DO-IT Ambassadors

Rachel

Hello! My name is Rachel. I just completed my freshman year at Columbia Basin College in Washington and have one more year and an extra quarter. I hope to attend the University of Washington in the fall of '97. My disability occurred in 1989, when I was 12. I had an AVM on the left side of my brain which caused me to hemorrhage and, therefore, had a stroke which paralyzed the right half of my body. I now have a limp and my right hand does not work very well. I am interested in the life sciences and anything that has to do with people in particular. I am not sure what I want to major in yet. I enjoy horseback riding (which I never thought I would do until my physical therapist started having me do it for therapy), writing, hanging out with friends, dancing, playing on the computer, and just having a good time! I've worked at Battelle Labs for two summers and was an assistant in the DO-IT summer study program in 1995. Being in DO-IT has been very valuable to me because I can find information all over the world. It has helped me in school and definitely at work!

Mark

My name is Mark. I am attending Big Bend Community College in Washington. I have Muscular Dystrophy and use a wheelchair. I use Head Master so I can access the computer and the Internet using my head. My interests are astronomy, art, and writing. I helped with the DO-IT summer study program last summer as an intern. I really enjoy DO-IT!

Katie

My name is Katie, and I live in Washington state. I have a hearing impairment. I am about to start my sophomore year at Washington State University. I live in a dorm. I love college life and am involved in a group interested in sign language.

Jenny

My name is Jen and I graduated from high school in June of 1996. I'm attending The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington to get my degree in teaching (either environmental sciences or English). This has been a busy year for me!

Nhi

Hi, I am Nhi from Washington state. Last year I attended the School for the Blind, learning mobility skills. My plans are to get a B.A. in computer science. I have Multiple Sclerosis (MS). My vision is limited as a result of MS. I use large print and voice output programs on my computer. I am glad to be a participant of DO-IT. It has provided me with great experiences.

Ryan

My name is Ryan. I am 19 and will start my second year at Bellevue Community College in Washington. Over the summer I took one class and worked at Mervyns, a department store. My disabilities are ADHD and a learning disability in English.

Maria

I'm Maria from Washington. I have post-polio. I'm going to be a sophomore at the University of Washington. I'm interested in psychology, biology, and chemistry. Having a computer helps me out with all of my classes. Instead of going to the library, I can have a head start finding crucial information to write a paper for my classes. More than ever I need my computer during my college years and, with the help of DO-IT, that's possible.

Lloyd

My name is Lloyd. I am now living in Seattle. I am 21 years old and have a severe hearing impairment. I work in the UW Adaptive Technology Lab with Dan Comden and all of those wonderful people. Despite my hearing loss I am very musically talented. I can play trombone and baritone. I am interested in electronics, math, music, karate, and computers. I look forward to meeting new DO-IT Scholars.

Randy

My name is Randy. I am a DO-IT Ambassador, in my junior year at The Evergreen State College in Washington, where I am working towards a major in computer science. I am blind, with two glass eyes, and use a guide dog (Mogul) for mobility. I use a computer with a speech synthesizer card and screen reading software to access the Internet, do homework, and take notes for classes. My hobbies include basketball, hockey, computers (of course), reading, taking long walks, and generally socializing.

Travis

Hi, my name is Travis. I am from Idaho. I just finished my freshman year at Utah State, majoring in computer science. I lived in an on-campus apartment and enjoyed the campus life. Computers and computer programming are what I enjoy most. I also like hanging out with my friends, reading, listening to music, and driving my car. My disabilities include shortness (only 4' 7"), orthopedic problems in my legs, and kidney and associated problems. Being disabled has affected my view of the world and in most cases has improved my views and attitudes. Being in DO-IT has made me realize that I am not alone in being disabled, but also has made me aware of all of the various disabilities out there. I have really enjoyed being in the DO-IT program. I am going on a two-year mission with my church so will be off the Internet for a while.

Takuya

My name is Takuya. I live in Washington and finished my freshman year at the University of Washington. My disabilities are health impairment, nervous system dysmorphia, and congenital scoliosis. My interests are physics, biology, theory of math, trigonometry, calculus, and computers. My hobbies are collecting stamps and reading many books. I am an only child. The Internet helps me find information and talk to people.

Sherri

My name is Sherri. I am visually impaired. Currently I am attending Southern Oregon State College in Ashland, Oregon. I'm thinking of majoring in psychology. I have done a lot of volunteer work. In high school I was a teacher assistant and office assistant, helped organize dances, worked in the food stand during sports, worked in the city library, planted and watered trees for the City or Rogue River, worked in the multiservice center, and did numerous baby-sitting jobs. Four other people and myself talked about our disabilities to an audience of college students. Next year I will be involved in Student Action Team. This summer and the past three I have worked in Portland. The Commission for the Blind has a Summer Work Experience Program (SWEP) where we can stay in a college dorm and get a job in Portland. On top of having a paying job I was a peer counselor. After that program I was an intern for DO-IT. I am interested in psychology, math, genetics, Spanish, and the Internet. For fun I like to swim, play basketball, watch movies, listen to music and more.

Nadira

My name is Nadira. I attend Highline Community College in Washington state. My interests are Internet, music, and talking. I use a wheelchair because I have Neuropathy. By being in DO-IT I have learned lots of things. I love to correspond with people through email and learn about them, their disabilities, and their achievements.

Rodney

My name is Rodney. I live in Seattle. My interests include computer programming, reading, writing, and wasting time. My disability is Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita which means my muscles didn't grow to be fully capable, and my joints are frozen in the position they happened to be in when my biological mother caught the virus. I have received some computer programming training and have worked at the University of Washington Adaptive Technology Lab. I was a lab assistant in the 1995 DO-IT summer program at Camp Courage. I work as a telemarketer and have also worked on the Internet. I plan to return to college and study political science and journalism.

Eric

My name is Eric and I live in Oregon. I am without any vision and I use strictly hearing and touch. I use a PC with a speech synthesizer, scanner, Braille printer and, of course, a modem. My interests are in biology, communications, radio, and other electronics. I am into amateur radio, and I like to talk to people on the radio.

Kris

My name is Kris. I successfully finished my first year at Oregon State University in the Honors College. I'll be going back this fall still working on my microbiology/premed major. I also have worked as the Adaptive Technology Coordinator for OSU. When I'm not busy working on school work or in my office, I enjoy playing my trumpet and french horn, scuba diving, and skiing, among other things. I am visually impaired and use a large monitor to use my computer. I enjoy working with computers, and, in fact, I own a company (Nexus Computer Systems) that builds and sells custom computer systems, does consulting work, and writes custom software. I was an intern at the DO-IT program at Camp Courage, exhibited accessible lab equipment in a DO-IT booth at the National Science Foundation, and was an intern at the 1996 Summer Study.

Anna

My name is Anna and I'm beginning my third year at the University of Washington. My major is cellular and molecular biology, and I would like to go into genetic research. I've been blind since a few months before my fifth birthday as a result of a kind of cancer called retinoblastoma. Last summer I was paid to do research on retinoblastoma. I also worked in the UW Adaptive Technology Lab and helped with the 1995 and 1996 DO-IT summer studies. My computer has been invaluable to me. It reads the screen to me. I could not write papers or do homework for classes without it. I use email a lot, which I enjoy, and I have used other Internet resources. I have a mom, a dad, and a brother. I also have a puppy named King Tutt (KT). I enjoy origami, reading, listening to Mariner games, listening to music, playing cards, hanging out with friends, sleeping, swimming, and cross country skiing. Someday I would like to be a working member of the crew on the space shuttle.

Hollis

Hi! I am Hollis. I'm 19 years old and I am a DO-IT Ambassador. I graduated from high school in 1995, and I'm starting at the local community college here in the fall. In '97 or '98 I want to go to a university. I want to study mechanical engineering. I'd like to design and build wheelchairs, custom designs. I have Cerebral Palsy and I use a power wheelchair to get around town; I have strong batteries, so I don't run out of power miles from home. I'm out-fitting it with a lap top computer (IBM) with communication software. I enter model bridge building contests with my dad, and we do quite well. This past year I participated in Mock United Nations and Mock Political Convention. It was a lot of fun. I also take horseback riding lessons and work-out two times a week. I'm one buff guy. I enjoy running around on the Internet with Mac, so I hope to see you there!

Megan

My name is Megan and my disability is chronic lyme disease. I am eighteen. I am currently graduating from a community college with my Associates degree and high school diploma. I had a jumpstart on college, which has been great. I lived away from home this year and had a blast. This past year I did academic tutoring at Treasure Valley Community College, along with teaching swimming lessons. My major is biology (premed). I also like piano and swimming. Next year I am going to Pacific Lutheran University to continue my education. I have enjoyed being part of the DO-IT program; the best part is the people involved in running it and those who participate. One thing that DO-IT has done for me is to spark an interest in sign language. So, this year I took classes to get a certificate of signing. My home's Idaho, but currently I live in the dorms at a community college in Oregon.

Matthew

My name is Matthew. I'm 19 years old and live in Renton, Washington (near Seattle). I have Dyslexia which messes up the things I read and write. I attend the University of Puget Sound in Washington and am majoring in computer science and math. My favorite sport to play is soccer. DO-IT has been a very positive influence on my life, and I would not have accomplished many things without it. I helped with the 1996 DO-IT Summer Study.

Mitch

My name is Mitch. I recently graduated from high school in Washington state. My primary disability is Spina Bifida. It is minor, but the secondary condition, Scoliosis, has caused me to be in the hospital a lot. My greatest scientific interest is genetics. I hope to receive a degree in molecular genetics and work for a bio-technology company. The DO-IT program has exposed me to a wide range of careers in science and given me the opportunity to experience first hand what it is like to be a scientist. On the Internet I have access to a whole world of people and information. This is an experience I will appreciate for the rest of my life.