Aisha Paz (she/they) is a recent graduate of Wellesley College, where she majored in Neuroscience with a focus on human health and advocacy. Her academicjourney and personal experiences, including navigating a degenerative corneal condition during college, have fueled her commitment to advancing equity and accessibility in research and professional STEM environments.

Aisha has contributed to a range of cognitive and biomedical research projects, including work on microdevices for brain ISF sampling, reading development in neurodivergent children, and the development of inclusive programming curricula for natural science students at her alma mater. Currently, she is working on an accessible 3D neuron model for people with disabilities with support from the Weissman Foundry Fellowship. Professionally, she is focused on centering accessibility in lab practices and in scientific solutions developed for healthcare, particularly for cancer, neurodegenerative, and neuroimmune diseases.

Beyond research, Aisha has served as an Academic Success Coach and a Ministrare Peer Leader at Wellesley College, supporting student academic and leadership development through workshops and 1-on-1 skill-based activities. She was nominated as an Albright Fellow in 2025 and represented Brazil as a Young Delegate at the XIX World Summit of Nobel Laureates for Peace in 2024. She is excited to join AAPD’s Summer Internship Program this year to further her work on disability issues before continuing her research endeavors, with a PhD in mind.

ID: A young Afro-Latina woman with a medium-to-dark skin tone smiles warmly outdoors. Her Black wavy hair is styled half-up, with micro bangs. She wears a crisp white collared shirt under a dark-knit cardigan adorned with two pins: a blue and gold globe, and a blue square reading “sed ministrare.” Her jewelry includes a silver nose ring, a silver arabesque necklace, and a silver earring featuring her name, “Aisha,” in Arabic script.

Angelica Vega (she/her) recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice with a Master of Science in Social Policy. She was a Jay Goldman Scholar and is originally from Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. Her academic interests lie at the intersection of disability rights, health equity, and public policy.

Angelica earned her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, with a minor in Public Health, from American University, graduating with departmental and Latin honors. Prior to graduate school, she worked at JPMorgan Chase & Co. as a Data Management Associate. She is an incoming law student at George Washington University Law School and is a GW Public Interest and Public Service (PIPS) Scholar.

Angelica is a dedicated disability advocate with experience across policy, law, research, and user-centered design. In 2022, she served as a Law Fellow at the Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy, and Innovation at Loyola Law School. Earlier in her career, she was selected as a Lime Connect Fellow.

Her experience also includes internships with Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) on Capitol Hill and EMILY’s List, service on the Advisory Council of CommunicationFIRST, and meeting with the White House Gender Policy Council and the White House Office of Public Engagement to discuss reproductive healthcare access within the disability community. She served as a Policy Intern at Penn’s Center for Public Health and as a Research Assistant at SAFELab, where she contributed as a UX tester for JoyNet.

Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, she enjoys playing board games, watching the latest films, and trying new restaurants with friends and family.

ID: Angelica Vega, an Afro-Latina, smiles at the camera while wearing a black-and-white business suit with a white blouse. She has short black bobbed hair adorned with a crystal bow. The background is softly blurred, with the outline of a business setting visible behind her

Chantsaldulam Undrakhbayar (she/her) is a Counseling Psychology student at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. She is passionate about promoting accessibility, inclusion, and participation for people with disabilities. As an international student from Mongolia, Chantsaldulam brings a unique perspective and values understanding diverse experiences.

Through her coursework and community work, Chantsaldulam has built knowledge in her psychology major. While studying at Clark College, she worked as an assistant at the on-campus daycare center to gain experience in a new area. She also creates podcasts that guide teenagers in personal growth and self-improvement.

Chantsaldulam has strong experience in accessibility and assistive technology for people with visual impairments. She has taught screen readers and advanced Microsoft Excel skills, helping students compete internationally in the Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities (and participating herself). Additionally, she co-designed a smart cane with multisensory features to improve mobility and independence in Mongolia. Chantsaldulam has been recognized for leadership and academic achievement, including through the FLEX Future Leaders Exchange Program, where she represented Mongolia in the United States as a high school senior.

She was recently accepted into the College of Liberal Arts internship at the University of Minnesota to gain new experiences in her field of Counseling Psychology. Outside of academics, she enjoys reading books about personal development and writing journals based on psychological concepts. She is particularly interested in contributing to mental health, education, and disability advocacy initiatives.

ID: A lighter-skinned Asian woman can be seen smiling at the camera. Her black hair is tied back, and she is angled to the side with one hand on her hip, and the other on her orange-handled cane. She is wearing a dark blue, button-down shirt, and the silver heart pendant of her necklace sits on top of her shirt.

Emely Pacheco (she/her) is a rising senior at the Rochester Institute of Technology, majoring in an individualized study focused on Advocacy for Accessible Inclusion. She is a Deaf individual with low vision whose lived experiences have shaped a strong commitment to disability advocacy, accessibility, and inclusive public policy. Through navigating educational, social, and institutional systems, Emely has developed a deep empathy for individuals facing systemic barriers and unmet access needs.

Emely is passionate about advancing accessibility and accommodations, particularly within public policy, community resources, and organizational practices that impact the Deaf and disabled communities. They believe advocacy is a powerful tool for addressing inequities, promoting awareness, and driving meaningful change. This commitment is grounded in the importance of knowledge, both in understanding the diverse strengths and needs of people with disabilities and in encouraging inclusive approaches that foster long-term progress.

As an AAPD intern, Emely is eager to contribute to initiatives that center on disability justice, representation, and equity. They are especially interested in work that amplifies disabled voices, improves access to information and services, and supports policy efforts that create more inclusive communities for all.

ID: A Latina woman with long wavy dark hair, wearing a sleeveless black top and a light belt, smiling gently with hoop earrings.

Eniola Michaels Olowoyo (she/her) is a recent graduate of Morgan State University, where she earned a degree in psychology with a minor in entrepreneurship. She is the CEO of Invisible Warriors (IWA), a nonprofit organization she founded that advocates for individuals with invisible disabilities, including those with sickle cell disease. Under her leadership, IWA focuses on raising awareness, providing community support, and creating programs that foster inclusivity and empowerment for those navigating chronic health conditions.

Throughout her academic and professional journey, Eniola has developed a deep interest in human development and family sciences. She is exploring graduate pathways in marriage and family therapy and clinical child life services, aiming to integrate clinical expertise with advocacy work to support the holistic well-being of individuals and families. Her personal experiences with chronic illness have informed her empathetic approach to leadership, policy engagement, and community service, motivating her to create spaces where voices often overlooked are recognized and valued.

In addition to her nonprofit work, Eniola is passionate about program development, community outreach, and social impact initiatives. She has experience leading teams, developing strategic plans, and organizing events that educate and empower the community. Through her internship with AAPD, she looks forward to expanding her skills in policy advocacy, professional development, and disability rights, while contributing her unique perspective as a leader in the nonprofit sector.

ID: A professional portrait of a Black woman with long dark hair parted to one side. She is wearing a red blazer, a white collared shirt, and a pearl necklace. The background is blurred.

Hannah Jane Hodge (she/her) is a 24-year-old second-year student at George Mason University Law School. She is committed to advocating alongside people with disabilities, particularly people living in rural communities. During law school, Hannah Jane interned with the Disability Rights Legal Center, where she worked to help uphold the rights of individuals with disabilities who are incarcerated.

She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Disability Resource Center of the New River Valley, supporting the organization’s mission to ensure people with disabilities can live in the community with access to resources, services, and opportunity. At George Mason, Hannah Jane is a member of the Christian Legal Society, the Pro Bono Society, and the George Mason Law Review.

Before law school, Hannah Jane was an AmeriCorps Fellow with MATCH Middle School in greater Boston, where she strengthened students’ foundational math skills by leading small-group instruction for low-income students in grades 6–8. She earned a B.A. in Political Science from Virginia Tech. She plans to use her law degree to advance disability rights and expand access to justice in rural communities.

ID: A smiling white woman with medium-brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a black boat-neck dress and gold dangling earrings.

Juno Quintana (he/him) is a rising senior studying Sociology and Global Studies at Florida International University (FIU), where he serves as Assistant Director of the Disabled Student Union. A transfer student from Miami Dade College’s Honors program, Juno co-founded and led the Disability Pride Club and established the Student Government Association’s Accessibility Committee on Wolfson Campus. He is an alum of the Aspen Young Leaders Fellowship and has presented workshops and panels on Disabled history, intersectionality, and sexual education at events like REFLECT Collective’s Whole Selves Youth Sex Ed Conference.

Juno is Editor-in-Chief of the nationally recognized, award-winning literary arts magazine METR[O]MORPHOSIS. His poetry has been recognized as a finalist for the Academy of American Poets prize and placed 4th in the Ban Me Not Poetry competition. Juno’s writing is soon to be featured in the United Kingdom’s Vagina Museum in Lip Service magazine Edition #4. He is also featured in MDC’s Changemaker Students video series and served as Vice President of Student Ambassadors for the Honors College.

Juno’s creative practice centers sound design, poetry, and multimedia storytelling as tools for disability justice and cultural change. He is passionate about accessible public transit and studies the relationship between multi-marginalized identities and online culture. Beyond his advocacy work, Juno aspires to pursue a career in performance and creative writing — including music, theater, fiction, and film — that reshapes society’s understanding of Disabled lives and experiences.

ID: Close-up headshot of Juno Quintana, a white-passing Latino with circular glasses and a small silver septum piercing. He smiles and sits on an electric wheelchair, wearing a black tie, brown plaid suit jacket, and a progress pride flag pin.

Kate Parachek (she/her) is an undergraduate student in the James Madison College at Michigan State University, where she studies Social Relations and Policy and intends to pursue a career in law and public service. She is deeply interested in the role of law and policy in advancing equity, accessibility, and civil rights, particularly for disabled communities. Her interest in the legal system and public policy developed through early involvement in community leadership and education advocacy, as well as firsthand exposure to how institutional decisions shape access and equity.

Kate has hands-on experience in legislative and institutional settings, including her work as a Non-Partisan Legislative Clerk for the Michigan House of Representatives, where she supported House operations during session, handled legislative materials, and worked under strict standards of professionalism and confidentiality.

On campus, Kate serves as a Disability Representative on the James Madison College Community Inclusion and Belonging Panel, where she advocates for accessibility, equity, and inclusive policy development. She is also a Resident Assistant and Peer Educator, roles through which she supports community wellbeing, facilitates conflict resolution, and promotes trauma-informed, equity-centered education.

Through the AAPD Summer Internship Program, Kate hopes to deepen her understanding of disability policy, gain hands-on experience in advocacy-driven legal and policy work, and continue building a strong foundation for a future career in law.

ID: Headshot of Kate Parachek, a smiling woman with blonde hair, green eyes, and brown glasses wearing a black blouse, standing outdoors, the background is blurred.

Katherine Radt (she/her) is a rising senior at American University. In addition to studying sociology and legal studies, she hopes to be among the first graduates of the disability studies program she’s helping build. She cultivates disability programming and advocates for accessibility as the Disabled Student Union president. Working as the Living With a Disability teacher’s assistant, Kate equips further students to become informed disability advocates. Kate additionally volunteers with the DC Public Library’s Center for Accessibility, curating materials and supporting events that promote disability culture. She previously interned at the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, assessing when and how disability was addressed in disaster resources.

Her experiences belonging to cross-disability communities shape her commitment to pushing for and practicing accessibility. Kate has grown from her School Board appointment as Special Education Advisory Committee Student Representative in high school to wading into DC policy through the DC Commission on Persons with Disabilities and lobbying Virginia legislators as a university student. Her 2025 Coelho Center Law Fellowship affirmed that studying and working with disability rights law is her path forward. She’s eager to deepen her understanding of the disability advocacy sphere as part of the Summer 2026 AAPD Internship cohort.

ID: Katherine, a young white woman with long wavy brown hair, smiles at the camera while sitting angled in her teal powerchair. She wears a black top, khakis, and triangular disability pride flag earrings. Silver hearing aids peek out behind her ears, and her arm steering her powerchair also displays her continuous glucose monitor in a pink patch.

Khalen Wright (he/him) is a proud VAST Academy graduate from Houston City College. He is an amazing young African American leader & autism advocate who is committed to faith, disability rights, and uplifting his community. With a heart for service, he actively supports Special Olympics, feeds the homeless, participated in Boy Scouts, and empowers his peers with disabilities to understand why their vote matters. Known affectionately as the “Curbside King,” he takes pride in helping others confidently access their right to vote and use their voice.

Khalen’s strong community mindset, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn are what led him to pursue the AAPD Summer Internship Program. He’s passionate about advocacy, social justice, and community causes. He learned how to effectively advocate for himself, and he’s willing to stand in the gap for his peers as well. He’s also excited to bring his passion for advocacy and community service to AAPD while continuing to expand his leadership skills.

Outside of advocacy, Khalen enjoys spending time with family, sharing his faith, listening to music, and expressing his creativity through photography and video editing. Through his camera lens, he tells powerful stories that highlight the value of every person. Tech-savvy and full of sportsology facts, he combines knowledge, creativity, and compassion to make a lasting impact wherever he goes.

ID: Khalen, a light-skinned African American man in his 20s with low-trimmed black hair, a full beard, and glasses. He is wearing a navy-blue suit jacket, a white button-down dress shirt, and a checked bow tie. He is standing in front of a blurred background, smiling at the camera.

Margaret McKelvey (she/they) just completed their first year of the Disability Studies M.A. program at City University of New York School of Professional Studies. Her passion for disability justice began to develop during high school after she grew into and accepted her varying disability identities. In her time as an undergraduate student studying Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego, she became involved in various disability spaces, including working as a remote intern at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory with a focus on creating disability positive educational material.

With a background in neuroscience research and a love for teaching and learning, Margaret plans to continue their academic journey and pursue a PhD in Disability Studies. Given her personal experience as a queer and multiracial disabled individual, she aspires to establish research within the disability space that is inclusive of varying identities and experiences. Margaret looks forward to growing as a disability advocate throughout the AAPD Summer Internship Program.

ID: A lighter skinned, multiracial woman is seen looking straight on into the camera with a serious expression. She has dark brown, wavy hair, and is wearing a white collared shirt and black blazer. Her fire color beaded earrings (turquoise, black, red, orange, yellow, and white) are dangling nearly to her shoulders. She is wearing light makeup and large, round gold-colored glasses.

Mari (she/her) is a recent graduate from the University of Central Oklahoma with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a dual academic focus in Mass Communication. Her interdisciplinary background supports strong research literacy alongside clear, professional communication of complex ideas, particularly in policy-adjacent and advocacy-focused environments.

During her undergraduate studies, Mari completed research-driven coursework emphasizing analytical writing, structured evaluation, and ethical handling of information. Her training in mass communication further strengthened her ability to synthesize research findings and present them in accessible, audience-appropriate formats.

Mari brings a disciplined, detail-oriented approach to her work, with strong written communication skills and experience managing complex, deadline-driven projects. She values accuracy, accountability, and collaboration, and is especially interested in work that connects research, policy, and public engagement.

As an AAPD intern, Mari looks forward to contributing to mission-driven initiatives and gaining hands-on experience in advocacy, policy development, and organizational operations that support meaningful systemic change.

ID: Close-up professional headshot of a woman smiling warmly. She is wearing black cat-eye glasses, silver hoop earrings, and a floral print cream blouse, and her graying hair is pinned back. The background is out of focus. 

Rachel graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a B.A. in Medical Anthropology and a minor in Spanish on the pre-med track. With a passion for understanding the livelihoods, joys, and challenges of people from all walks of life, Rachel aspires to work as a physician and public policy advocate. Thus, Rachel plans to attend medical school to further this goal.

This summer, Rachel strives to gain more insight into how anti-Blackness, caste, and class impact health accessibility, quality of life, and disability justice. With previous experience in immigrant community organizing and public policy research in St. Louis and Cleveland, Rachel is eager to contribute to national community organizing and coalition work that impacts structural changes advancing collective progress, liberation, and solidarity for historically oppressed peoples. 

When Rachel has a moment to spare, you can find them exploring (or most likely getting lost in) the city, cracking dad jokes with friends, stargazing, trying to pet a pigeon, and playing games with her brother Krish and his cat.

ID: Rachel is a light-skinned brown South Asian Indian person with shoulder-length loose curly black hair and a nose piercing. They are wearing a keffiyeh over a floral cream dress, pink lipstick, and bronze leaf earrings. On her left hand, Rachel is wearing a colorful bracelet with the word “brave”.

Raven Diaz (she/her) is a recent graduate of Rutgers University whose work is rooted in disability justice, healthcare equity, and policy advocacy. Being grounded in both her lived experience and community-based work, she is particularly interested in advancing equitable systems for people with disabilities and for Black and Brown communities.

Throughout her time at Rutgers, Raven contributed to campus and public conversations on access and equity, including serving as a co-panelist for the Disabilities Roundtable at the Zimmerli Art Museum and participating in an Education Policy Roundtable that centered on Latinx voices from the Latino Action Network Foundation. These experiences strengthened her commitment to creating spaces where marginalized perspectives are not only included but prioritized in decision-making.

As a Leadership Scholar with the Institute for Women’s Leadership, Raven explored the intersection of civic engagement, feminism, disability rights, and social justice through her internship with the Rutgers Center for Youth Political Participation at the Eagleton Institute of Politics and Social Action Project. There, she supported initiatives aimed at increasing political participation amongst the youth and encouraging the importance of an inclusive democratic process. Through her Social Action Project, she used a $500 seed grant to develop a roundtable discussion event focused on the experiences of college students with disabilities and how Universities can support the disability community. 

Raven plans to continue her education by pursuing a Master of Social Work, followed by law school, to work at the intersection of policy, law, and disability advocacy. She is driven by a belief that access is a civil right and that meaningful change happens when policy is shaped by the communities it impacts.

ID: A medium-dark brown skinned woman with box braids wearing a blue striped button down shirt and a grey sweater smiles towards the camera with the scene behind her blurred.

Russell (he/him) is a graduate student at the University of Cincinnati, where he studies computer-mediated communication with a focus on online health communities. He is drawn to this work in part because of his own experiences with stigma and his interest in helping rewrite dominant narratives around chronic illness and disability.

As an undergraduate, he worked with the Disability Cultural Center and spoke on panels, which deepened his engagement with disability justice and advocacy. He has also conducted research and presented at conferences on topics related to disability politics across multiple national contexts.

In his spare time, Russell enjoys reading and chatting with his mom and friends.

ID: Russell, a Black person in his 20s with black hair and a big smile, is wearing a blue shirt with white stripes. He has his arms folded. He has white-framed glasses with dark blue-tinted lenses.

Shirley (he/they) is a first-year graduate student at the University of Maryland. Shirley is a critical sociotechnical researcher in the field of Human-Computer Interaction, interested in relationships of technology with participation, infrastructure, surveillance, race, and disability. He works to understand the role of technology and data in interpersonal, societal, and structural harm. A major interest of Shirley’s is understanding how to decolonize technology-mediated care by moving from a pathological model to a more community-centered orientation.

Outside of research, Shirley is also a community organizer and doula working with abolitionist principles to work toward crip and mad liberation in Asian spaces through fostering mutual aid and access intimacy. Being from Bangladesh, he aims to highlight Global South perspectives in both organizing and research. Following his Master’s, Shirley hopes to continue his research in a PhD program where he hopes to draw from ongoing organizing work, Mad Studies, and critical disability scholarship to build a body of work to advocate for community-centered, participatory design of sociotechnical systems.

ID: Shirley is a brown-skinned South Asian person with shoulder-length curly hair wearing a blue collared button-down shirt, a blue blazer, and frameless glasses. The background is out of focus.

Sophia (she/her) is a recent graduate of the University of Southern California, where she received a master’s degree in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs. She is a passionate community-based disability justice advocate committed to advancing equity and opportunity for disabled, gender-diverse students of color. As a Korean American, disabled, neurodivergent woman, she is an intersectional justice advocate, dedicated to advancing the social mobility and employment or educational pathways of disabled students of all ages and backgrounds. She believes those most impacted by systemic discrimination deserve to define success on their own terms and lead the way in shaping lasting, generational change.

With experience in national, federal, and community-level education and advocacy, she brings a holistic, intersectional approach to transforming outcomes in primary, secondary, and postsecondary education and employment. With her cultural responsiveness, sensitivity, and humility, she uses collaborative leadership. She’s skilled in organization evaluation and expansion strategy, stakeholder engagement, and inclusive communication — driving institutions toward true inclusion and cultural humility. She’s humbled and excited to contribute to organizations whose mission aligns with her vision and commitment to collective liberation, access, justice, and making a lasting and transformative impact.

ID: A picture of Sophia smiling with her teeth. Sophia is a tanned-skinned Korean American woman with short, thick, wavy brown hair embellished with teal, purple, silver, and navy crystals, and she is wearing a flower headband. She’s wearing a navy button blazer with cuffed sleeves, a white lace dress, and a pearl bracelet. She’s standing with a black forearm crutch on her right side. She is wearing an “Actually Autistic” neurodiversity infinity sign rain pin on the left side of her blazer. She is wearing a white circle pin featuring a heart with the disability pride flag colors, and underneath it, a white circle pin featuring a glasses icon with people colored as different disability pride flag colors. That pin states: “I See You” in bold, black, capital letters. She is also wearing a purple handmade, painted circle key necklace and silver earrings. She’s also wearing peach-gold eyeshadow, blush, and red lip stain.

Tabatha Gore (she/her) is a Summer Intern with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and a bioengineering student at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She is from Washington, D.C., and has a strong academic and professional interest in health equity and disability policy, particularly at the intersection of science, technology, and social impact.

Tabatha brings a multidisciplinary background that combines STEM education, research, and collaborative problem-solving. In Summer 2023, she participated in the AthleTECH program in Washington, D.C., where she worked on a team of technology interns to develop Zombcalypse, a game built using Roblox Studio. Through this experience, she strengthened her coding skills and practiced Agile methodologies in a team-based development environment.

Her research experience includes serving as Lead Researcher and Author for a senior capstone project analyzing the importance of minority inclusion in STEM fields, with a focus on mentorship programs in high-minority schools. Additionally, Tabatha was selected as a cohort leader for the highly competitive Brown University–OSSE Scholars Program, where she gained hands-on experience in biochemistry and biotechnology, including CRISPR-based techniques. Through her work and studies, Tabatha is committed to advancing equitable policies that expand access and opportunity for underrepresented communities.

ID: A smiling Black woman with short locs twisted to the back and black-rimmed glasses poses outdoors wearing a black dress, a white-and-black checkered crop jacket with pearl trim, hoop earrings, and a white smartwatch.