Inclusive Higher Ed Students Take on Leadership Roles!
Last summer, Isabelle, a student at University of Northern Colorado (UNC), participated in Youth Leadership Forum (YLF).
Isabelle was one of several young adults selected to represent their communities as delegates and advocate for themselves and others with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Not only did Isabelle attend five days of learning and networking on a college campus, but she also presented and taught others about her experience advocating for herself.
"I talked about inclusion and a bit about advocacy. Talked mostly about my experiences throughout education, like early preschool, through high school and into college. I talked about my experiences and what it was like to be an advocate for myself and learning from myself."
Isabelle shared that the highlight of the forum was helping influence younger students. Now in her junior year at UNC, Isabelle spread the word about UNC's inclusive programming as well as advice she had for navigating school.
What are you doing this summer? As you start to think about summer, consider what types of programs are out there that may help with college readiness - camps, forums, conferences. For middle and high school students, summer programs run on college campuses offer a great way to try out living away from home. For college students, summer activities can offer opportunities to develop leadership skills, like with Isabelle and Youth Leadership Forum.
