back to the very community that welcomed him years ago.

Kayla Brown, an integral contributor to DO-IT, emphasized the significance of building community. As she puts it, "The impact that our program has is building that community, so students can actually feel like they belong somewhere with other people like them.”

For Bowker, the influence of DO-IT extends beyond just community, it's about empowering individuals with disabilities. He asserts, “I’d say that DO-IT really helps empower us, and I do mean ‘us’ as people with disabilities…Because at the end of the day, people with disabilities want to live with the same rights and privileges, the same sense of belonging as anyone else."

To watch the video and read the article, visit the UW News website.