National Leadership Program, Spring 2019
Cami Howe
Cami Howe was a Nonprofit Management Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program for Spring 2019. RespectAbility is a nonprofit organization focused on fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities for people with disabilities. She graduated from Utah State University in December 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. During her time as an undergraduate student, she noted a lack of research, writing, and discourse on disability, despite it being the largest minority group in the world today (invisibledisabilities.org). To help bridge this gap, she co-founded an on-campus club called “The Disabled Student Alliance,” which promoted self-advocacy and fought against ableism and created a community of students of all abilities.
Howe admires and subscribes to the ideas of Dr. Gordon Allport, researcher and author of the groundbreaking book, “The Nature of Prejudice,” as well as Dr. Susan Fiske’s “Stereotype Content Model.”In addition to her professional interest in disability, Howe personally has both a physical disability and mental illness, and thus possesses a unique firsthand account of the different ways people with disabilities often are negatively treated.
She joined RespectAbility because she is passionate about reducing prejudices and subsequent discrimination that people with disabilities face. Howe is looking forward to gaining experience at RespectAbility that will help build her professional grant writing skills. She is exceedingly grateful for the opportunity to join like-minded people working together to actively enact meaningful change in the lives of people with disabilities.
Howe’s plan for her future is to finish this transition year and then pursue a doctorate degree in Social Psychology to conduct academic research on the social aspects of disability. Her ultimate goal is to teach and to publish.
In her free time, she enjoys exploring the beautiful Utah scenery such as Zion National Park. During the summer, she handcycles through canyon trails, and in the winter participates in adaptive alpine skiing. She also loves folding origami, going out for sushi and spending time with her family.
Howe wrote two pieces during the Spring 2019 Fellowship. Check them out on our website:
- Please Don’t Be My Knight in Shining Armor (March 29, 2019)
- Learning The Language of Mental Health: Linda Burger (April 16, 2019)
