WEBVTT 00:00:01.670 --> 00:00:03.360 align:center DO-IT Scholar Profile: Kayla. 00:00:03.360 --> 00:00:03.985 align:center [MUSIC PLAYING] 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:08.060 align:center For more than 30 years, the University 00:00:08.060 --> 00:00:11.780 align:center of Washington's Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, 00:00:11.780 --> 00:00:14.790 align:center and Technology Center, also known as DO-IT, 00:00:14.790 --> 00:00:17.570 align:center has hosted programs to promote equal access 00:00:17.570 --> 00:00:19.910 align:center within challenging post-secondary programs 00:00:19.910 --> 00:00:21.150 align:center and careers. 00:00:21.150 --> 00:00:23.640 align:center Some projects work directly with students, 00:00:23.640 --> 00:00:25.380 align:center such as DO-IT Scholars. 00:00:25.380 --> 00:00:28.300 align:center This video features a DO-IT Scholar named Kayla. 00:00:28.300 --> 00:00:30.000 align:center [MUSIC PLAYING] 00:00:31.160 --> 00:00:33.290 align:center So my name is Kayla. 00:00:33.290 --> 00:00:38.190 align:center And I am a program coordinator at the DO-IT program. 00:00:38.190 --> 00:00:40.530 align:center I'm also a past Scholar. 00:00:40.530 --> 00:00:43.740 align:center I was a Scholar in 2005. 00:00:43.740 --> 00:00:48.500 align:center And right now, I work with students who 00:00:48.500 --> 00:00:51.620 align:center are in our Scholars Program. 00:00:51.620 --> 00:00:55.050 align:center | have a form of muscular dystrophy. 00:00:55.050 --> 00:00:57.860 align:center So essentially, I just use a wheelchair 00:00:57.860 --> 00:01:00.480 align:center because my muscles are weak. 00:01:00.480 --> 00:01:04.099 align:center And I also have panic attacks and anxiety 00:01:04.099 --> 00:01:06.860 align:center as my invisible disability. 00:01:06.860 --> 00:01:13.460 align:center When I was in high school, I was really looking for opportunities 00:01:13.460 --> 00:01:17.850 align:center to get new experiences, find a community, 00:01:17.850 --> 00:01:20.030 align:center build my support system. 00:01:20.030 --> 00:01:22.920 align:center I'm a first-generation college student, 00:01:22.920 --> 00:01:26.960 align:center so I really needed some outside support 00:01:26.960 --> 00:01:31.140 align:center in figuring out if it was even possible for me to go to college 00:01:31.140 --> 00:01:34.580 align:center because back then, it just seemed 00:01:34.580 --> 00:01:42.030 align:center so insurmountable to get there, to get to adulthood even. 00:01:42.030 --> 00:01:47.550 align:center I actually had a paraeducator, who knew me fairly well, 00:01:47.550 --> 00:01:52.140 align:center recommend that I apply to the Scholars Program. 00:01:52.140 --> 00:01:57.630 align:center And I actually applied the day before the deadline. 00:01:57.630 --> 00:01:58.980 align:center I just went for it. 0:01:58.980 --> 00:02:02.113 align:center I thought, why not apply, see what happens. 00:02:02.113 --> 00:02:02.780 align:center [VIDEO PLAYBACK] 00:02:02.780 --> 00:02:03.740 align:center I like roller coasters. 00:02:03.740 --> 00:02:05.970 align:center And I like to go boating. 00:02:05.970 --> 00:02:10.190 align:center And like, someday I would love to skydive. 00:02:10.190 --> 00:02:12.090 align:center I really enjoy hearing other points of view, 00:02:12.090 --> 00:02:17.832 align:center so whether it be political or different hobbies, 00:02:17.832 --> 00:02:19.790 align:center it's always fun to experience different things. 00:02:19.790 --> 00:02:20.640 align:center [END PLAYBACK] 00:02:20.640 --> 00:02:23.300 align:center I think what I noticed right off the bat 00:02:23.300 --> 00:02:27.830 align:center when I started the Scholars Program was 00:02:27.830 --> 00:02:31.670 align:center that I was meeting so many types of people 00:02:31.670 --> 00:02:37.910 align:center with different disabilities and learning what a community looked 00:02:37.910 --> 00:02:41.790 align:center like in that context. 00:02:41.790 --> 00:02:45.260 align:center I hadn't met a lot of people with disabilities who were 00:02:45.260 --> 00:02:48.420 align:center interested in going to college. 00:02:48.420 --> 00:02:50.810 align:center And so that was really the first time 00:02:50.810 --> 00:02:54.530 align:center that I felt like I was being pushed out of my comfort zone 00:02:54.530 --> 00:02:59.150 align:center into thinking about a lot of challenging parts 00:02:59.150 --> 00:03:01.910 align:center and of my journey ahead. 00:03:01.910 --> 00:03:08.270 align:center Long term, I just got a lot of support and encouragement 00:03:08.270 --> 00:03:14.660 align:center for applying to scholarships, applying for internships, 00:03:14.660 --> 00:03:17.580 align:center creating a resume. 00:03:17.580 --> 00:03:20.120 align:center There are just a lot of things that you don't 00:03:20.120 --> 00:03:23.780 align:center realize you need support with. 00:03:23.780 --> 00:03:26.880 align:center And so I got ongoing support. 00:03:26.880 --> 00:03:30.420 align:center It doesn't just end after you start going to college. 00:03:30.420 --> 00:03:34.650 align:center You get support for as long as you need it. 00:03:34.650 --> 00:03:39.320 align:center I think that DO-IT influenced a lot of my decisions 00:03:39.320 --> 00:03:43.040 align:center on what I wanted to study, what I wanted to do as a career 00:03:43.040 --> 00:03:47.090 align:center because it allowed me to experience 00:03:47.090 --> 00:03:49.380 align:center all different types of fields. 00:03:49.380 --> 00:03:55.580 align:center So for example, I was able to network with faculty members 00:03:55.580 --> 00:04:01.280 align:center at the University of Washington during our Summer Study program. 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:05.940 align:center And at the time, I was really interested in psychology. 00:04:05.940 --> 00:04:08.480 align:center And so I met with a psychology professor 00:04:08.480 --> 00:04:10.800 align:center and got to talk a little bit about it. 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:18.500 align:center But I also was able to take workshops and get 00:04:18.500 --> 00:04:29.250 align:center exposed to other type of experiences in biology and STEM 00:04:29.250 --> 00:04:34.980 align:center majors and careers that I really didn't have interest in before, 00:04:34.980 --> 00:04:36.990 align:center like web design. 00:04:36.990 --> 00:04:40.000 align:center When I transferred from high school to college, 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:42.960 align:center I realized that starting out at a community college 00:04:42.960 --> 00:04:47.560 align:center would be better for me instead of going right to a university. 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:51.630 align:center I think for any student, you're kind of 00:04:51.630 --> 00:04:53.350 align:center skeptical about going to college. 00:04:53.350 --> 00:04:56.200 align:center Like, it seems like this huge deal. 00:04:56.200 --> 00:05:00.550 align:center And you're not sure if you can actually be successful in that. 00:05:00.550 --> 00:05:04.080 align:center And so to participate in a program 00:05:04.080 --> 00:05:08.190 align:center with other students who also have disabilities and you're 00:05:08.190 --> 00:05:10.590 align:center kind of all learning this together, 00:05:10.590 --> 00:05:13.800 align:center it was great because my confidence level just 00:05:13.800 --> 00:05:16.020 align:center skyrocketed at that point. 00:05:16.020 --> 00:05:19.060 align:center When I started working for DO-IT, 00:05:19.060 --> 00:05:24.310 align:center it made me realize that I had a passion for disability advocacy. 00:05:24.310 --> 00:05:31.080 align:center And so I realized that social work might be a career path 00:05:31.080 --> 00:05:36.600 align:center that I could pursue after I got my undergraduate degree 00:05:36.600 --> 00:05:38.110 align:center in psychology. 00:05:38.110 --> 00:05:41.050 align:center And so I went into social work. 00:05:41.050 --> 00:05:45.270 align:center And I connected it to my passion for working with people 00:05:45.270 --> 00:05:49.650 align:center with disabilities because I bring something 00:05:49.650 --> 00:05:53.490 align:center to the table that maybe other people don't because I 00:05:53.490 --> 00:05:57.340 align:center have a disability and I know what it's like. 00:05:57.340 --> 00:06:02.910 align:center And so DO-IT really does value the peer-to-peer mentoring 00:06:02.910 --> 00:06:07.440 align:center model, which is why I think I got the confidence here 00:06:07.440 --> 00:06:09.665 align:center to continue working for DO-IT. 00:06:09.665 --> 00:06:12.180 align:center [MUSIC PLAYING] 00:06:12.180 --> 00:06:14.650 align:center To learn about how you can get involved, 00:06:14.650 --> 00:06:17.340 align:center or for more resources about supporting students with 00:06:17.340 --> 00:06:24.510 align:center disabilities, consult uw.edu/doit. 00:06:24.510 --> 00:06:29.730 align:center Copyright 2025, University of Washington. 00:06:29.730 --> 00:06:32.250 align:center Permission is granted to use this material 00:06:32.250 --> 00:06:34.650 align:center for non-commercial purposes, provided 00:06:34.650 --> 00:06:37.490 align:center the source is acknowledged.