Student Stories

Riley Brooke Skorcz

I graduated with my Bachelor's degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and the Disability Studies minor in December 2023. I will be starting my Master's in Speech-Language Pathology this August, though I am still deciding between the University of Wyoming and the University of Utah! During my time at UW, the Disability Studies minor was paramount in my development as a future Speech-Language Pathologist as well as in my development as a well-informed and caring community member. Learning about the history and lived experiences of the disability community truly changed the way I understand the world and my role in it. Through these courses, I learned how centering disability in every facet of my life ensures a better experience for everyone and that if you aren't centering disability, you are neglecting it. Disability Studies urges us to question what we value, what we want to prioritize in our lives, how other areas of social justice intersect, and how we show up for others. In my future clinical practice, my clients will be empowered and supported as partners in their own communication goals instead of dealing with the re-individualization of disability that my field has been and will continue to perpetuate. The D.S. minor has also set me up for success in my academic career and extracurricular activities, including Access UW Day. Access UW Day, an annual one-day campus initiative focused on accessibility and disability-related topics, is a project I am now in my second year of facilitating, and it would not be the successful event it is today without the guidance of my Disability Studies minor. Access UW Day celebrates the existing efforts that improve access on campus while encouraging the campus community to expand their understanding of their role in accessibility. I have been lucky enough to be selected as a nominee for the Tobin/Spitaleri award, alongside other acknowledgments like being selected as the 2023 Multicultural Graduation Speaker and receiving the 2022 Shepard Symposium Undergraduate Student of the Year award. I am so grateful for the people I have met and the experiences I have had through the Disability Studies minor program. I cannot recommend this program enough for any student who wants to be an informed global citizen who shows up for all communities.

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Darrah Short

This May, I will graduate with my Bachelor's in Social Work with Minors in Honors and Disability Studies. The Disability Studies Minor transformed my education. I've gained invaluable insights into relationship building, self-determination, and interdisciplinary collaboration. 

I worked on a Photo Voice research project exploring independence for people with disabilities. After that, I became interested in guardianship practices in Wyoming and am currently exploring community interventions to preserve autonomy. Now, I am pursuing a Masters in Social work at the University of Wyoming and program seat as a trainee in LEND – the Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. These opportunities will give me the privilege to work alongside people with disabilities to create more equitable and connected communities.