Bio – Fellow – Past Fellows

National Leadership Program, Summer 2018

Rachael Walloga

Rachael Walloga was a Nonprofit Management Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program. RespectAbility is a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities for and with people with disabilities. Walloga’s work as a translator for Compass Regional Hospice in Centreville, Maryland led her to meet older adults who developed disabilities later in life and were dealing with a language barrier in relation to their care. For this reason, she decided to be an Fellow at RespectAbility.

Here, Walloga is working with everyone at the organization to develop a skills toolkit that outlines a comprehensive list of disabilities, their descriptions and suggestions for caregivers in both English and Spanish. As her previous advocacy work was focused on promoting LGBTQ rights and those of the Hispanic community, Walloga was hoping to learn and to develop more intersectionality in her professional and private life during her summer Fellowship.

At Washington College, located in the historical village of Chestertown, Maryland, Walloga is entering her senior year. She is a double major in International Studies and Spanish, as well as a French minor. Outside of class, she holds office as the Vice President of a Spanish language theater club, Grupo Cambalache, and works part-time at the university gym. After spending the spring semester of her sophomore year in Madrid, Spain always will hold a special place in her heart.

In her private life, Walloga loves to read, study language and paint. Currently, Walloga is reading Harry Potter’s first book in French (L’école des Sorciers). She also is reading Aunque Seamos Malditas (Although We Are Cursed), which is a fictional story about the first woman to win a sexual assault case in Spain and how her experiences of persecution compare to those of her ancestor, who was burned as a witch during the Inquisition.

Outside of Spanish and French, Walloga feeds her Duolingo addiction with Portuguese, Gaelic and Polish. Duolingo is her favorite app for her phone because it lets her do language exercises on the go or during her commute. When she has the time, she loves to paint simple nature scenes and abstract work with acrylics to de-stress.

Walloga wrote one piece during the Summer 2018 Fellowship. Check it out on our website:

• Richard Phillips Teaches RespectAbility Fellows about Leadership (July 25, 2018)

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National Leadership Program, Summer 2018

Daniel Kawecki

Daniel Kawecki was a Communications Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program for the Summer of 2018. Kawecki is interested in exploring the intersection between disability and the criminal justice system as well as the topic of disability in poetry and fiction. Daniel is also interested in hearing about stories of disabled people who are artists. Daniel hoped, by the end of his time at RespectAbility, he would possess a broader range of skills and knowledge related to the portrayal of people with disabilities in mainstream culture.

As of 2018, Kawecki was a rising senior at Mercyhurst University. He was majoring in English with a concentration in Text, Image, and Design. Kawecki was enrolled in Mercyhurst’s AIM program for students with Autism. The program has opened several opportunities for him, such as meeting congressmen and interning at the American Psychological Association. He has spent most of his college life around people with Autism. In addition to experiencing a variety of people on the spectrum, Kawecki has taken the initiative to become the administrator for the AIM program’s Facebook page. Along with Autism, he has developed an interest in poetry. This year Kawecki was awarded the P. Barry McAndrew award at Mercyhurst and published in the annual Lumen Arts Magazine for his poem, “Wormm.” To write the poem, he said “I drew inspiration from my disability and my struggles with mental illness.”

Kawecki grew interested in disability when he was diagnosed with high-functioning Autism at the age of 15. Kawecki loves to write poetry. His favorite poets are Allen Ginsberg, Ruth Forman, Mary Oliver, and Michael Ondaatje. He loves to spend time outdoors hiking with others. Kawecki is a fan of Alternative-Rock from the 80s and 90s. His favorite bands are the Pixies and Radiohead. Kawecki practices mindfulness and believes it is a powerful tool for activating kindness, compassion, and open-mindedness in human beings. Kawecki believes that the key to overcoming discrimination lies ultimately in addressing our own insecurities rather than the people who live around us.

As a Communications Fellow at RespectAbility, he gathered information and wrote articles about people who have contributed to the disabled community to spread their accomplishment through our website and social media.

Kawecki wrote two pieces during the 2018 Summer Fellowship. Check them out on our website:

• Doreen Thomas of the T. Howard Foundation on Promoting Diversity in Media, “Difference” Empowers (July 26, 2018)
• Fighting Implicit Bias Through Film and Television (September 17, 2018)

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National Leadership Program, Summer 2018

Jaemi Hagen

Jaemi Hagen was a Communications Fellow at RespectAbility working on the Hollywood disability inclusion project. RespectAbility is a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities for and with people with disabilities. Hagen is an advocate, activist and public speaker from Minnesota. He also is profoundly Deaf. Additionally, he is part of the LGBTQIA+ community. He joined RespectAbility because he wanted to be a part of making profound changes in disability rights, equity and accessibility all across the nation.

Hagen’s primary goal is to reduce the stigma and misperception that people with disabilities cannot work, obtain an education or support a family. He wants to set an example for others and, through his own actions, show what is possible. Hagen also wants to promote and encourage speaking openly about disabilities and make it more of a conversational norm, rather than something to hide and be discreet about.

Previously, Hagen was an intern in the Child Protection Unit at the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office in St. Paul, Minnesota. He also worked as a Special Education Assistant at a charter school for grades 6-12 in St. Paul, Minnesota. These experiences, along with his personal experience, motivated him to become a more active role model and advocate for himself and others with disabilities. Hagen is a public speaker, speaking at schools and universities in Delaware, Maryland, California and Minnesota.

Hagen is a senior at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities majoring in Psychology and minoring in Leadership. He was part of the brain club, unicycle club and the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association chapter club. In 2016, Hagen completed an internship at the University of Pacific Doctoral Audiology program in San Francisco.

Hagen’s favorite author is the late neurologist Oliver Sacks. Hagen has a black belt in Taekwondo and is a ski and snowboard instructor. He loves cats and dogs. For fun he likes to draw, paint, play card and board games, lift weights and go for walks. Hagen is fluent in American Sign Language and Cued Speech as well. After graduation, he wants to pursue law school or a career in disability advocacy and accessibility. In five years, Hagen wants to have graduated law school and be working as a criminal prosecutor or as a disability and human rights lawyer.

Hagen wrote one piece during the 2018 Summer Fellowship. Check it out on our website:

• Sheehy on Disability Employment: “We are going to have some hard work ahead of us, but it’s work worth doing” (August 31, 2018)

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National Leadership Program, Summer 2018

Lily Cantor

Lily Cantor was a Jewish Inclusion and Communications Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership program. RespectAbility is a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities for and with people with disabilities. At Sarah Lawrence College, she studied the Spanish language and politics. She was an avid participant in the Jewish community and a member of the Hillel board at Sarah Lawrence. After graduating in spring 2020, Cantor hoped to spend a year doing advocacy work before attending law school.

Born in Washington, D.C., and growing up in Silver Spring, Maryland, she is excited to bring the skills she acquired at college back to the community she grew up in to inspire change at the local and national level. While managing social media for RespectAbility, Cantor is excited to learn about the challenges and rewards of advocacy for people with disabilities. She is thrilled to collaborate with an organization that simultaneously works on larger societal issues and interacts with individual people. While with RespectAbility, Cantor is ready to challenge the preconceived notions she has of herself and others.

In her free time, Cantor enjoys reading fantasy novels, watching Star Trek and scrolling through social media. She and her brother continue their search for the best scallion pancake in the Greater Washington, D.C., area and watch cartoons together on the weekends. She has a labradoodle named Clover, who hasn’t quite grown up yet. Cantor’s future plans include travel and picking up a third language. She is still trying to “catch them all” in Pokemon Go.

Cantor wrote four pieces during the 2018 Summer Fellowship. Check them out on our website:

• Geoffrey Melada: The Importance of Storytelling (June 7, 2018)
• Disability Legend Judy Heumann: Disability is a Diversity Issue (August 7, 2018)
• Honoring Judy Woodruff’s Dedication to Disability Representation in Media (September 4, 2018)
• Johnny Collett Calls For High Expectations for Students with Disabilities (September 5, 2018)

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National Leadership Program, Summer 2018

Thomas Noh

Thomas Noh was a Communications Intern with RespectAbility for Summer 2018. RespectAbility is a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities for and with people with disabilities. As a rising senior at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland, he has studied various programming languages such as HTML, Java, and C++. He is also fluent in Korean and studying Spanish for four years. Noh is seeking a learning experience and mentorship to help his future career as a successful entrepreneur. Noh’s primary goal is to become a powerful influencer through entrepreneurship. He wants to use his influence as a tool to mentor others and make positive changes to the society both domestically and internationally.

Noh has a sibling with Autism who has dealt with unfair treatments and bullying. After witnessing his sibling’s exclusion from his peers, Noh decided to join RespectAbility to learn more about how he can become a better ally for people with disabilities. Before joining RespectAbility, he has had numerous experience in volunteering to help the homeless, refugees and minorities as a leader in Youth With A Mission and Week of Hope.

Outside of work, Noh is a professional beatboxer and currently placed as Top 16 in International Midwest Beatbox competition. He also likes to read, play soccer and work on his part-time online business. Currently, he is reading 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson and Essence of Success by Earl Nightingale.

Noh wrote one piece during the Summer 2018 internship. Check it out on our website:

• Rep. Brad Sherman Enables People with Disabilities to Advocate for a Better Future
  (September 17, 2018)

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National Leadership Program, Summer 2018

Zavier Taylor

Zavier Augustus Lee Taylor was a Communications Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program for the Summer of 2018. RespectAbility is a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities for and with people with disabilities. Taylor is an artist, actor, and designer from North Carolina. He brings those skills to RespectAbility with the intention to use art and design to advocate and assist marginalized communities. Taylor has learned through his studies and professional experience that storytelling is a powerful political and social tool. There is a push at RespectAbility for a more accurate and diverse portrayal of people with disabilities. Taylor feels that one of the most effective ways to fight stigmas is to alter the public perception through real-life storytelling in the media. This is because media representation plays a pivotal part in the social standing of minority groups. Through his art and storytelling, Taylor is compelled to ensure that the portrayal of people with disabilities is accurate and proportional. Taylor is excited to help Respectability in its mission to achieve this goal.

Taylor is a rising senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Dramatic Art major and a concentration in New Media and Performance Studies. The creation of new works is his greatest passion. Taylor uses that passion day-to-day in the creation of visual and sonic art for fun and self-expression. He cites Jackson Pollock, Jean-Michael Basquiat, Jimi Hendrix, Dave Chappell, Terry Pratchett, Bruce Lee and Alan Moore as some of his greatest artistic influences. Taylor spends most of his time working on plays both onstage or off. One of his greatest loves is the feeling of captivating an audience.

Taylor hopes he can meld his personal experience with disability and people with disabilities, his artistic training and experience, and his desire to contribute to a greater good into a fruitful and exceptional stay at RespectAbility.

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National Leadership Program, Spring/Summer 2018

Rami Jackson

Rami Jackson was a Nonprofit Management Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program. He graduated in 2016 from Syracuse University with an undergraduate degree in Policy Studies. He previously served as a Development Coordinator at the National Wildlife Federation and has worked on numerous political campaigns.

Jackson first started working in this space through an internship with an AIDS center in Syracuse, New York where he saw first hand how people with disabilities face poverty, stigma and alienation from the larger community. While he had been a supporter of progressive causes in the past, it was here that he realized people with disabilities often are left out of the diversity conversation.

Jackson wants to raise money for causes that make the world a more equitable and equal place so everyone can maximize their potential and follow their passions. Eventually, he would like to run his own nonprofit and advocate for progressive policies at a federal level and make an impact in communities nationwide.

Here at RespectAbility, Jackson played a key role in grant prospecting and research. In his free time, Jackson enjoys reading, writing, cooking, biking, drawing and trying to learn how to dance. Yes, and he agrees with you, he does look like J Cole.

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National Leadership Program, Summer 2015

Janie Klein

Janie Klein was a Policy Fellow with RespectAbility during the summer of 2015. She cites her older brother as her inspiration for wanting to work with people with special needs. He had ataxia telangiectasia before he passed away. Through Eye-to-Eye Organization, Klein has worked as a mentor and guide to underprivileged middle-school children who have learning disabilities through an arts-based curriculum.

Klein is studying for her Bachelor’s degree in Human and Development Engagement at Temple University. She is currently an education intern for the summer at The National Museum of American Jewish History. Later this year, she will also intern for the School Distrcit of Philadelphia’s Office of Family and Community Engagement. She is a mentor and tutor to a student with special needs at Temple University through the Institute of Disabilities, where she is also a receptionist. She was previously the new student engagement chair at Hillel. She founded a Best Buddies chapter at Temple University to create one-on-one friendships for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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National Leadership Program, Summer 2013

Hannah Pincus

Hannah Pincus was one of the founding Fellows at RespectAbility in the summer of 2013. As a White House Advance Associate, Pincus represented the President on 36 political and official domestic and international trips across 22 states, Myanmar, Japan, Jamaica and Belgium. She liaised with White House senior staff and Press Corps, Secret Service, military personnel, local law enforcement and external stakeholders (elected officials, government agencies, university presidents, business leaders and foreign dignitaries) to ensure all Presidential visits and events were flawlessly executed in a manner that ensure security was maintained and messaging goals achieved.

After almost two years as an Advance Associate at the White House, Pincus transitioned to the US Department of Treasury. At Treasury, she was a schedule C political appointee and the Associate Director for Scheduling and Advance for former Secretary Jacob J. Lew. For nearly two years. she traveled to 15 countries across five continents alongside Secretary Lew. She planned, organized and implemented the Secretary’s daily and long-term schedule. She shepherded and staffed the Secretary on six G20s, three G7s, two Strategic & Economic Dialogues (the highest level economic conference between the US and China), press conferences, meetings with business leaders and in country economic and political leadership. She operated in foreign, critical and complex environments, often handling, filtering and delivery sensitive information in a concise reliable manner to the Secretary.

Since the end of President Obama’s Administration, Pincus has been working as a private consultant on issues pertaining to international tax policy, affordable housing, technology and the future of work, and global financial crises for global corporations, labor unions, church groups, and non-profits.

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