National Leadership Program, Spring 2018
Steve Bobadilla
Steve Bobadilla was a Communications Fellow in the National Leadership Program at RespectAbility. At birth, he was diagnosed with Spina Bifida L3 L4. He has fought to live a normal life without feeling left out. Playing tennis, basketball, soccer and baseball throughout his childhood has increased his self-esteem and self-confidence. This led to a great opportunity being a guest speaker on Capitol Hill, in which he discussed his struggles participating in high school sports. He championed the passage of the Fitness and Athletics Equity for Students with Disabilities Act. This Act allows for the barriers to be removed between nondisabled and disabled athletes. Bobadilla has been participating in the Prince George’s Tennis & Education Foundation for 13 years and has had the pleasure of traveling and meeting important figures across the DMV to raise awareness of this wonderful organization. Bobadilla is an advocate for the organization and recently was featured in the local newspaper the Rockville Sentinel and the Faces of Spina Bifida for his achievements as a player and as a person.
He has graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore County with a bachelor’s degree in Media Communications and a certificate in Spanish Studies. He co-founded an inclusion program called the Adaptive Sports Program which will be implemented at the University. As his post-graduation life begins, he is continuing to become more independent by driving his own car and has begun working with RespectAbility. He would like to learn more about funding an organization. He is also seeking to learn more from others in areas such as Media Communications, Development, and Public Policy, and to use his Visual Arts background. He hopes to gain beneficial skills from his different experiences here at RespectAbility. For example, he hopes to improve his writing and communication skills. His goal is to work for a well-known TV or radio station.
Bobadilla wrote one piece during the Spring 2018 Fellowship. Check it out on our website:
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RespectAbility is a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community. Learn more about the National Leadership Program and apply for the next cohort! Contact BenS@RespectAbility.org for more information.
