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Bio – Fellow – Past Fellows

Brooke Castagna, Nonprofit Management Fellow

National Leadership Program, Fall 2017

Respectability fellow Brooke Castagna smiling in front of the Respectability banner

Brooke Castagna

Brooke Castagna is a strong believer in that your disability does not define you. Her interest in fighting the stigma surrounding those with disabilities started at a young age as she was diagnosed with several learning disabilities, as well as mental health issues. Currently enrolled in her third year at Dickinson College, she is studying psychology and health in hopes of opening up her own private practice for children and adolescents with disabilities.

Castagna hopes to not only argue against the negative connotation of what it means to have a disability, but to also increase the confidence of those individuals who struggle with their personal disability.

Castagna constantly persists in doing whatever she can to create equal opportunities and awareness for those who have disabilities. She has volunteered for many programs and services that include but are not limited to training service/support dogs, being the president of her high school’s girl’s mentoring program and becoming a mentor for incoming students with learning disabilities at Dickinson College. Overall, she has found her passion and goal in life to fight societies negative view amongst those with disabilities.

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Adam Srayi, Policy Fellow

Nation Leadership Program, Fall 2017

RespectAbility Fellow Adam Srayi standing in front of the RespectAbility logo smiling

Adam Srayi

Adam Srayi was a Public Policy and Employment Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program. He researched the unemployment rate for people with disabilities in Long Beach, California, with a focus on the Latino community. With RespectAbility, he worked to find a model to increase the employment rate and opportunities for people with disabilities in Long Beach and the greater California area.

Before working with RespectAbility, Srayi worked with the Benjamin Center at SUNY New Paltz where he researched and compiled the data for a map of the City of Newburgh. The map highlighted all locations in the area that provided services to those with low or no income. Srayi is a graduate of SUNY New Paltz, with a Bachelor’s degree in political science, and minors in creative writing and women’s gender and sexuality studies. He enjoys trying to find creative solutions to political problems, particularly regarding the most vulnerable and marginalized groups. Srayi hopes to hold public office in the future.

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Jeanette Marquez, Policy Fellow

Nation Leadership Program, Fall 2017

Respectability fellow Jeanette Marquez smiling in front of the RespectAbility banner

Jeanette Marquez

Jeanette Marquez was a 2017 Public Policy and Employment Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program. Marquez is committed to the inclusion of people with disabilities.

Since she was a little girl, Marquez has lived with people with disabilities—three deaf siblings. She knows they also have dreams and goals in life and that it is important that society should be inclusive. For that reason, she has decided to be an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities.

Before joining RespectAbility,Marquez attended the seminar “Building Public and Political Leadership of Civil Society.” For her outstanding participation in this seminar, The Washington Center chose her for an internship in Washington D.C. with RespectAbility.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in communication sciences in 2013 from The Universidad del Valle de Atemajac in Mexico. In 2015,Marquez participated in an academic exchange in Business Administration at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain. And she recently completed her master’s degree in Organizational and Human Development at the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac in Mexico.

Marquez wants to be a speaker to raise public awareness about equality and inclusion and create a organization that prepares people with disabilities to operate their own businesses. Her interest is in developing entrepreneurship skills for people with disabilities.

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Julie Lun, Policy Fellow

National Leadership Program, Fall 2017

Respectability fellow Julie Lun smiling in front of the Respectability banner

Julie Lun

Julie Lun was a Public Policy and Employment Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program. As of 2017, she was a senior at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and was studying criminal justice with a concentration in violence. Lun is a first-generation college student and understands the importance of nonprofits and advocacy.

Her parents immigrated to Lowell, Massachusetts after the Cambodian genocide. With the support of local community organizations, Lun’s parents built a simple life in the United States. She describes growing up in Lowell as tough because her parents worked a great deal, and there was constant pressure from gangs and drug problems throughout the city. However, youth programs like Teen Block and GEAR UP helped her focus on her education to become the second person in her family to graduate high school, and the first to attend college. Lun credits her accomplishments to the nonprofits and advocacy programs that supported her. As a result, she wants to help other people rise above their own adversities to reach their goals and achieve independence.

Lun became interested in the disability community when she realized the topics covered in the classroom did not include people with disabilities. For example, in her victimology class, she recounts learning about different types of victims such as women, older adults, minorities and the LGBTQ community, but not learning about people with disabilities. She concluded that people with disabilities did not have support in the criminal justice system. Lun wants to learn more about the disability community and how she can help them reach their goals. After her Fellowship with RespectAbility, Lun planned to finish her undergraduate degree and continue her education to obtain graduate certificates in victims’ studies and leadership policy development and a Master’s degree in criminal justice.

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Katie Townes, Communications Fellow

Nation Leadership Program, Fall 2017

RespectAbility fellow Katie Townes smiling in front of the RespectAbility banner

Katie Townes

Katie Townes was a Communications Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership program. Here she began her journey as an advocate for people with disabilities who dream of working in Hollywood, or in their everyday lives.

Townes earned her Bachelor’s Degree at The City College of New York. She majored in art with a concentration in Graphic Design. She enjoys photography, video games, wood burning, knitting, and drawing. Her favorite medium to use in art is charcoal.

Before beginning her journey with RespectAbility, Townes was the vice president of her college club Access Future. The club’s purpose was for students with and without disabilities to come together and talk about school or daily lives. This club allowed people without disabilities to interact with people who have different disabilities, which helps break any stigma that people without disabilities may have about any disability. Access Future is actually what began her journey to advocacy. In the club, she felt comfortable for the first time and in a judgment-free zone.

After college, Townes continued her advocacy work online through Twitter. She created a community for gamers with disabilities under the handler name “GW_disabilities.” This community was created for gamers who have different disabilities. The community was a safe place for people with a common interest, while making friends.

Townes wants to be an advocate because she wants more people to feel not like “the only one.” In the future she sees herself creating a blog and other social media platforms for people with and without disabilities to come together and meet. She wants to change people’s perspective so they can see that even with a disability, a person is still able to do anything a person without a disability can do but maybe even better.

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Zein Al Maha Oweis, Communications Fellow

National Leadership Program, Fall 2017

Respectability fellow Zein Al Maha smiling in front of the RespectAbility banner

Zein Al Maha

Zein Al Maha Oweis (Zee) was a Communications Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program. She joined the team in the fall of 2017 to use and build her skills to help serve people with disabilities through her knowledge of communications and journalism.

Oweis is visually impaired and always has been intrigued by how powerful one’s voice can be used when telling a story and raising awareness. During her teenage years, she would listen to the daily news and was captivated by the vocal techniques used when broadcasting the news. She uses her oral and aural skills to help her navigate the world around her. Maha also is a competitive Ballroom and Latin dancer for eight years and has competed in Italy and Monte Carlo.

In 2016, Oweis graduated as valedictorian from Regent’s University London where she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Media Communications. She recently graduated with a Master’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism from American University. She is passionate about topics related to persons with disabilities which is evident in her journalism work. Maha voiced over New Technology Rolls Out For Persons With Disabilities, a news package assignment highlighting new technology for persons with disabilities used during the 2016 election season.

Prior to joining RespectAbility, Oweis held an internship position at the Library of Congress as part of its Communications Office in the summer. She wrote articles such as ‘Wonder Woman’ Visits ‘Library of Awesome’ and Homegrown Concerts Bring Unique Cultures to Library for the Gazette and A Different Sense to Thomas Jefferson’s Library for the Library of Congress’ blog.

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Theresa Maher, Communications Fellow

National Leadership Program, Fall 2017

Respectability fellow Theresa Maher smiling in front of the Respectability banner

Theresa Maher

Theresa Maher was a Communications Fellow at RespectAbility, where she used her writing skills to advocate for people with disabilities. She is most eager to help further an accurate and person-centered portrayal of people with disabilities in mainstream Hollywood.

Maher’s drive to advocate for people with disabilities started at a young age when she realized that the realities of her mother’s students in special education and of her uncle, a person with autism, did not match up to the portrayals of individuals with disabilities in mainstream Hollywood.

Previously, Maher has worked in collaboration with Catholic Charities’ group homes for adults with disabilities to hold a Variety Show at her high school from 2011-2015. Each year, the show included one song-and-dance performance for each group home on Long Island, and one finale where all the high school students and the adults from the group homes would perform together, which related to the theme of that given year’s show.

Maher is in her third year at American University. She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in print journalism with a double-minor in international service and health promotion. Maher has been a Peer Wellness Educator for the past year at American University. Through participating in identity workshops as a Peer Wellness Educator, Maher has learned to be more conscious of people with disabilities on her campus, and how the way that we occupy space and use language can have an impact on how they navigate their identity.

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Julia Wood, Communications Fellow

National Leadership Program, Fall 2017

RespectAbility Fellow Julia Wood smiling in front of the RespectAbility banner

Julia Wood

Julia Wood was a Communications Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program. She used her communication and social media skills to change the public’s perspective of people with disabilities.

Wood was a senior at Emerson College where she was pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism. She also was minoring in political science and history. She is passionate about telling other peoples’ stories and feels privileged that she has been given the opportunity to do so.

At birth, Wood’s youngest sister, Melissa, was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease, a metabolic disorder, and then nine years later with Leukemia. Wood always acted as an advocate for her younger sister, which is what drove her to pursue her interests in disability rights and education reform.

Additionally, Wood also has volunteered her time with Buddy Ball, an organization that aids children with disabilities in playing baseball. Previously, she was a communications intern with Make-A-Wish New Hampshire, where she aided in the wish-granting process of children with special needs. She helped grant numerous wishes, the most memorable was helping to give a young boy his very own at home aquarium.

Wood graduated from Emerson College in the spring of 2018 and hopes to someday work for the communications department of a nonprofit that focuses on education reform and disability rights.

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Samantha Fleischer, Jewish Inclusion Fellow

National Leadership Program, Summer 2016, Fall/Winter 2016, Spring 2017

Samantha Fleischer smiling

Samantha Fleischer

Samantha Fleischer was a Jewish Inclusion Fellow with RespectAbility in the Summer 2016, Fall 2016, and Spring 2017 Cohorts. Today, Fleischer works for the Navy League of the United States as a Development Associate.

As a Fellow, Fleischer assisted with a synagogue inclusion project in New York, conducted research and wrote philanthropic grant proposals, managed fundraising mailing campaigns, assisted in managing the Jewish inclusion social media accounts, and engaged with Congressional staffers on Capitol Hill. Prior to joining RespectAbility, Fleischer worked as Manager for Amazing Art Studio, Interned at The Goddard School, a Substitute Teacher at Matan Kids and a Senior Inclusion Counselor at a Camp hosted by the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington.

Fleischer is a graduate from the University of Maryland College Park with a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies.

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William Fowler, Communications Fellow

National Leadership Program, Fall/Winter 2014 Cohort

William Fowler smiling

William Fowler

William Fowler was a Communications Fellow with RespectAbility in the Winter 2014 Cohort. Today, Fowler serves as a Public Relations Aide on the New York City Campaign Finance Board.

As a fellow, Fowler increased his knowledge and gained an understanding on how to advocate on behalf of Americans with disabilities. Prior to joining RespectAbility, Fowler served as President of his fraternity and the Executive Assistant to the Associated Student Body (ASB) President. While as an undergraduate student, Fowler was the founder and director of the ASB Everybody’s Tent, which helped unite a conflicted university community around one common attraction: tailgating and SEC football.

Fowler earned a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications from the University of Mississippi.

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