DO-IT Ambassadors

Rachel

Hello! My name is Rachel. I just graduated from high school and will be attending community college in Washington in the fall. My disability occured in 1989, when I was 12. I had an AVM on the left side of my brain which caused me to hemorrage 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 hope to become a physical therapist or a doctor of some sort. 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! 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! I know the program will help me in college because I can find many resources pertaining to my major.

Mark

My name is Mark. I am attending Big Bend Community College. 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 have really been enjoying DO-IT!

Katie

My name is Katie, and I live in Washington state. I have a hearing impairment. I went to Tijuana, Mexico, in June for a ministry trip with my church youth group. We taught a Vacation Bible School there. That trip sure made me thankful for everything we Americans have! I have also been working at the Special Services Office for the Kennewick School District. I'm an assistant secretary. I am getting ready to go off to Washington State University this fall. I really wanted to help at the DO-IT Summer Study this year, but my dad and I thought that I should stay home and work. I really need the money. You know how expensive college is : )

Nhi

Hi, I am Nhi from Washington state. I will be attending college this fall in Washington. My plans are to get a BA in computer science. I have Multiple Sclerosis (MS). My vision is limited as the 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 and I live in Washington state. I have a specific learning disability and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The computer helps me with writing and spell checking. I love all kinds of sports. I will be attending Bellevue Community College.

Lloyd

My name is Lloyd. I have a hearing impairment. I used to live in Washington state, but recently moved to Idaho. I attend Spokane Community College. I am interested in electrical engineering.

Randy

I am Randy and this is my third year in DO-IT. I am a high school graduate and will be at The Evergreen State College this fall. My interests include foreign languages and computer science. I am totally blind. DO-IT, through the Internet account and computer laptop given to me, has opened a whole new world for me. It has given me independence.

Nadira

Hi! I am Nadira. I am seventeen and live in Washington. I have nueropathy and I use a wheelchair. I graduated from high school this year. I plan to go to medical school. My interests are computers, music, and reading. By being in DO-IT I have learned so many things that it is hard for me to mention all of them. I learned a lot about computers, about disabilities, about believing in myself, and about how to set my future goals. I am so glad to be a DO-IT Scholar!

Rodney

My name is Rodney. I live in north Seattle and work for DO-IT. My interests include computer programming, reading, writing, and wasting time. My disability is Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (frequently shortened to AMC) which means that 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 plan to go to college in the Fall of '96 and study Political Science and minor in Journalism.

Eric

My name is Eric and I live in Oregon. I graduated from high school this year. I am blind; 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.

Anna

My name is Anna and I'm just beginning my second year at the University of Washington. This is because I chose to take summer quarter for some very strange reason. My major is cellular and molecular biology and I would like to go into genetics. I've been blind since a few months before my fifth birthday as a result of a kind of cancer called retinoblastoma. This summer I'm getting paid to do research on retinoblastoma. I'm also working in the UW Adaptive Technology Lab where I'm becoming better acquainted with computers and the Internet. 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 e-mail a lot, which I enjoy, and I have used other Internet resources. In fact, I've used it to look up abstracts on Medline for my research project. My other accomplishments of the year include going for a motorcycle ride, jumping into Drumhiller fountain, flying over the sculpture in front of Kane Hall, and getting a 3.0 in calculus even after flunking my first midterm. I have a mom, a dad, and a brother. I also have a puppy named King Tutt (KT). I enjoy 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

My name is Hollis. I graduated from high school last June in Oregon. I have Cerebral Palsy and I use a power wheelchair. I also have impaired speech but I do not have a communication device yet. I am hoping to get a laptop with communication software sometime in the near future. I control my computer with a joystick and a footswitch. I also use Morse code to type text. My interest is in civil engineering and mechanical engineering. I like to compete in model bridge building (state and international) competitions Ñ I fare quite well. My goal is to become a civil engineer. One of the things that I like about DO-IT is that it has exposed me to lots of different kinds of engineering fields. But mostly I enjoy meeting the DO-IT Scholars and staff.

Matthew

My name is Matthew and I am 18 years old. I live in Washington. The disability I have is Dyslexia. My hobbies are just about any sport but I especially like soccer. I will be attending college this fall and I have no idea what I will be studying.

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.

Sheryl Burgstahler, DO-IT Director

Sheryl

My name is Sheryl Burgstahler. I have a husband, Dave, and a son, Travis. I have Bachelors and Masters degrees in mathematics and a Ph.D. in higher education. I am an Assistant Director within Computing & Communications and a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Washington. I am particularly interested in how people with disabilities can make use of computers and networks and how the Internet can be used to create an electronic community...and, of course, I'm very interested in the "doitkids." Oh, by the way, I direct the DO-IT project!