Gabrielle Runyon is a graduate student at the illustrious Tennessee State University (TSU) where she is studying Counseling with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health. At TSU she is on the 85th Student Government Association’s Representative and Access Committee. Prior to her time at TSU, she attended the University of Louisville (U of L) where she graduated in May 2024 with her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a minor in music. She is a passionate advocate for disability rights and focuses on the intersectionality of sharing her story as a Black disabled woman, as evident in her work. During her time at U of L, she helped co-found the first ever disability-focused advocacy group for students called Disabled Cards United and won the first Disabled Resource Center Student of the Year award. She also joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated of which she is a proud member and credits the sisterhood in helping shape her into the tenacious, successful young woman she is today. Gabrielle serves as the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) State Ambassador for Kentucky and her duties have taken her to Washington, D.C. numerous times to advocate for her community. She also writes blogs about her experiences growing up with a neuromuscular disease and was recently included in the MDA Shamrocks national fundraising campaign. After her graduation, Gabrielle hopes to continue her education and obtain her doctorate in psychology, with the ultimate goal of opening her own clinic to help underrepresented communities in the mental health field, such as the Black, disabled, and Spanish-Speaking communities.

Laila Sayegh is a recent graduate of the Honors Program at Fordham University, where she studied political science and philosophy. She is deeply engaged in disability advocacy, media, and public policy, with a focus on advancing accessibility and equity through institutional change. At Fordham, she served as Chair of the Diversity Action Coalition, where she leads school-wide initiatives focused on accessibility, inclusion, and community programming. She previously served in the United Student Government, where she proposed disability accommodation initiatives to improve campus accessibility. Laila’s experience also includes internships with the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, VoteSmart, and TurnUp Activism, where she developed skills in legal support, nonpartisan political research, and grassroots outreach. In addition, she has played a leading role in Fordham’s Out of the Darkness Walk as Co-Chair and currently serves as a Social Media Ambassador for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s NYC Chapter. She plans to attend law school following graduation. Her interest in advocacy is grounded not only in her professional experiences, but in a broader commitment to understanding how institutions shape opportunity and access in everyday life. Outside of her work, she enjoys reading and values time with her family. As an AAPD intern, she is eager to continue building on her experiences in policy and advocacy while contributing to meaningful, systems-level change.

Maria Fernanda Llave is a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in forensic linguistics, with a focus on how language intersects with the legal system. She earned her paralegal certification with honors and has experience supporting legal professionals through case preparation, research, and document review. Her work and studies reflect a strong interest in applying linguistic analysis to real-world legal issues, including communication accessibility and interpretation.

Alongside her academic work, Maria Fernanda is a remote tutor, working with middle and high school students in English Language Arts and math. In this role, she helps students better understand challenging material while building their confidence and independent learning skills. She also serves as Vice President of Hofstra University’s Linguistics Club, where she helps foster a community for students interested in language and its real-world applications.

Maria Fernanda is passionate about accessibility and equity, particularly for individuals with disabilities. She is also a RARE Artist recognized by the EveryLife Foundation for her poetry, reflecting her commitment to advocacy through creative expression. As an intern, she looks forward to learning more about policy and advocacy while contributing to efforts that expand opportunity and representation.

Miri Hawkins Nannestad is a student at Pacific Lutheran University with an academic focus on atmospheric science. They are especially interested in how weather risks are measured and communicated, and in the consequences when the data used to guide those decisions is incomplete or inequitable. In collaboration with their academic and scientific work, Miri is a student leader and advocate for disability inclusion in STEM. As a wheelchair user, they bring a personal understanding of accessibility and structural barriers in education and other public services. Throughout the AAPD Internship Program, they hope to deepen their engagement with disability policy while continuing to explore how access creates stronger systems.

Molli Taylor is an accounting student at Portland State University with a focus on nonprofit operations and financial management. She brings over 25 years of administrative experience and more than a decade of professional writing and small business support, including bookkeeping, systems coordination, and back-end operations.

As a disabled, deaf, and neurodivergent mother of seven, Molli’s perspective is shaped by both lived experience and professional insight. Her work is grounded in a commitment to accessibility, equity, and creating systems that better support individuals and families navigating complex challenges. She is especially passionate about food security, housing stability, and strengthening community-based support networks.

Molli has worked across a variety of industries, including education, nonprofit services, and small business operations, and is particularly drawn to roles that improve organizational efficiency while supporting meaningful, mission-driven work. She is interested in building a career in nonprofit operations where she can contribute to sustainable, inclusive systems behind the scenes.

Molli is honored to be part of the AAPD Internship Program and looks forward to expanding her skills, connecting with fellow advocates, and contributing to work that advances disability inclusion and systemic change.

Tre Madden is a recent graduate (2026) of the MA Disability Studies program at City University of New York and a recipient (2024) of the Fulbright Fellowship to study Critical Disability Studies in Canada. Tuning in from the stolen lands and waters of the Clackamas, Multnomah, Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, and innumerable Chinookan tribes on what now is colonially called Gresham, Oregon— just east of Portland, Oregon—, they are a proud, queer, Mad quadriplegic and poet dedicated to collective liberation. Academically, they received their IB diploma with a focus on Ecology in the small Appalachian town of Berryville, Virginia, a BA in Dramaturgy from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, and an additional postbaccalaureate certification in Public Health at Portland Community College nearly 8 years, and a neck-breaking car-crash, later.

Beyond academics, however, they are an eccentric mixture of theatre nerd and military brat, with a deep passion for traveling, nature, speculative fiction, and of course, praxis. Over the years, both within and outside of academia, they have found their callings in facilitation, political education, book clubs, civic and governmental engagement, community organizing, cross-movement advocacy, collective care, consulting, and most importantly, emergency preparedness with mutual aid and local CBOs through a disaster justice lens. They frequently engage the living legacy of disability justice alongside the writings of Octavia Butler to locate creative strategies for survival, empowerment, and dual power that resist intensified infrastructural and ecocidal violence. They also allegedly have a sense of humor— in spite of the horrors— and enjoy art, improv, and performance to fill up their cup.

Tori Simpson is a recent graduate from ScenicView Academy in Provo, Utah. Tori cares about disability rights and is especially passionate about advocating for improving services offered to autistic survivors of abuse, protecting Medicaid, and ensuring access to affordable housing. In her spare time, Tori loves reading, writing poetry, painting with watercolors, making beaded bracelets, and cuddling with her cat, Lucy.

Vanessa Llamas is a School Counselor in Southern California who recently completed her Master of Arts in Education from Concordia University, Irvine, and is expected to graduate in December. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Education Sciences from the University of California, Irvine in 2019, she explored many careers. She developed an appreciation for developmental research following her belated diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder that year. Her diagnosis inspired a pilot study on children’s gendering of disabilities, which she conducted at Yale University as an Emerging Scholars Initiative Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program participant. Because she grew up having a disabled sister, disability was not new to her, but learning about her own disabilities along the way has made her acutely aware of why she has faced challenges and compelled her to be a voice for neurodivergent and other disabled pre-kindergarten-12 students as a School Counselor.

As a School Counselor, Vanessa is passionate about supporting each and every student. Still, she has a special interest in advocating for neurodiversity-affirming practices, which she hopes will one day replace Applied Behavior Analysis nationwide. She has presented at the Annual American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Conference, where she spoke on supporting neurodivergent students. With the rights of disabled students at risk, she intends to continue advocating for them at conferences and other spaces. As an ASCA-aligned School Counselor, she is data-driven in her work and continues to engage with research, including as a participant. She administers a Facebook group for neurodivergent and other disabled School Counselors, which she and her co-founders hope will result in an affinity group with ASCA. Due to her leadership potential and commitment to school counseling, she received statewide recognition as a 2026 California Association of School Counselors Emeriti Scholarship winner. 

When not advocating for her students or attending disability-related events with her sister, Vanessa enjoys reading, watching movies, singing, playing board games, cuddling with her cats, eating spicy food, collecting stickers and earrings, and traveling.

Veda Iyer is currently a Western Michigan University undergraduate majoring in Philosophy with a minor in Public & Nonprofit Administration. Veda’s academic work focuses on ethics, public policy, and the ways in which systems affect access, equity, and justice for marginalized communities.

One area Veda is especially interested in is disability advocacy. Drawing upon both academic work and lived experience, Veda is committed to advocating for accessibility, countering misinformation, and supporting more inclusive and equitable systems.

Alongside their academic pursuits, Veda has gained professional experience in both legal and creative environments. As a law firm intern, Veda developed strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and professionalism. Working as a cast member in a musical theater internship helped Veda strengthen their collaboration and communication skills. Currently, Veda runs an independent online resale business, managing operations, customer interactions, and visual presentation.

Through the AAPD Internship Program, Veda hopes to further deepen their understanding of disability advocacy and policy while learning from a diverse community of peers and professionals. Following the internship, Veda plans to pursue a career in disability law and advance equity and accessibility by working toward systemic change through legislation.